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GNX (album)

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GNX is the sixth studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released as a surprise album through PGLang and Interscope Records on November 22, 2024. Titled after the Buick Regal model, and a follow-up to Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (2022), GNX is Lamar's first album after his departure from longtime labels Top Dawg Entertainment and Aftermath Entertainment.

GNX
A black-and-white vignetted photo of Lamar leaning against the back of the titular GNX
Studio album by
Kendrick Lamar
ReleasedNovember 22, 2024 (2024-11-22)
GenreWest Coast hip hop
Length44:20
Language
  • English
  • Spanish
Label
Producer
Kendrick Lamar chronology
Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers
(2022) 		GNX
(2024)

Lamar and Dave Free executive produced the album, which features appearances from AzChike, Dody6, Hitta J3, Peysoh, Roddy Ricch, Siete7x, SZA, Wallie the Sensei, and YoungThreat; Deyra Barrera, Sam Dew, and Ink provide additional vocal contributions throughout.[1][2] Production was primarily handled by Sounwave, with additional work by Jack Antonoff, Mustard, Sean Momberger, and Kamasi Washington, among others.

Background

Kendrick Lamar released his fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, on May 13, 2022, to critical success, but the weakest performance of his major label albums.[3][4] After concluding its accompanying concert tour in March 2024,[5] Lamar shared on social media that he purchased a vintage, limited-run 1987 Buick Grand National Experimental (GNX),[6] the same model that his father used to take him home from the hospital following his birth.[7][8]

Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers was Lamar's last album with Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), to which he had signed in 2005.[9] Before his feud with Canadian rapper Drake re-escalated,[10] he quietly departed from Aftermath Entertainment and signed a direct licensing agreement with its distributor, Interscope Records.[11][note 1] Lamar released five standalone singles during the latest installment of their conflict, including the Billboard Hot 100-toppers "Like That" and "Not Like Us".[12][13] The rapper teased a then-untitled song in the beginning of the music video for the latter. Entertainment Weekly observed its inclusion and fan speculation that it could be included in his next album; the song was revealed to be "Squabble Up".[14]

Rumors surrounding Lamar's forthcoming album began to emerge, with some being denied by close affiliates.[15] After announcing that he was chosen as the headlining act for the Super Bowl LIX halftime show,[16] Lamar surprise released "Watch the Party Die" on his Instagram account. Rolling Stone said that the track bodes well for his next album–"whenever it comes".[17] Dazed, on the other hand, predicted that he was gearing up for an "astronomical" era.[18] By October, Lamar's longtime collaborators Terrace Martin, SZA, and Schoolboy Q confirmed that he would be releasing new music.[19][20][21]

Songs and composition

GNX consists of 12 songs and has a running time of 44 minutes and 20 seconds; the shortest studio album of Lamar's career.[22] Although no tracks from his feud with Drake are included, its sentiment "still looms over the album", according to Vulture.[23] It is a West Coast hip hop album,[24][25] drawing on both classic and contemporary conventions of the genre.[26] According to Rolling Stone, the album is a tribute to Lamar's native Los Angeles, prominently infusing G-funk throughout its compositions.[27]

Mexican singer Deyra Barrera is featured on both opening and closing tracks of the album, as well as in "Reincarnated", after Lamar saw the singer perform at a Los Angeles Dodgers game.[28] The production team played Barrera the instrumentation arrangements, and gave her a description of the emotions Lamar wanted to evoke throughout the album.[29] "Reincarnated" sees Lamar present himself in imagined past lives before the lyrics transition to him having a conversation with God.[25] "TV Off" features "clipped strings" that "dissolve into Viking-berserker horns" halfway through.[30][31] On "Heart Pt. 6", he recounts his history with TDE and the supergroup Black Hippy, acknowledging his role in the group falling apart due to creative differences.[32] Ben Sisaro of The New York Times noted that it is an "implicit rejoinder" to Drake's diss track of the same name, which in itself was taken from Lamar's "The Heart" song series.[33] The title track, "GNX", is a posse cut with Los Angeles rappers Peysoh, Hitta J3 and YoungThreat. Lamar does not have a verse, instead providing a hook questioning "who put the West back in front of shit?"[25][34]

Promotion and release

On November 22, 2024, Lamar unexpectedly premiered a one-minute teaser for GNX on YouTube.[33] The album was surprise released through PGLang and Interscope 30 minutes later.[35][36]

