Multi-Grammy winning artist Kendrick Lamar, more formally known as Kendrick Duckworth has released his new album GNX. This album came as a complete surprise when it was released on Friday, November 22nd of this year. Nobody expected this considering the five year wait fans had to endure from his 2022 Grammy winning album, Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers, and his 2017 Pulitzer Prize winning album, DAMN.
Kendrick Lamar dives into a new style of hip-hop, and new production, while still sticking with the immense storytelling in all his songs. The production is much more upbeat and really allows Kendrick to rap his heart out.
“The album was definitely fire. Kendrick always comes out with bangers, and this shows because he’s always getting the fans right,” junior Robert Byrd said. “Kendrick is the only guy to release an album that nobody ever expects for people to still love it.”
Kendrick Lamar’s run of form for the last twelve years cannot go without being seen, from his breakout album, Good Kid, m.A.A.d City, is Lamar’s second studio album after his first album, Section.80. In 2015, he dropped his critically acclaimed Grammy winning album, To Pimp a Butterfly, which has been given the title of greatest rap album of all time; competing with Illmatic by Nas. Two years later in 2017, Lamar dropped DAMN, which as previously stated, won a Pulitzer Prize. This is widely considered one of his best storytelling albums because Lamar masterfully recounts his own origin story and experiences with love, loss, and the unfair world around him. He states the duality of his weaknesses and later dives into his wickedness and the things he has experienced. Five years later in 2022, Lamar dropped Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers, which is a bit of a drop in quality from his previous albums, but it still holds up well and has aged wonderfully throughout the years. Now enters GNX, Kendrick Lamar’s newest album enters. This album continues with his ongoing feud with the rapper Drake, bringing even more fuel to the fire. After his hit song, Not Like Us, was dubbed song of the summer for 2024, Lamar is back with some more heat.
“This release absolutely shocked me. I didn’t ever think he was going to release after that summer beef with Drake, I thought it was over,” junior Kimberly Garcia said. “Everything about it surprised me, just a random day and then he drops an entire album that nobody saw coming, the album was so good too.”
Kendrick delivers on this surprise album with great bars, vocals, and his run of quality just never seems to diminish. Fans see Kendrick Lamar as one of the greatest and this album could truly solidify his spot among all of the other greats in the rap community.
Controversial music critic, Anthony Fantano, has reviewed this album. He saw it as nothing short of incredible. The self-proclaimed “internet’s busiest music nerd” has given GNX a light 9/10; just behind his 10/10 album, To Pimp a Butterfly.
“Sure, while lots of rappers, past and present, have told us in one way or another that they’re the best, they’re the greatest, this “Man at the Garden” track is a literal treatise on why Kendrick Lamar deserves that number one spot,” journalist Anthony Fantano said. “It’s musically designed to whip you up into an emotional frenzy at the very end that’ll have you being like, oh, yes, Kendrick, you deserve everything. Which, while sure, that read of the song is a bit reductive, we can’t pretend like Kendrick’s self-interest on this song doesn’t factor at all. It is worth asking, Am I being initiated into a cult here?” (TheNeedleDrop)
Fantano sees this album as a pure hype, dopamine inducing, wild ride type of album. Kendrick Lamar shows his talent in the genre and how he still manages to defy odds and expectations.
“I think GNX succeeds where Damn faltered. The bops on this thing hit hard. And not only do they hit hard, but they are just downright ridiculously visceral and, in your face, and they are aggressive, they are mean.,” journalist Anthony Fantano said. “They’re stupidly smart and endlessly charismatic, too. And the smoother, more low-key cuts on the record are equally addictive.” (TheNeedleDrop)
Lamar had standards to meet, people to entertain, limits to break, and it’s safe to say he did exactly that. His production, lyricism, and flow hit people in the face in a way that had his whole fanbase bobbing their heads all at the same time.
“It’s nothing short of different for sure, it’s a new sound and we don’t hear this often from him and I really liked what I was hearing,” senior Ali Al-Dujaili said. “You know when you listen to music in class or on the bus somewhere like that and you just have to bop your head because it gets that good.”
Kendrick Lamars career is a story in and of itself. With the fan base he has built, such fans are proud to enjoy his music, follow his stories, and seek happiness in the songs he makes.
“GNX was fire, no doubt at all, Kendrick just can’t release bad music; it’s out of the guy’s nature,” sophomore Gabriel Kathawa said. “I was chilling at school when someone told me Kendrick dropped, I was like, “you’re joking”, but he did, and I was shocked.”
Is GNX the last Kendrick Lamar album? Will he retire anytime soon? Are there many more eras to come? Only time will tell, Kendrick doesn’t have much more to prove, but it seems everything he puts out still breaks limits.
