Kendrick Lamar releases surprise new album
The 12-track ‘GNX’ dropped on Friday, November 22
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Your support makes all the difference.Kendrick Lamar has surprise released his new album, GNX.
The 12-track record, Lamar’s sixth full-length studio release, is now available on streaming services.
The album, his follow-up to 2022’s Mr. Morale and the High Steppers, arrives ahead of Lamar’s headlining performance at the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show next year.
The tracklist reads: “wacced out murals,” “squabble up,” “luther,” “man at the garden,” “hey now,” “reincarnated,” “tv off,” “dodger blue,” “peekaboo,” “heart pt. 6,” “gnx” and “gloria.”
Although the new release arrived unannounced, it was much anticipated by fans. In a five-star review of Mr. Morale and the High Steppers, The Independent’s Ben Bryant described Lamar as the “defining poet of his generation.”
In December 2019, The Independent named Lamar’s third album To Pimp a Butterfly as the best album of the preceding decade. Just one year prior, he became the first rapper ever to win a Pulitzer Prize for Music for his fourth album, Damn.
Lamar has spent much of the past year embroiled in a feud with Canadian rapper Drake.
When it was announced that Lamar will be headlining the Super Bowl Halftime Show, which will take place in New Orleans on February 9, 2025, many fans believed he included a veiled reference to his beef with Drake.
The 17-time Grammy-winning rapper shared the news in September by posting a video of himself standing on a football field in front of an American flag, as he shot footballs through an automatic passing machine.
“My name’s Kendrick Lamar and I’ll be performing at Super Bowl LIX,” he said in the video. “Will you be pulling up? I hope so. You know it’s only one opportunity to win a championship. No round twos.
“I won’t want you to miss it. Meet me in New Orleans. February 9, 2025,” Lamar added. “Wear your best dress, too, even if you watch it from home.”
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In the comments section, many fans interpreted “no round twos” to be a subtle reference to Drake.
While the beef between Lamar and Drake goes back to 2014, it escalated this summer when the musicians released multiple diss tracks — calling each other out over physical appearance, talent, use of artificial intelligence, and allegations of paedophilia.
In a separate statement announcing the halftime show, Lamar said: “Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date. And I’ll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one.”
Jay-Z, whose company Roc Nation works with the NFL to select the halftime show performer, said: “Kendrick Lamar is truly a once-in-a-generation artist and performer. His deep love for hip-hop and culture informs his artistic vision. He has an unparalleled ability to define and influence culture globally.
“Kendrick’s work transcends music, and his impact will be felt for years to come.”
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