Kendrick Lamar releases surprise album 'GNX'

Kendrick Lamar surprised fans with an early Christmas present: a new album.

On Friday, the rap superstar released GNX. It includes 12 tracks, the most of which are produced by longtime collaborator Sounwave and hitmaker Jack Antonoff, with SZA appearing on the soulful ballad "Luther." The album comes months after his stellar chart run with Drake's diss single "Not Like Us," which topped the Billboard Hot 100 list and received five Grammy nominations, including song and record of the year. He also topped the mainstream charts with "Like That," a duet with Future and Metro Boomin.

Kendrick Lamar's 'GNX' album cover.

Dave Free

Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, released in 2022, was Lamar's last album and won numerous Grammys. His 2017 album, DAMN, earned the Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming him the first non-classical or jazz musician to receive the coveted award. He has 17 Grammy Awards and was nominated for the best original song Oscar in 2019 for "All the Stars" from Black Panther. He has achieved critical and financial success with the release of his 2011 mixtape Section.80 and his major-label debut, 2012's nice kid, m.A.A.d city.

The new album arrives months before the 37-year-old performs the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX halftime show on February 9, 2025, in the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Lamar previously performed at the 2022 halftime performance alongside Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and 50 Cent. He and the other performers, together with Jay-Z and Jesse Collins, received an Emmy for outstanding live variety show for their spectacular performance. 

"Rap music remains the most impactful genre to date. And I will be there to remind the world why. "They got the right one," Lamar said at the time.

On the new album, Lamar raps about the big game and even mentions how Lil Wayne, who some believed should lead the halftime show because he is from New Orleans, expressed disappointment when it was confirmed that Lamar would perform.

For his "wacced up murals" Lamar's lyrics read: "Used to bump Tha Carter III, I held my Rollie chain proud / Irony, I think my hard work let Lil Wayne down / Whatever though, call me crazy, everybody questionable / Turn me to an eskimo, I drew the line and decimals." He then goes into detail: "Won the Super Bowl and Nas the only one congratulated me / All these n—as agitated, I'm just glad they showin' they faces."