Kendrick Lamar Causes Huge Debate Over New Album "GNX" Doing Big Numbers

BYGabriel Bras Nevares3.4K Views
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Entertainment: Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
Apr 23, 2017; Indio, CA, USA; Kendrick Lamar performs during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at Empire Polo Club. Mandatory Credit: Zoe Meyers/The Desert Sun via USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
When you're one of the greatest, people expect that much more from you.

Kendrick Lamar only seems to rise even higher as as a superstar over time, and his new album GNX's streaming numbers so far certainly reflect that. Moreover, the project reportedly garnered over 120 million streams after 31 hours of tracking since its near-midday (EST) drop on Friday (November 22). Considering the surprise nature of this release plus its 12 tracks, these are some great numbers to pull as an opening. But of course, when you're one of the greatest, people expect that much more from you. So inevitable comparisons to other commercial performances, particularly Drake's, ensued quite quickly. And we're sad to say they are no less exhausting this time around on both sides.

Speaking of Drake, a lot of people are wondering how he feels about this new Kendrick Lamar album. From what he's posted online and such these days, he doesn't seem very bothered, which is great to see. The 6ix God has a PARTYNEXTDOOR collab album on the way and probably a whole lot of plans keeping him busy right now as he preps for another year. The sooner both he and K.Dot can move on from the beef, the better for their careers, which the latter is clearly benefitting from now.

Kendrick Lamar Streams Big On Spotify With GNX

But while a lot of people streamed GNX, plenty of people did not like Kendrick Lamar's new album, including Compton rapper Snoopy Badazz. He thought the project was "trash" and also defended Drake, saying that he's in no sort of danger in Los Angeles and is still superior. This prompted a lot of divided reactions from naysayers and yes men alike, which should come as no surprise. A big part of the negativity toward the pgLang lyricist, for whatever reason, is his connection to Compton and how he's moved within the wider music industry.

Nevertheless, it's clear that a lot of people are enjoying this latest effort to the fullest, and will keep bumping GNX for a while. Kendrick Lamar also has folks very excited for what could come next, especially considering there's a Super Bowl halftime show on the horizon. We'll see just how much this numbers debate evolves over the next few weeks.

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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