Critical reception

GNX ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.6/10[37]
Metacritic84/100[38]
Review scores
SourceRating
ConsequenceB+[39]
Dork     [40]
Exclaim!9/10[26]
The Guardian     [41]
The Line of Best Fit8/10[25]
NME     [42]
Paste9.1/10[43]
Pitchfork6.6/10[44]
Rolling Stone     [45]

Upon release, GNX received widespread acclaim from music critics.[46][47][48] On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized score out of 100 to ratings from mainstream publications, the album received a weighted mean score of 84 based on 11 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[38] The review aggregator site AnyDecentMusic? compiled seven reviews and gave GNX an average of 8.6 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[37]

Tom Breihan of Stereogum referred to the album as "the best album of 2024 and the greatest work of Kendrick Lamar's career", praising its production and the rapper's vocal performances.[30] In a positive review for The Line of Best Fit, Matthew Kim described it as "a concise statement of regional pride, braggadocio, and non-conformity", crediting Jack Antonoff's production for making the album feel "lush and expansive".[25] Peter Berry of Variety praised the album's tributes to West Coast hip hop in addition to its production and lyricism, saying that "GNX is, more than any one attribute, a testament to K.Dot's ability to distill grand ideas through the lens of his own influences. Mixed in a cauldron of sounds and sensations, those concepts melt into visceral songs for the ages".[49]

In a mixed review from Pitchfork, Alphonse Pierre wrote that the album's supposed authenticity was blemished by Lamar's "heavy-handed, brand-conscious narrative", highlighting the production that is "too clean and synthetic", although his delivery remained stellar and the musical guests were memorable.[44] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times considered Lamar's tribute to his California roots somewhat a retreat to his "comfort zone", calling the album "impressive but slight".[50]

Track listing

GNX track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Wacced Out Murals"
5:17
2."Squabble Up"Duckworth
2:37
3."Luther" (with SZA)
2:57
4."Man at the Garden"Duckworth
  • Sounwave
  • Antonoff
  • Balmoris
  • Mehlenbacher
  • M-Tech[a]
3:53
5."Hey Now" (featuring Dody6)
  • Duckworth
  • Zarius Cunningham
3:37
6."Reincarnated"
  • Duckworth
  • Barrera
  • Sounwave
  • Antonoff
  • Lamar
  • M-Tech
  • Noah Ehler
4:35
7."TV Off" (featuring Lefty Gunplay)Duckworth
3:40
8."Dodger Blue" (featuring Wallie the Sensei, Siete7x, and Roddy Ricch)
  • Duckworth
  • Dew
  • Traquan Tyson
  • Craig Johnson Jr.
2:11
9."Peekaboo" (featuring AzChike)
  • Duckworth
  • Damaria Walker
  • Sounwave
  • Bridgeway
  • Momberger
2:35
10."Heart Pt. 6"Duckworth
  • Sounwave
  • Antonoff
  • M-Tech[a]
  • Juju[a]
4:52
11."GNX" (featuring Hitta J3, YoungThreat, and Peysoh)
  • Sounwave
  • Antonoff
  • Kenny & Billy
  • Rascal
  • Maxey[a]
3:13
12."Gloria" (with SZA)
  • Duckworth
  • Rowe
  • Barrera
  • Boggs
  • Sounwave
  • Antonoff
  • Deats
4:47
Total length:44:20

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies an additional producer
  • All tracks are stylized in lower case.
  • "Peekaboo" features uncredited vocals from Dody6.

Sample credits

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album liner notes.[54]

Musicians

  • Kendrick Lamar – vocals
  • Deyra Barrera – additional vocals (tracks 1, 6, 12)
  • Ink – background vocals (tracks 2, 10), additional vocals (8)
  • Sam Dew – background vocals (tracks 2, 4–6, 8, 10, 12), additional vocals (3)
  • Paul Cartwright – strings (track 3), violin (7)
  • Caleb Vaughn Smith – strings (track 3)
  • Drew Forde – strings (track 3)
  • Geoff Gallegos – strings (track 3)
  • Giovanna Moraga – strings (track 3)
  • Kerenza Peacock – strings (track 3)
  • Luanne Homzy – strings (track 3)
  • Luke Maurer – strings (track 3)
  • Stephanie Payne – strings (track 3)
  • Stephanie Yu – strings (track 3)
  • Lefty Gunplay – additional vocals (track 7)
  • Evan Smith – baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone (track 7)
  • Miles Mosley – bass (track 7)
  • Peter Jacobson – cello (track 7)
  • Amber Wyman – horn (track 7)
  • Malik Taylor – horn (track 7)
  • Rickey Washington – horn (track 7)
  • Ryan Porter – horn (track 7)
  • Sean Sonderegger – horn (track 7)
  • Serafin Aguilar – horn (track 7)
  • Zem Audu – tenor saxophone (track 7)
  • Chad Jackson – violin (track 7)
  • Marta Honer – violin (track 7)
  • Reiko Nakano – violin (track 7)
  • Tylana Renga – violin (track 7)
  • Yvette Devereaux – violin (track 7)
  • Roddy Ricch – additional vocals (track 8)
  • Bobby Hawk – violin (tracks 10, 12)

