“We bringing up nobody, nobody, nobody – But the number one rapper in the world”
This line from “I”, the lead single of Kendrick Lamar’s 2015 magnum opus To Pimp a Butterfly, has never felt more true than it does today in 2025. The past year has truly been possibly the biggest victory lap a single artist has ever had. 5 Grammy wins, multiple number 1 songs, an instantly iconic halftime performance and winning the biggest beef in rap history all surrounded the surprise release of Lamar’s 6th album, GNX.
Following 2022’s deeply reflective Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, it was hard to tell exactly where Kendrick could go following such a personal record. With Lamar taking 5 years to follow up 2017’s DAMN., there was a possibility that we wouldn’t hear from the artist for years. That being said, I don’t think any of us could have expected the year that Kendrick has had. “GNX” is everything Mr. Morale wasn’t; this is a direct, energetic, straight to the point record. Kendrick is more confident than ever before on this record, stating on 4th track “man at the garden” that “he deserves it all”. Some of Kendricks most hard hitting tracks of all time, such as the insane “squabble up” and instantly iconic “tv off” fully show off this sense of confidence.
This record is equally a statement of his status as an all time great as it is a love letter to Compton. The features on this album are not the same high profile features that could be found on previous records such as 2012’s good kid, m.A.A.d city; instead most of the features are LA locals, many more low profile artists as well. This love for his city is especially evident on the track “reincarnated”, which sees Kendrick rap over a 2Pac beat. Late album standout heart pt.6 also sees Kendrick reference his Black Hippy supergroup (a group including ScHoolboy Q and Ab-Soul). The lyric “Don’t say you hate LA when you don’t travel past the 10” from “dodger blue” also connects to this lyrical focus.
It’s the most direct Kendrick has ever been, many of these songs being under 3 minutes such as highlight “dodger blue”, and the record itself is his shortest album yet. This also is one of the best produced albums of 2024, featuring amazing sample work on tracks like “squabble up” and overall great beat selection. The only real weak point on this record is the title track itself, which in general could’ve been left on the cutting room floor. That being said, GNX is a career-defining showing from Kendrick Lamar, establishing his place in the mainstream as the greatest rapper of his generation.

Highlights – “squabble up”, “tv off”, & “dodger blue”
Score: 9.2/10