Context
“GNX” is Kendrick Lamar’s first album following his departure from the record labels Top Dawg Entertainment and Aftermath Entertainment, and sixth project overall. Also, “GNX” is the Pulitzer Prize winner’s first release after his notorious beef with Drake, a conflict that produced songs like “Not Like Us” and “Euphoria.” “GNX” released on November 22, 2024 as a surprise drop.
Bryan Murphy’s Review
Kendrick Lamar rightfully earns his place as one of the greatest artists ever. His albums address personal and important issues through beautiful melodies and incredible lyricism. Vocal samples tie tracks together, and album-wide storytelling produces emotional and personal products.
“GNX” marks a notable departure from Lamar Lamar’s previous works, as it lacks the cohesive storytelling found in “Good Kid, m.A.A.d City,” the chart-topping hits of “Damn.,” the emotional vulnerability present in “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers,” and the critically acclaimed lyricism of “To Pimp A Butterfly.”
Lamar sold out and made a product that would be commercially successful by pandering to a rap community desperate for emotionally shallow singles that are catchy and stir up drama. Such is immediately obvious when K-Dot shoots a diss at Lil Wayne on the first song of the album, saying, “Used to bump ‘Tha Carter III,’ I held my Rollie chain proud / Irony, I think my hard work let Lil Wayne down”(“Wacced Out Murals”). Similar to his attack on Drake in the hit song “Like That,” Lamar uses other artists’ popularity to boost his own.
A notable standout is “Heart pt. 6,” featuring beautiful background vocals, a killer guitar-sampled beat, and a Lamar flow that worked well with the beat. The other notable songs of the album are “Luther,” “Gloria,” “Man in the Garden” and “Dodger Blue” as an honorary mention. “Wacced out murals,” “Peekaboo” and “Tv off” are catchy but lack real depth. Even though the piano-based beat was fire, Lamar couldn’t find a decent flow on “Reincarnated.” “Hey Now” had a good beat and decent flow but exemplified the problems with the album.
Lamar spends most of the song talking about shallow topics, saying, “I’m way too important, I’m way too important”(“Hey Now”). “Squabble Up” has a catchy but forgettable beat and basic lyrics. Lamar does not define what it means to “Squabble Up” after repeating it over and over, but it communicates no deep message. GNX is possibly the worst song I’ve heard all year, featuring a mismatched beat and a terrible flow to match.
It’s impossible to ignore the amount of narcissism permeating the album. It’s the same theme as “Not Like Us”; Lamar just repeats that he is the best for a few minutes, then moves on to the next song. The emotional quality of popular rap has gone massively downhill through the rise of a new mainstream made up of Travis Scott, Lamar, Kanye, and random songs off of TikTok. It’s not that albums like Utopia are not masterpieces, but after years of shallow rap taking over, it starts to become formulaic and boring. Ultimately, songs that tackle real issues and ideas are better.
It’s not that the album is terrible; it is a decent collection of songs with some obvious shortcomings. But I don’t think it is possible to hit shuffle play on GKMC and end up with a song that doesn’t make you question reality. Undoubtedly, you will receive a song with a heavenly melody, intelligent and hard-hitting bars, and a deep message supported by a personal story of Lamar’s.
GNX just doesn’t hit the same. Even compared to 2024 drops Chromokopia and We Don’t Trust You, GNX fails to look like the work of a veteran artist and starts to look like an album from one of the many upcoming artists Lamar brought onto the album. One cannot examine GNX and think that Lamar is not merely responding to popular demand and producing the bare minimum to maintain the excitement over his name.
Overall, this album only becomes a few hits and playlist-worthy songs. Lamar took the wrong lesson from the commercial success of “Not Like Us” and “Euphoria” and took significant steps away from any real conceptual depth or emotional vulnerability. The album panders to a popular music culture way more than his previous albums. I rate the album a 6/10. It is not a contender for album of the year.
Rating: 6/10
Robert Gabel’s Review
Electrifying energy mixed with introspectiveness defines Kendrick Lamar’s newest album, GNX. The previously released single “Not Like Us” clearly influenced many of the songs on the record. However, GNX is not just a continuation of Lamar’s beef. He instead produced a strong project that, while somewhat disjointed, has many powerful moments.
Immediately after pressing play, the haunting vocals of the lead track, “Wacced Out Murals,” gave me goosebumps.
Lamar raps over an ear-worm sample with a just-as-catchy chorus in the next track, “Squabble Up.” It’s a simple hit single. “TV Off” has Kendrick yelling half of the time, and also has an undeniably catchy chorus. Another great single was “Hey Now” because of the raw beat covered by Lamar’s initially indifferent voice, climaxing in a beat switch where he triumphantly sings.
The songs “Hey Now,” “TV Off,” and “Squabble Up” build upon the strong foundation delivered by “Not Like Us,” but “Peekabo” and “GNX” lack successful innovation. Yet, despite failing to replicate the lightning in a bottle of “Not Like Us,” “Peekabo” and “GNX” are fun listens.
Many other songs on the album diverge, such as the emotional love songs “Luther” and “Gloria”, which pair Lamar with SZA. Both are great ventures into a cozy, easy-on-the-ear style that starkly contrasts with the sharp bluntness of the other tracks like “Wacced Out Murals.” “Dodger Blue” is another venture out of Lamar’s typical lyrically focused rap, this time delivering a late-night drive vibe. It is a smooth song, with synths and chill vocals in the background while Lamar calmly delivers his lyrics.
While “Dodger Blue” is my favorite song on the album, the most significant track for Lamar is indisputably “Reincarnated.” In the latter part of this song, he discusses his struggle with “ego and pride” and argues with the voice of God. Although his confession is very exposed, Lamar’s earnestness allows it to succeed.
GNX is an album of independence. The message is to, as the chorus of “TV Off” repeats, “turn this TV off,” and as “Hey Now” also repeats, “get (your) peace from within” while not “seekin’ validation just for the aesthetics” (man at the garden). Also, Lamar’s love for his city is expressed through his choice to include many upcoming Los Angeles rappers as features. Lamar also appreciates his family in “Man in the Garden” and “Gloria.” I like the dedication to independence throughout the entire runtime: the project is cohesive. However, more importantly, the tracks are all great listens.
The album is a 9/10. The mesh of diverse styles, from love songs to slow jams to rap, kept me engaged the whole listening experience. I went from feeling on edge in “Wacced Out Murals” to feeling warm inside from listening to the love song “Gloria.” If forced to find criticism for the project, I would say that the album is catchy to a flaw. I also disliked the overuse of tropes from “Not Like Us” and the lack of sensical song order. Aside from the first and last songs, along with “Reincarnated,” the ordering seemed to be put through an online randomizer. Overall, GNX is a must-listen car album and my favorite album of the year.
Rating: 9/10
