Content Warning: This fourth song discussed in this article includes topics of substance abuse. The Honey POP! always encourages mindful reading and champions you to prioritize your wellbeing when consuming media.
2024 has been a huge year for Kendrick Lamar fans! First, he reveals that he’s still got it with his FOUR diss tracks. Then, he reveals that he’ll be playing the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show. And NOW? We got a surprise album, GNX! The Pulitzer Prize winning artist simply cannot be stopped.
While we would love to sit here and break down all 12 songs for you, it would probably take us 5 hours just to break down all of Kendrick’s genius lyricism. SO, here are 5 songs we think you should check out from his 6th studio album!
‘wacced out murals’
In this iconic opening to GNX, Kendrick touches on his deep commitment to the art he makes, the struggles he’s faced, and his goal to create a long-lasting legacy. You know Kendrick’s got something important to say when he tells us, “F*ck a double entendre, I want y’all to feel this sh*t.”
He reiterates again how he doesn’t trust anybody in the industry, something we’ve seen across his albums for years. And he reminds us that he’s “never lost who [he is] for a rap image.” Going through Kendrick’s entire discography, you can see he has never lost sight of why he started, and this song is a perfect example of that. It’s truly shocking to see a man who’s achieved what he has as a rapper not turn into something that he isn’t.
‘luther (with sza)’
Now we have to say, this one was a huge shock. Similarly to Tyler, the Creator’s CHROMAKOPIA, Kendrick did not list any features on GNX for the first 48 hours. You can imagine our faces when we pressed play, and SZA started singing on the chorus.
We LOVE when Kendrick slows it down and lets his vocals shine, which is exactly what this is! He does it again at the very end of the album with his song ‘gloria’ (ALSO with SZA!). Kendrick tugged on our heartstrings when he talked about how in love he is with his partner. Not surprising though, because he always reminds us that his high school sweetheart is everything to him! (When is it our turn? JK… or are we?)
‘man at the garden’
This is where Kendrick brings his impeccable voice work to GNX. Unlike a lot of the songs on this album, the instrumental almost takes a backseat here (pun not intended). His voice is the center focus, and trust us when we say it’s hard to ignore on this track.
Kendrick is known for switching up the sound of his voice to relay a message, and the mix between that and the repetition of “I deserve it all” tells us everything. He once again dives back into his roots, referencing religion throughout the song. He even ends with a gospel choir to drive home his message:
This song is a perfect one for those needing that push in life. We all deserve the things we work hard for, just like Kendrick.
‘reincarnated’
Now, we will tell you that this one may take a few listens to truly understand. BUT, this is a perfect example of Kendrick’s storytelling abilities. Of course, he’d have a story to tell on GNX.
The first thing that’s important to note is the instrumental on this track. This song samples an iconic 2Pac song that we all know and love. Kendrick has spoken about how he’s always been inspired by 2Pac, especially coming from the West Coast Hip-Hop scene.
Now, let’s get into these lyrics, shall we? Kendrick starts off by discussing how he is always thinking about who he used to be, even as he’s growing and becoming a new person each day. But, of course, Kendrick has to talk about it a little differently. And by that, we mean he’s delving into his past lives.
At first, he’s John Lee Hooker. Hooker was an iconic R&B guitarist who released his first hit record ‘Boogie Chillen’’ in 1948. Then, he’s a female Chitlin’ Circuit vocalist. She had widespread success and an angelic voice, however she struggled heavily with substance abuse. While the singer is not explicitly named in the song, some believe it is Dinah Washington. Now, Kendrick is not actually saying he believes he was either of these people in a past life. What he is saying is the black community today can look at these artists, be inspired by their achievements, while also learning from their hardships and shortcomings.
Whew, that one was heavy. Sorry about that.
‘gnx’
MOVING ON! Let’s get into something fun.
The title track of this album is a special one for West Coast Hip-Hop fans! As we know, Kendrick has a lot of love for his hometown, Compton, as well as the rest of the West Coast scene. On this track, he features three West Coast artists: Peysoh, Hitta J3, and YoungThreat. All of these artists focus on staying true to their roots, and showcasing their personal experiences, rather than trying to act like someone they’re not. The repetition of “Tell ’em [name] did it” in each chorus gives a nod to how they’ve influenced the scene in their own ways.
Kendrick Lamar never fails to bring together fun instrumentals, deep storytelling, and theatrics into his album, and GNX is a perfect example of this!
Let us know your favorite songs from GNX in the comments, on our Twitter @thehoneypop or visit us on Facebook and Instagram!
For music reccs check this out!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT KENDRICK LAMAR:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE
