Following the contemplative soul-searching of 2022’s Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, Kendrick Lamar’s newest album, GNX, marks a sharp shift in style.
After a year marked by his back-and-forth feuds with fellow artist Drake, Lamar has returned to his West Coast roots, exuding a reinvigorated confidence full of excitement. Whereas we saw Lamar looking inward as he grappled with his emotions and his past in Mr. Morale, GNX sees him looking outward, reflecting upon his accomplishments as an artist and person and solidifying his place at the apex of the modern hip-hop world.
Packed with dynamic production as well as high-energy performances, GNX is fueled by stark lyricism and infectious backing tracks. With countless features on each track, including some well-known names such as SZA and Roddy Ricch, the record thrives on Lamar’s inventiveness and artistic flexibility, all emphasized even further by the vigorous production done by many, including Jack Antonoff, Mustard, and even Lamar himself.
The first track, “wacced out murals,” opens with a distinct vocal intro by mariachi singer Deyra Barrera before transitioning into the rest of the song in which Lamar reflects upon his complex feelings about the hypocrisy present within the modern hip-hop industry.
He calls out those who have “sold themselves” to the industry and have formed a false image, underlining his emphasis on authenticity as an artist.
Using the example of him being named the headliner of the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show, Lamar highlights the contrast in reactions he received. Many artists, such as Lil Wayne, responded negatively, while only a few, like Nas, offered congratulatory words; both were significant influences on him growing up..
He does so to criticize the culture that has developed in this industry, one that dances the line between friendly competition and bitter jealousy, all the while making it abundantly clear throughout the track that this success is his to celebrate.
With the album’s fourth track, “man at the garden,” Lamar touches on his success even further. The repetition of the phrase “I deserve it all” throughout the track emphasizes how despite any doubts he may have previously had, the backlash he may have received from critics or even his fellow artists, and the struggles he has faced throughout his career, his hard work and dedication towards perfecting his craft has proved that he deserves the success he has enjoyed.
Lamar ends the track by explaining that “It’s important, I deserve it all because it’s mine” before asking those who may doubt him to “Tell me why you think you deserve the greatest of all time.”
As the album goes on, the tenth track, “heart pt. 6,” the sixth installment in Lamar’s “The Heart” series, recounts Lamar’s experiences with Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), his initial record label, as well as his relationships with his peers in the industry, his advancement as an artist, and his eventual departure from TDE.
While previous entries in the series were stylized as “The Heart,” Lamar likely opted for a different stylization due to Drake’s use of “The Heart Part 6” as the title of a diss track targeted towards him earlier this year, allowing him to reclaim his series while also making clear that he does not recognize or show any regard for Drake’s track.
The track is capped off with Lamar’s message to aspiring young artists, emphasizing the importance of maintaining healthy connections with their friends, family, and fellow artists if they can, to avoid giving into social pressures or fame, and to talk things through, that a “Hand-to-handshake is good when you have a heart-to-heart.”
Throughout this album, we see Lamar exploring his own legacy through a balance of celebrating his successes and criticizing the wrongs he sees. He reflects on his own place at the pinnacle of today’s rap world alongside criticisms of the growing corporatization of the contemporary music industry through both personal and broad, cultural storytelling.
GNX, despite being very new, has already cemented itself as a turning point for Lamar and one of 2024’s standout music releases.
Ultimately, despite any stylistic changes in his music over time, this album proves that Lamar remains a significant figure at the forefront of modern hip-hop, his artistry adapting and growing to always provide something new and unexpected with sharp insight and a genre-defining voice unlike any other among his peers.
You can listen to GNX now on platforms such as Apple Music and Spotify.
