Kendrick Lamar’s latest album, “GNX”, was unexpectedly released to the masses, and its songs have already made the Billboard Hot 100. Kendrick made no announcement or marketing and released the album on Friday, November 22. With 12 songs featured on the album, Kendrick fans are more than happy to see new music from an icon of Hip-Hop.
Upon streaming the album in its entirety, not much can be said other than it’s just really good. The album has many replayable songs and catchy melodies. Songs like “Squabble Up” and “TV Off” have already been played by millions and have been talking points for discussion online and in person. ‘GNX’ has definitely made an impact on release.
In the song “TV Off” Kendrick Lamar talks about the lack of quality in rap and that there needs to be more talent in the field, but it seems more like an excuse to make a fun track. The beat by DJ Mustard is great and Lamar yelling “MUSTARRRRD” is also an excellent touch. “TV off” is like a pseudo-sequel to “Not Like Us” that plays out in much the same manner.
Fans of Kendrick Lamar and fans of the hip-hop genre also find this album to be of high standards and regard this album as another pristine and excellent project that Kendrick has blessed our ears with. To be clear, this album just expresses playful and active energy in the form of music that it’s almost impossible to not like at least one song on the album. There are so many blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments within songs, that it makes listeners always want to repeat songs to make sure they got everything, which is just clever production.
The popularity and success of this album can also stem from of course the infamous most legendary musical proxy war ever. Not only did fans receive the most entertaining rap beef in history seeing Drake and Kendrick duke it out, but they also received more music of high quality and production from the obvious victor of the beef, in the same year!
This album is excellent, both in terms of production and lyrical content. It doesn’t compare to Lamar’s best work, but that wasn’t the record’s original intent. “GNX” aimed to draw attention to Los Angeles, and one could say it accomplished this flawlessly.
Music is very dynamic, it’s very diverse. Students are well aware of how big and popular the genre of rap is, and some indulge in the listening of songs rooted in the rap genre. With Kendrick Lamar being a massive figure in the rap scene, it’s obvious that the success of the album comes from loyalty from his fans and the hype surrounding new music from, one of, if not the best hip-hop artist of our time.
