Michael G. BarilleauxKendrick Lamar has been far from quiet in the past several months. This is largely due to his beef with fellow rap behemoth Drake, a back-and-forth heavy artillery conflict up from which he rather unanimously rose victorious. On his newest album, “GNX”, listeners learn that Lamar’s anger, aggression and frustrations stretch far beyond taking down the lavish Toronto MC. Rather, the new king of the West (Snoop Dogg’s words, not mine) has been far more focused on the big picture, both in terms of the rap game and far more.
Kendrick’s vast view and heavy contemplation should come as no surprise to those familiar with his work, as a listen to any album in his discography (seriously, take your pick) is enough to prove his love for where he comes from, his endless respect for those that have come before him and his overall outlook on what makes people tick – both those whom he considers to be his peers and those for whom he sees no reason to give credit to, or perhaps even acknowledge.
“GNX” begins with a forceful, unhesitating set of verses with which he proclaims the thoughts and feelings he’s essentially been sitting on since his last album. Some are more recent, such as his being chosen to star in the next Super Bowl Half-Time show in New Orleans this coming February, a choice which drew criticism toward the selection committee for that performance role and ultimately raised the question of whether or not it should be given to the city’s own Lil Wayne.
Regardless, other concerns of the Compton artist seem more in tune with long-term discomforts and personal insecurities. In many ways, these feelings seem to harken back to his 2017 album “DAMN”, an LP that shared a similar sense of inner conflict we hear on “GNX”.
While so much of the focus in this album has been declared a sort of uppercut to the rap game designed to express and solidify Lamar’s anger and dominance, to approach “GNX” as a complete work with such an agenda is to sell it short. While it’s tempting to see this album only for its initial face value, it’s important to notice the aspects of the LP that underline its tough-talking narrative that is established early on. The proof of this lies in the contrast between tracks like “man at the garden” and “reincarnated”. On the former, in a fit of anger and resentment, Kendrick insists that the more hate and doubts that come his way, the more blood will be spilt.
On “reincarnated”, however, the self-proclaimed G.O.A.T. states remorsefully that, “I vow my life to just live in harmony now,” suggesting perhaps that he is exploring an inner struggle concerning such matters. This is nothing new to Lamar’s music, whether it be on his second album “Good Kid, M.A.A.D City”, where he focused on his environment and the conflict it brought up in him, or on his magnum opus, “To Pimp a Butterfly.”
Yet the anguish and disagreement within the famed Compton artist most closely resembles the thematics and messages of “DAMN”, one in which he discussed and alluded to the idea that he is simply alone in his journey through the greater picture of life, particularly with the line, “Nobody praying for me” which listeners heard echoed throughout the project.
In general, “GNX” sonically feels powerful and confident much of the time, particularly the aforementioned first track, “wacced out murals” featuring Deyra Barrera, as well as “hey now” featuring rapper Dody 6, both on which Lamar comes across as lyrically primed and ready to come at any opponent’s neck. Other songs on the album, such as “heart pt. 6”, primarily address the story of his former clique Black Hippy and past record label Top Dawg Entertainment (T.D.E.). Additionally, tracks like “gloria”, featuring SZA, carry heavy meaning, though more in a reflective, relationship-centered way, rather than in one of warning.
Producers like Mustard, Dahi and Jack Antonoff take to the boards with precision across the tracks on this LP, reinforcing the might behind Lamar’s boasting proclamations and his more introspective songs. These beats don’t necessarily jump out at the listener in terms of impressiveness, but they certainly provide an effective backdrop. Mustard’s remix of the notorious diss track “Not Like Us”, however, is a simpler and far more hollow version of the original and doesn’t particularly keep up with the rest of the instrumentals.
Kendrick Lamar’s “GNX” wrestles with rage, frustration and inner-conflict. All of these elements and the way the Compton artist binds them together are what makes it an intriguing and impressive album.