Kendrick Lamar is one of the greatest rappers of all time. He has an eye and ear for conceptuality that's unrivaled. These attributes have led to some of the most acclaimed albums of the 21st century, but it's also brought about intense scrutiny. Anything Kendrick Lamar does will be analyzed at length by fans on the internet. His lyrics, his social media posts, and especially his unreleased snippets. It was the last of these, the snippet, that kickstarted a theory shortly after Lamar dropped his new album GNX.
Kendrick Lamar announced the release of GNX with a snippet of an unreleased song. Many assumed the album would drop soonish, and the snippet in question would appear on it. Both assumptions proved to be wrong. GNX dropped within an hour of its announcement, and the snippet was nowhere to be found amongst its 12 tracks. What gives? Well, according to some fans, Kendrick Lamar is preparing to drop a second album in the near future. Some have even taken to calling GNX a "side project" that Dot knocked out quickly while he works on his legitimate follow up to Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers (2022).
Kendrick Lamar Teased A Song That Wasn't On GNX
There's the snippet theory and then there's the DM exchange. A screenshot of a conversation between Kendrick Lamar and Rascal the Producer was posted online by the latter. It shows that Lamar was sent the beat for the song "GNX" only a few days before the album dropped. "I want it some ignorant west sh*t," Lamar wrote. "But let the drums have space. I'm bout to hit the studio now." This has been taken as further proof that GNX is something that Kendrick Lamar knocked out very quickly. There has been conflicting takes on how quickly the rapper is able to make music.
Some point to the large gaps of time between albums as an indicator that Lamar likes to take his time. The rapper's handling of the Drake battle, however, has forced many to reassess this take. He dropped a response to Drake's "Family Matters" less than an hour after it dropped. He then dropped his knockout blow, "Not Like Us," a day later. Either Kendrick Lamar is as skillful a tactician as rap has ever seen, or he can write and record a lot faster than we realize. We can't wait to see if the second album theory carries weight.