Kendrick Lamar Releases Surprise Album ‘GNX’

Kendrick Lamar has surprised fans with an early Christmas present: a new album.

The rap king released GNX on Friday. It features 12 tracks, mainly produced by frequent collaborator Sounwave and hitmaker Jack Antonoff, while SZA appears on the soulful song “Luther.” The album comes months after his successful chart run with the Drake diss track, “Not Like Us,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart and earned five Grammy nominations, including song and record of the year. He also topped the pop charts with “Like That,” his collaboration with Future and Metro Boomin.

Lamar’s last album was 2022’s Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, which won multiple Grammys. His 2017 album, DAMN, won the Pulitzer Prize for music, making him the first non-classical or jazz artist to win the prestigious honor. He has won 17 Grammys and was nominated for the best original song Oscar in 2019 for “All the Stars” from Black Panther. He has been a critical and commercial success since he released his 2011 mixtape Section.80 and his major-label debut, 2012’s good kid, m.A.A.d city.

The new album comes months before the 37-year-old will headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX halftime show on Feb. 9, 2025, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Lamar previously performed at the 2022 halftime show with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and 50 Cent. Along with Jay-Z and Jesse Collins, he and the performers won the outstanding live variety special Emmy for the epic performance. 

“Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date. And I’ll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one,” Lamar said at the time.

Lamar raps about the big game on the new album, and even references how Lil Wayne — who some felt should headline the halftime show since he is from New Orleans — expressed he felt hurt when it was announced that Lamar was the event’s performer.

On “wacced up murals” Lamar raps: “Used to bump Tha Carter III, I held my Rollie chain proud / Irony, I think my hard work let Lil Wayne down / Whatever though, call me crazy, everybody questionable / Turn me to an eskimo, I drew the line and decimals.” He later adds: “Won the Super Bowl and Nas the only one congratulated me / All these n—as agitated, I’m just glad they showin’ they faces.”