Kendrick Lamar gave hip-hop a treat at the end of the year after already turning 2024 into one of rap's most notable championship years for any artist. Unsurprisingly, that treat – his surprise album GNX – performed incredibly well. It turns out that first week sales projections for the LP were accurate, as it officially sold 324K album-equivalent units during this tracking period. Per HITS Daily Double, about 290K of those are from streaming services, whereas pure album sales accounted for almost 33K. Even with the lack of promo and the absence of some earlier material, a K.Dot drop translated into a massive splash... Who's surprised?
But the conversations around GNX are not just numbers-based. In fact, that's the smallest part of the equation. Lyrically, the album had a lot of interesting points, such as an Ab-Soul shoutout that he recently reflected on. "I'm very honored," he shared on Instagram Live about Kendrick Lamar. "That's my brother. I guarantee he didn't study me as much as I studied him. He taught me the most as a professional recording artist. I just wanted to make that very clear. I am the B.O.A.T, I am the best rapper, that's it. Ask anyone. I say that humbly. It's not from a place of arrogance. I really do this."
Kendrick Lamar GNX First Week Sales
As one of the biggest rappers right now, Kendrick Lamar's commercial success with GNX was a matter of scale, as its success was never a question. After all, his 2012 classic good kid, m.A.A.d. city is still outselling some of the biggest hip-hop releases of 2024 within that year, including Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign's VULTURES 1. Of course, you can probably say that about a whole lot of artists out there.
Nevertheless, seeing fans enjoy GNX and witnessing its entry into pop culture has been a pretty fun ride so far. Kendrick Lamar still offered a lot of food for thought and did not compromise on catchy songwriting and immediate beats to do so. All that remains to determine is how long the album will sustain this hype, and with a Super Bowl halftime show on the way, fans are betting on a long reign.