Technical

  • Ruairi O'Flaherty – mastering
  • Oli Jacobs – mixing, engineering
  • Jack Antonoff – engineering
  • Johnathan Turner – engineering
  • Laura Sisk – engineering
  • Ray Charles Brown Jr. – engineering
  • Tony Shepperd – engineering (track 3)
  • Tony Austin – engineering (track 7)
  • Zem Audu – engineering (track 7)

Notes

  1. ^ Pre-GNX releases under this deal hold the copyright notice "Kendrick Lamar under exclusive license to Interscope Records" which means that Lamar himself owns ultimate copyrights for those recordings; however on GNX, it says "pgLang under exclusive license to Interscope Records", thus meaning the deal was renegotiated, and Lamar's own management company, PGLang, is now set as an ultimate copyright owner for all official post-"Not Like Us" releases.

References

  1. ^ Aaron, Williams (November 22, 2024). "Who Are The Features On Kendrick Lamar's New Album, GNX?". Uproxx. Archived from the original on November 22, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  2. ^ Monroe, Jazz (November 22, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar Releases New Album GNX: Listen and Read the Full Credits". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on November 22, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  3. ^ Devin (October 11, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar Reveals Why He Almost Didn't Release Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers". Rap-Up. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  4. ^ Corcoran, Nina (February 5, 2023). "Kendrick Lamar Wins Best Rap Album for Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers at 2023 Grammys". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  5. ^ Aswad, Jem (May 13, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar Unveils 'Big Steppers' Tour Dates". Variety. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  6. ^ Woods, Aleia (March 20, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar Posts a Strangely Cryptic Message on His Finsta". XXL. Archived from the original on April 19, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  7. ^ Elibert, Mark (March 20, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar Purchases Vintage Buick Regal: 'My Big Cousin Pat Dogg Smiling Down'". Complex. Archived from the original on June 2, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  8. ^ Rossignol, Derrick (November 22, 2024). "What Is A GNX From Kendrick Lamar's New Album?". Uproxx. Archived from the original on November 22, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  9. ^ Young, Alex (August 20, 2021). "Kendrick Lamar announces final album with TDE". Consequence. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  10. ^ Gee, Andre (March 22, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar Declares War – And Five Other Takeaways From We Don't Trust You". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 23, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  11. ^ Kermah, Jonathan (May 20, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar Went No. 1 on His Own. What Does That Mean for TDE?". The Ringer. Archived from the original on September 27, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  12. ^ Perry, Kevin E.G. (March 22, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar disses Drake and J Cole on new song: 'It's just big me'". The Independent. Archived from the original on March 29, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  13. ^ Strauss, Matthew (May 4, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar Doesn't Wait for Drake Response, Drops Another New Diss Song 'Not Like Us': Listen". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on May 5, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
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  15. ^ Gilbert, Natalee (August 26, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar's new album isn't coming soon". XXL. Archived from the original on November 22, 2024. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
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  17. ^ Gee, Andre (September 16, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar Is Over It". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 22, 2024. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  18. ^ Pace-McCarrick, Solomon (September 12, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar drops surprise release, sparking new album rumours". Dazed. Archived from the original on November 22, 2024. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  19. ^ Caraan, Sophie (June 6, 2024). "Terrace Martin Hypes up New Kendrick Lamar Album". Hypebeast. Archived from the original on November 22, 2024. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  20. ^ Brown, Preezy (October 14, 2024). "SZA Hints New Kendrick Lamar Album Is On The Way". Vibe. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  21. ^ Trapp, Malcolm (October 17, 2024). "ScHoolboy Q Says All His Friends Are "Dropping Music", Fans Speculate Whether He Means Kendrick Lamar". Rap-Up. Archived from the original on November 20, 2024. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  22. ^ a b Long Decter, Rosie (November 22, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar Reclaims 'Heart Pt. 6' From Drake on Surprise Album GNX". Billboard Canada. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  23. ^ Curto, Justin (November 22, 2024). "All the Surprises From Kendrick Lamar's Surprise Album GNX". Vulture. Archived from the original on November 23, 2024. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  24. ^ Berry, Peter A. (November 23, 2024). "The 10 Biggest Takeaways From Kendrick Lamar's GNX Album". Okayplayer. Archived from the original on November 23, 2024. