In 2024, Kendrick Lamar turned the grasp of the anti-rollout: Because the begin of the yr, he’s turned 12 phrases’ price of X posts and a pair of tracks accompanied by nonetheless photographs to Instagram into an era-defining rap beef, a number-one single, and a reserving to carry out on the Tremendous Bowl LIX halftime present, in New Orleans. Between his visitor look on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That” and his chart-topping victory lap “Not Like Us,” Kendrick seized the nation’s consideration by lobbing diss after diss at its most commercially dominant rap star, not fairly deposing Drake, however definitely leaving a everlasting stain on his picture, accusing him of intercourse trafficking, pedophilia, and cultural colonization.
The meat simmered, after Drake’s half-hearted and infrequently complicated response “The Coronary heart Half 6,” as Kendrick made his strikes strategically, exhibiting out for his Pop Out live performance, “Not Like Us” video, and Tremendous Bowl announcement. This morning, nonetheless, Kendrick uploaded a cryptic, minutelong snippet titled “GNX” to YouTube, and, much more unexpectedly, dropped his complete sixth studio album simply earlier than midday. The brand new LP is extra accessible than 2022’s sophisticated Mr. Morale & the Huge Steppers, harkening again to the pop of 2017’s DAMN. and dabbling in bouncy West Coast membership slappers and slick synth-pop throughout a comparatively tidy 45-minute expertise. Additional exploring the nervy, Drakeo the Ruler-inspired move that made the punchlines on “Not Like Us” so memorable, he’s additionally introduced a brand new era of SoCal upstarts alongside for the journey, tapping native emcees like AzChike, Peysoh, and YoungThreat for collaborations. Listed here are 5 takeaways that stood out whereas spinning GNX the primary few occasions.
Extra Shares in Inventory
After ushering in summer season 2024 with an all-out offensive in opposition to the OVO camp, Kendrick spares Drake the ire (or satisfaction) of one other name-drop on GNX, however that doesn’t imply he’s taken a pacifist flip. With opener “Wacced Out Murals,” he comes out swinging, taking fast photographs at those that’ve aligned with the opposing facet. Spitting venom over sirens and staccato strings, Kendrick places his former heroes within the crosshairs, reflecting on the frustration Lil Wayne expressed when Kendrick was chosen to play the Tremendous Bowl halftime present in Weezy’s hometown, and calling out Snoop Dogg for posting Drake’s AI-assisted “Taylor Made” diss to Instagram upon launch. GNX is probably not a significant mobilization within the conflict between Aubrey’s Angels and TDE’s disciples, however there’s simply sufficient pot-stirring to gas discourse by means of Thanksgiving.
Getting Hyphy
Regardless of the one’s litany of quotable punchlines, it was arguably Mustard’s manufacturing on “Not Like Us,” which organized a stuttering Monk Higgins pattern over railgun kick drums, that saved audiences hitting replay nicely past its launch date. His work set the tone for the menacing hyphy sound that dominates a lot of GNX. Mustard was enlisted to supply two tracks on the report, “Hey Now” and “TV Off,” and the club-ready cuts “Squabble Up” and “Peekaboo” have been clearly produced with “Not Like Us” in thoughts. (“Squabble Up,” after all was already previewed within the “Not Like Us” video.) There’s nonetheless loads of room for quiet contemplation on GNX, however there’s no scarcity of social gathering playlist fodder both.
