On Nov. 22 2024, Kendrick Lamar, a prominent and widely loved artist throughout the world with multiple Grammy Awards and a Pulitzer Prize, unexpectedly released GNX (based on a car called GNX), his latest album since “Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers.” It’s safe to say that no one was expecting the release, but it’s also safe to say that no one was disappointed.
While “Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers” was Lamar’s latest album, it surely wasn’t the last time he was in the spotlight in the music industry. On March 26, 2024, the release of “Like That” from Future and Metro Boomin on the album “We Don’t Trust You” featured Lamar for a verse in which he threw jabs at both Drake and J. Cole. This sparked a rivalry dealing with the music industry where many rappers were releasing songs about each other, with the main two being Lamar vs. Drake and J. Cole. This lasted until May, when Lamar released the song “Not Like Us,” determining him the winner of this rivalry. While Drake did release a song after this, it was outshined by the amazement that “Not Like Us” caused.
Not too long later, Lamar released a “Not Like Us” music video, which featured a snippet of a song which left many bamboozled and impressed. It wasn’t until the release of GNX seven months later when we found out that it was a sneak peek to “Squabble Up,” the second song in the album.
GNX has 12 songs, each with a specific mood that it sparks into the listener, each as strong as the last. From authoritative songs such as “Wacced out Murals” and “Man at the Garden” to melodic in “Dodger Blue” and “heart pt. 6” to enchanting in “Luther” and “Gloria” the album covers Lamar’s feelings from different angles and views, with each song reflecting them in their own way.. The only thing that is stagnant is the power held within each song. It’s clear Lamar is proud of who he is, which energizes each song. The album also has its features, such as SZA, Sam Dew, Deyra Barrera, AzChike, and others.
This album proves many things, but overall that Kendrick is winning. Kendrick has won the beef, Kendrick has won awards, Kendrick has won the hearts of many, Kendrick has won glory, and he expresses the overall win in GNX that he has earned throughout his career.