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  25. ^ a b c d e Kim, Matthew (November 23, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar Sketches the Blueprint For a New Rap Zeitgeist on GNX". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  26. ^ a b McLean, Wesley (November 25, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar Is in Rarefied Air on the Triumphant GNX". Exclaim!. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  27. ^ Ihaza, Jeff; Paul, Larisha; Conteh, Mankaprr; Gee, Andre; Mier, Tomás (November 22, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar Addresses Super Bowl Drama and Five Other Takeaways From GNX". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  28. ^ Herrera, Julimar (November 23, 2024). "Who is Deyra Barrera, The Mariachi Music Artist in ThreeSongs of Kendric Lamar's Surprise Abum GNX". Latin Times. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  29. ^ Mier, Tomás (November 23, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar Saw This Mariachi Singer at a Dodgers Game. Now, She's on GNX". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  30. ^ a b Breihan, Tom (November 22, 2024). "Premature Evaluation: Kendrick Lamar GNX". Stereogum. Archived from the original on November 22, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  31. ^ Andrews, Elias (November 23, 2024). "Mustard Reacts To Kendrick Lamar Shout Out On New Album GNX". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  32. ^ Morton, Devin (November 22, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar Addresses Why The Black Hippy Album Never Released, On GNX". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  33. ^ a b Sisario, Ben (November 22, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar Surprise Releases a New Album, GNX". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 22, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  34. ^ Pearson, Ryan (November 23, 2024). "Music Review: Kendrick Lamar's pride, anger and confidence drive GNX". ABC News. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  35. ^ Cowen, Trace William (November 22, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar Surprise-Drops GNX Project". Complex. Archived from the original on November 22, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  36. ^ Saponara, Michael (November 22, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar Returns With Surprise Drop of New Album GNX: Listen". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 22, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  37. ^ a b "GNX by Kendrick Lamar Reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  38. ^ a b "GNX by Kendrick Lamar". Metacritic. Archived from the original on November 22, 2024. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  39. ^ Fu, Eddie (November 23, 2024). "On GNX, Kendrick Lamar Chooses Violence". Consequence. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  40. ^ Hawkes, Jake (November 22, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar – GNX: Really, Really, Really Good". Dork. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  41. ^ Petridis, Alexis (November 25, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar: GNX Review – Stunning Surprise From a Rapper Determined to Be the Greatest". The Guardian. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  42. ^ Williams, Kyann-Sian (November 25, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar – GNX Review: Turning Hatred Into a Teachable Moment". NME. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  43. ^ Mitchell, Matt (November 25, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar Reimagines Rap's Future and Reckons With His Past on GNX". Paste. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  44. ^ a b Pierre, Alphonse (November 26, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar: GNX Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  45. ^ Reeves, Mosi (November 25, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar Caps His Huge Year With a Victory Lap on GNX". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
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  47. ^ Brown, Preezy (November 25, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar's GNX Projected To Be Biggest Hip-Hop Streaming Debut Of 2024". Vibe. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  48. ^ Nevares, Gabriel Bras (November 24, 2024). "Wack 100 & DJ Hed Defend Kendrick Lamar Against The Haters Dragging New Album GNX". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on November 25, 2024. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  49. ^ Berry, Peter (November 24, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar's GNX Is a Meticulous, Versatile, Hard-Hitting Masterpiece: Album Review". Variety. Archived from the original on November 25, 2024. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  50. ^ Caramanica, Jon (November 25, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar Heads Back to His Comfort Zone on GNX". The New York Times. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  51. ^ Williams, Aaron (November 22, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar Officially Releases The Long-Awaited 'Squabble Up' From The 'Not Like Us' Video On His Surprise Album, GNX". Uproxx. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  52. ^ Landrum Jr., Jonathan (November 22, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar surprises with new album GNX". Associated Press. Archived from the original on November 22, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  53. ^ Renshaw, David (November 22, 2024). "6 things to know about Kendrick Lamar's GNX". The Fader. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  54. ^ Lamar, Kendrick (2024). GNX (booklet). PGLang, Interscope Records.
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