TDE's Top Dawg Warns Everyone To "Stand Down" After Kendrick Lamar's New Album "GNX"

BYGabriel Bras Nevares2.6K Views
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Feb 20, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Beyonce and Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar and Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith attend the game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports via Imagn Images
Top knew this day would come.

Top Dawg knew Kendrick Lamar was a monster, and now that he's supposedly fully unleashed, he's warning everyone to stay out of the way. "Dot is a dangerous man right now," the TDE label boss wrote on his Instagram Story over the weekend, referring to K.Dot's brand new surprise album GNX. "Everything I thought he would be at 16 years old is here right now. Everybody stand down. I promise you." No one really knows what Top talked about with these last few statements, but some fans took it the hard way and argued why other rappers could still beat Kendrick in a battle.

Of course, a lot of people agree with Top Dawg instead and consider Kendrick Lamar to be at the absolute top of the game right now. Reactions to GNX have been pretty varied, but for the most part, everyone is at least appreciative of him really going hard in his verses in ways we haven't heard from in a while when it comes to a project setting. Now we just have to wait to find out if theories about a second album coming soon actually pan out...

Top Dawg Thinks Kendrick Lamar Is A "Dangerous Man"

Many other hip-hop figures beyond the TDE realm continue to share their takes about Kendrick Lamar and GNX, including the one and only Nas. "Always inspired by my brother KL,” he shared on Instagram about GNX and Kendrick's shout-out to him on the intro track, "wacced out murals." “Keeping the essence of this s**t alive and at the forefront. Salute King!" While it's only been out a weekend, it's already been a lot of fun to discuss this project and find out new nuggets about it with each listen. Does that make the Compton lyricist a "dangerous man?" Yes, in some fans' eyes, and they are ecstatic about it.

Meanwhile, TDE's Punch is also loving the back-and-forths, as he recently reacted to Snoop Dogg's apology to Kendrick Lamar following a lyrical mention. On GNX's "heart pt. 6," Kendrick talks about coming up through Top Dawg Entertainment and the special bonds that it created. Even though they went their separate ways, to see them continue to support each other is always heartening.

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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