Kendrick Lamar surprises fans with release of 1st album since 2022
Kendrick Lamar surprised music fans with an early holiday gift by dropping his latest album, “GNX,” on Friday. This 12-track album is Lamar’s first release since 2022’s “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers” and marks his sixth studio album overall. The release of “GNX” comes just months after his highly publicized rap battle with Drake, adding even more anticipation and excitement for fans.
Lamar teased the album with cover art and a video snippet of “GNX,” revealing that multi-instrumentalist Jack Antonoff served as a co-producer on every track except for “Peekaboo.” Other notable producers on the album include Sounwave and DJ Mustard, who contributed to the hit track “Not Like Us,” a diss track aimed at Drake.
One of the standout features on “GNX” is Lamar’s collaboration with his former Top Dawg Entertainment labelmate SZA, who appears on tracks like “Gloria” and “Luther.” The latter track also features sampled vocals from Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn on “If This World Were Mine.”
The opening track, “Wacced Out Murals,” showcases Lamar rapping about cruising in his Buick GNX (Grand National Experimental). He also references Snoop Dogg’s social media post of Drake’s AI-assisted “Taylor Made Freestyle” and Nas congratulating him for headlining the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans.
Lamar also pays homage to fellow rapper Lil Wayne, who expressed his disappointment after being passed over as a headliner in his hometown.
At 37 years old, Lamar has achieved massive success since his debut album “good kid, m.A.A.d city” in 2012. With 17 Grammy wins under his belt and a Pulitzer Prize for his 2017 album “DAMN.,” Lamar has solidified himself as a powerhouse in the music industry.
This surprise album release caps off a successful year for Lamar, who was featured on the chart-topping track “Like That” with Future and Metro Boomin. The song spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, further solidifying Lamar’s musical prowess.
Lamar is currently nominated for seven Grammys, with “Not Like Us” earning nods for record and song of the year, rap song, music video, and best rap performance. He even has two entries in the best rap performance category, a first in his career, with “Like That” also receiving nominations.
Fans and critics alike are eager to dive into Lamar’s latest offering, “GNX,” and experience the lyrical genius and musical innovation that has become synonymous with the name Kendrick Lamar.
