The Musiquarium

Released: 2024

Genres: West Coast Hip-Hop, Trap, Hardcore Hip-Hop, Conscious Hip-Hop, Pop Rap

The Musiquarium’s GNX Review Score: 10 out of 10

While Kendrick Lamar’s character assassination of Drake (via several singles earlier this year) may have indicated that a new Kendrick album was on the horizon, nobody knew exactly when the album would actually drop, then out of thin air, it did. On GNX, the Pulitzer Prize winner continues his winning streak, with a mean, lean sixth album.

Every Kendrick Lamar album since Section.80 has dealt with Kendrick against his environment (him vs. his neighbourhood on Section.80, him vs. his city on good kid, m.A.A.d city, him vs. his country on To Pimp a Butterfly, him vs. the world on DAMN., him vs. his genetics on Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers) and the thematic narrative continues here, this time with Kendrick vs. other rappers in the industry.

This album is quite antagonistic (as foreshadowed by his Drake diss tracks), but if anyone in the past decade has earned the right to boast about being a true all-time great in rap, then Kendrick is a prime candidate; Drake’s best song couldn’t even rival Kendrick’s most lukewarm of farts.

The minimalistic wacced out murals opens GNX with a particularly menacing Kendrick. A song like squabble up even made Barack Obama dance. luther and dodger blue are the album’s sexy R&B jams (like Die Hard, LOYALTY.). man at the garden sounds like a sinister, west coast re-interpretation of Phil Collin’s In the Air Tonight. reincarnated is a nineties throwback that samples a 2Pac song.

tv off is a return to the sound of the smash-hit Drake diss track, Not Like Us. heart pt. 6 successfully continues the beloved decade and a half-running Heart series, reclaiming the title that Drake attempted to steal during their feud. hey now, peekaboo and gnx all feature creative and compelling beats.

Sure, the album may not be quite as theatrical as Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers and good kid, m.A.A.d city, or as groundbreaking and epic as To Pimp a Butterfly, but what it is, is an album full of bangers and everything we’ve come to expect from Kendrick Lamar. GNX probably has the most in common with DAMN., but that’s not to say it’s derivative of that album. GNX is an (expectedly) great new chapter in the Kendrick Lamar saga. Long live the king.

Trivia: GNX won Best Rap Album at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards.

For credit breakdowns and historic release details, view Kendrick Lamar on Discogs.

Back to the 2024 Album Guide or the Kendrick Lamar Reviews page.

Written by Brett Nipaprd