For Kendrick Lamar, spite is an engine on the exhilarating ‘GNX’

As a lifelong connoisseur of music and someone who has witnessed the rise and fall of numerous hip-hop legends, I must say that Kendrick Lamar‘s new album, “GNX,” is nothing short of breathtaking. The man knows how to tap into the pulse of his audience and deliver a powerful message with every verse he lays down.

Kendrick Lamar opens his electrifying new album by expressing frustration over someone damaging a mural featuring three versions of his face, which was on the side of a Honduran restaurant in his hometown Compton. It’s not that someone took the time to create this mural showcasing him in the first place that bothers Lamar, who is 37 years old. Instead, he’s angry because this massive tribute to his accomplishments was defaced.

Lamar is drawing from a powerful source of energy on his unexpectedly released track “GNX,” which was dropped unannounced early Friday morning, exactly eight months since he became embroiled in a high-profile feud with Drake that catapulted him to unprecedented commercial success and critical acclaim. (It’s now common knowledge that the Pulitzer Prize winner outshone Drake in their rap battle.) In April, he achieved a No. 1 single through his collaboration with Future and Metro Boomin on “Like That”; in May, he repeated this feat with his solo track “Not Like Us.” Lamar gave an iconic all-star performance at the Kia Forum in June, and later announced that he will headline the Super Bowl halftime show in New Orleans next February. This is just a week before “Not Like Us” contends for both record of the year and song of the year at the 67th Grammy Awards.

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Man, I can’t help but feel a mix of admiration and frustration with the “GNX” album. It’s incredible to see it dominating charts, claiming top 12 spots on Spotify’s U.S. Top 50 by Sunday, and poised to take over the Billboard 200 next week with one of the biggest debuts in 2024.

In “Hey Now” and “Peekaboo,” Kendrick Lamar tackles the relentless judgment he experiences as a famous figure, while questioning those who try to sully his reputation. In “Man at the Garden,” he emphatically asserts that despite attempts to dislike him, he has conducted himself with integrity throughout his career. This is a stark contrast to his previous album from 2022, “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers,” where self-doubt plagued him following a decade of being seen as the voice of his generation. Here, Lamar challenges anyone who dares question whether he deserves admiration, although only a select few, such as Drake, have ever suggested that he doesn’t.

At this stage, Lamar’s art continues to be fueled by anger, serving as a potent motivator; his lyrics and raps on “GNX” are as sharp and biting as his previous diss tracks, leaving Drake with little time to respond in the spring. This is also amusing: In “TV Off,” he scoffs, “N— feels entitled because he knew me since a kid,” and “I’d cut my grandma off if she doesn’t see it how I see it.” Lamar expresses anger towards liars, people giving backhanded compliments, and other rappers with outdated flows who fill their rhymes with emptiness. What truly angers him most is the thought that someone could succeed in hip-hop by taking it less seriously than he does. The album ends with a song titled “Gloria,” where he spends almost five minutes developing a complex metaphor that portrays writing as his lifelong lover.

On “GNX,” Lamar willingly steps back and lets others shine, inviting artists like Dody6, Lefty Gunplay, Wallie the Sensei, and AzChike into the spotlight. In the title track, he doesn’t rap a verse but instead collaborates with Hitta J3, YoungThreat, and Peysoh on the chorus. “Heart Pt. 6” tells his story as part of L.A.’s resourceful and savvy Top Dawg crew. Lastly, in “Dodger Blue,” he presents himself as a product of the city that molded him, subtly hinting at a future T-shirt or hoodie quote: “Don’t criticize L.A. if you haven’t ventured beyond the 10.

The album “GNX” was created by a team headed by Lamar’s longtime associate Sounwave and the popular songwriter Jack Antonoff, with Mustard, known for his work on “Not Like Us”, also sharing production duties for two tracks. This record is deeply rooted in West Coast music genres; it’s rhythmic, smooth, bouncy, and vibrant. Several songs incorporate widely recognized samples: In the song “Reincarnated,” a richly poetic depiction of Lamar’s past lives, the beat is based on 2Pac’s “Made N—,” a philosophical figure whose complexities have always resonated with Lamar; in “Luther,” a seductive collaboration with SZA, they reinterpret Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn’s remake of “If This World Were Mine” originally by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. This beautiful homage to musical heritage recalls Beyoncé’s curatorial intentions on albums like “Renaissance” and “Cowboy Carter.

Even amid those plush textures, though, Lamar has retribution on his mind. “If this world was mine, I’d take your enemies in front of God,” he promises-slash-threatens, “Introduce them to that light, hit them strictly with that fire.” Watch out.

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2024-11-25 03:01