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The rumors about Kendrick Lamar releasing a new album were true after all. On Friday (Nov. 22), he surprised fans with GNX, his sixth studio album.
“Yesterday somebody whacked up my mural/ The energy, I make you n**gas move to Europe,” Lamar rapped on the opening track, “wacced out murals.” The 12-song collection continued with “squabble up,” first teased at the beginning of July’s “Not Like Us” video, and “luther,” which saw SZA lending her honey-hued vocals to the chorus.
The Top Dawg Entertainment songstress can also be heard on “gloria,” while Sam Dew and fellow California native AzChike appear elsewhere on Lamar’s new album.
Ahead of the full LP’s release, the 17-time Grammy-winning artist teased the title track via his burner Instagram account. At just one minute long, the accompanying video began with a camera panning into a spacious room. “Reincarnated with love/ My Gemini twin back, powerin’ up/ No more handshakes and hugs/ The energy only circulate through us,” he spat just moments before the tempo ramped up.
GNX marked Lamar’s first full-length project since coming out of hibernation for Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That” in March. His guest verse on the track snowballed into much-talked-about exchange with Drake, with the Compton emcee unloading tracks like “euphoria,” “6:16 in LA,” “meet the grahams” and “Not Like Us.” The last-mentioned offering received five nods for the upcoming 67th annual Grammy Awards.
While the surprise body of work was a pleasant treat, to say the least, most fans thought it would arrive in February 2025, coinciding with Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show performance.
“Kendrick Lamar is truly a once-in-a-generation artist and performer. His deep love for Hip Hop and culture informs his artistic vision,” JAY-Z said of the announcement, which came in September. “He has an unparalleled ability to define and influence culture globally. Kendrick’s work transcends music, and his impact will be felt for years to come.”