GNX: The Kendrick Lamar Story(Album Review)

Kendrick Lamar is undoubtedly the most captivating rap artist of the 21st century, with a theatrical presence that echoes through all his records. Few artists have had a life and career as dramatic as their own music, and Kendrick exemplifies the idea of writing what you live. He has always proven himself to be the very character he portrays in his songs. His new album, GNX, released on Nov. 22, 2024, serves as the perfect epilogue to the Kendrick-verse.

The critical acclaim of Kendrick’s work can be traced back to his 2015 commercial hit, To Pimp A Butterfly. Music critic Anthony Fantano once described it as, “It’s albums like this that people use as benchmarks in musical history, and it happens to be fantastically enjoyable as well. I am feeling a 10 on this record!” Such high praise from Fantano—who is rarely impressed—speaks volumes. This album solidified Kendrick as an exalted figure in hip-hop culture, someone self-aware enough to recognize the power vested in him by the public. The album critiqued the commodification of art—the “pimping” of something as beautiful as a butterfly. Following this, Kendrick continued to create records that defined cultural conversations around the African American struggle and the legacy of racism in the United States, with conceptual masterpieces like good kid, m.A.A.d city and DAMN.

What I love about Kendrick is the density in his work. He is a man of few words, and he never wastes them. That’s why it came as a surprise to his fans when he released GNX,  just two years after Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, an album that itself arrived after a five-year hiatus. Mr. Morale felt like the final installment of the Kendrick-verse, yet GNX builds upon its depth and offers textured food for thought for listeners.

Kendrick’s artistic journey has remained coherent throughout his career. good kid, m.A.A.d city provides an in-depth look into his upbringing, showing how he came of age in a culture of violence and how it inevitably shaped him. He sought to break the cycle of hatred and violence with To Pimp A Butterfly, critiquing the capitalist paradox of rap music. Yet Kendrick has always been acutely aware of his own shortcomings—of how he sometimes falls into the very traps he seeks to dismantle. This conflicted, almost messianic persona takes center stage in his 2022 record Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, where he reflects on his career, acknowledging the ways he has failed and the impossibility of living up to the “savior” status fans placed upon him. He presents his demons, admits his flaws, and emphasizes personal growth before attempting to change the world around him. It felt like the perfect conclusion to the Kendrick story.

So now, GNX. It’s the post-credits scene, the coda, the epilogue; the “reincarnation,” as one of the track titles suggests. Kendrick reclaims the crown he discarded in Mr. Morale because, as he states in man at the garden, a track off of GNX:

"It's important, I deserve it all because it's mine.
Tell me why you think you deserve the greatest of all time, motherfucker.
I deserve it all.
I deserve it all."

To contextualize, this album follows Kendrick’s highly publicized rivalry with Drake. Months before GNX was released, Kendrick and Drake exchanged multiple diss tracks, with Kendrick critiquing Drake’s “pacifying” and commodified music—something he has always stood against. Though Kendrick had previously distanced himself from the role of a savior, his conflicting nature compels him to fight against everything he finds wrong.

GNX serves as a “victory lap,” reminding everyone of his legacy and the work he has put in. While he acknowledges his mistakes, he asserts that no one else deserves the title of the greatest more than he does—a theme explored on the track heart pt. 6, where he reflects on his early struggles making music with his friends.

The title GNX references the Buick Grand National GNX, a car that symbolizes power and speed greater than its physical stature. Kendrick cleverly uses this as a metaphor for his own identity—especially in light of Drake’s repeated jabs at his short stature and relative lack of commercial success. Kendrick embraces these perceived weaknesses as testaments to his integrity and valor.

Sonically, the album is deeply rooted in West Coast musical elements, continuing Kendrick’s homage to his origins. This theme aligns with his recent hit diss track Not Like Us, which established him as the undisputed king of West Coast hip-hop.

Kendrick will forever be known as an artist whose talent matches his passion. The closing track of GNX perfectly embodies this, using a romantic relationship as a metaphor for his relationship with music—one that is obsessive, at times destructive, but ultimately the only thing he knows. He raps:

"I met her when I was off the porch as a teenager
She said one day I would right my wrongs and see paper
We started out young, looking for some identity
Made a thousand mistakes, but never did we lack chemistry."

With GNX, Kendrick once again proves that you don’t have to compromise substance to get success.