By Emma Nguyen
Seventeen-time Grammy-Award winner Kendrick Lamar recently released his sixth studio album, ‘GNX’, exploring themes of systemic oppression, resilience, and reincarnation. The album includes 12 new tracks and has features from many familiar faces including SZA and Dody6.
Lamar released an album trailer on his Youtube and posted the album cover on his Instagram account on November 22. Thirty minutes later, the artist released the complete album, surprising all fans.
The album title, ‘GNX’ is a reference to the 1987 Buick GNX which Lamar is seen leaning on in the album cover. The vehicle is not only referenced multiple times throughout the album, but also has a special connection to Lamar.
“When I was born, I came home from the hospital in an ’87 Buick Regal while my pops was bumping Big Daddy Kane,” Kendrick said in a 2012 interview with Complex.
The album is a West Coast hip-hop album with its unique blend of jazz, rap, and hip hop. Personally, this album has been one of my favorite releases of the year and has a perfect mixture of songs for any part of my day.
‘luther (with sza)’
Track three, ‘luther (with sza)’, is a fan-favorite love ballad with Lamar’s long time friend, SZA. The song heavily samples the song, ‘If This World Were Mine’, by Luther Vandross where its title was derived. The song beautifully describes a desire to want the best for a partner and wanting in a world where all suffering for them ceases to exist.
‘tv off (feat. lefty gunplay)’
In the seventh track, ‘tv off (feat. left gunplay)’, Lamar heavily criticizes modern media and urges his listeners to turn away from possible fake narratives. With easy access to information in this century, it is easy to be overloaded and influenced by the media.
The title ‘tv off’ correlates to Lamar’s advice of turning the media off and formulating opinions without the input of biased news outlets and gossip pages. With easy access to information in this century, it is easy to be overloaded and influenced by the media.
‘dodger blue (feat. wallie the sensei, siete7x, roddy ricch)’
‘dodger blue’ is a catchy, addicting track recognizing Los Angeles (LA) street culture. With many notable details, Lamar recalls growing up on the streets of LA and the resilience that was built from the experiences. The title is an ode to the LA Dodgers, a team Lamar has long supported.
‘heart pt.6’
My personal favorite track, ‘heart pt.6’ is a strong R&B track and continues the installment of his ‘The Heart’ series. The songs in the series typically reveal Lamar’s vulnerability and speak on issues that are currently occurring in his life. The song is allegedly meant to reclaim ‘The Heart’ series after Drake teased the track, ‘THE HEART PT 6’, following the internet feud between the two rappers. Though it is seen as a reclamation of the beloved series, Lamar makes no reference to the conflicts with his counterpart.
Since its release, ‘GNX’ has accumulated over 379 million streams while having all 12 tracks chart on the Billboard Hot 100’s Chart with five tracks holding the top five spots. The week of its release became the biggest streaming week for rap in 2024 and boosted many of the songs sampled throughout the album.
Lamar continues to prove his artistry and shows audiences that he will remain a big name not only in the rap scene, but also the entire music industry.
