Kendrick Lamar Finally Delivers And Surprise Drops New Album "GNX"

BYGabriel Bras Nevares4.9K Views
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Entertainment: 58th Grammy Awards
Feb 15, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Kendrick Lamar performs during the 58th Grammy Awards at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
We're here!!!

Well, after one of the most dominant years for any rapper in recent memory, Kendrick Lamar closed it out by suprise-dropping his new album GNX the week before Thanksgiving... Much to be thankful for, indeed. It's 12 tracks and 44 minutes long, and for the sake of not spoiling anything, you won't find any info on sonic pallets, lyrical mentions, and the like here. Of course, there's a lot to get into and fans are already going wild with theories and such, but the important thing is that what we waited for is finally here. We can only guess at the discourse that will follow...

Of course, this new album came just a few minutes after Kendrick Lamar shocked fans and dropped a trailer for the project on YouTube. At the time, we had no idea what it was about or what it could lead to, but we're so happy that said skepticism only lasted for all of 30 minutes. "GNX" was a pretty dramatic sound with some tight rapping and a pretty modular progression as well, all qualities that have defined him throughout his whole career.

Kendrick Lamar's GNX

Also, Kendrick Lamar's new album GNX arrives amid a pretty interesting time for his other 2024 narratives, of which there are two big interconnected ones. First up is the obvious Drake battle that roped in a whole lot of other rappers and artists, some of which are seemingly pedaling back their initial sentiments. Future and Metro Boomin recently spoke to GQ about their regrets and reservations about the whole thing, and this follows a lot of other discussion around the small feuds that emerged as a result of the main showdown. It seems like the only ones who still stand by their runs are K.Dot and Drizzy, which is what it was always about.

On the other hand, we have to think about Kendrick Lamar's upcoming Super Bowl halftime show, and the controversy it caused. This is because folks felt like it should've gone to Lil Wayne, but a lot of debate on the subject reveals a lot of grey area for both arguments. But none of that matters now: The album is here!

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
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