KENDRICK’S GNX: SONG BY SONG

If you haven’t yet had a chance to absorb Kendrick Lamar’s monster surprise drop (via pgLang/Interscope), writer Miles Marshall Lewis has done a deep dive that’ll definitely enhance your listening experience.

“WACCED OUT MURALS”

Starting with Spanish vocals from mariachi singer Deyra Barrera, GNX’s opener comes off moody and dramatic, with a motivational chorus. Kendrick’s verbal onslaught touches on fallout from his upcoming Super Bowl halftime show, his infamous Drake beef and more. The titular Buick Grand National GNX gets its first shoutout here too.

“SQUABBLE UP”

With a hook referencing the 1984 freestyle classic “When I Hear Music,” this track—sonically similar to his rap-battle songs from earlier this year—was first previewed in his summertime video for “Not Like Us.” Compared to the more thematic GNX tracks to come, this one is West Coast style bragging, boasting and reminiscing, full of Black & Mild cigarillos, Smirnoff, and paper cuts from money trees.

“LUTHER”

After previously referencing ’80s adult-contemporary queen Anita Baker, this soulfully lush track opens with vocals from the genre’s king, the late Luther Vandross. Kendrick’s fifth collaboration with SZA, “Luther” lays out a love story with the most pop radio-friendly production since DAMN.’s “LOVE.” (Except for “Not Like Us,” obviously.) Stalwart Kendrick producer Sounwave, frequent Taylor Swift producer Jack Antonoff and jazzman Kamasi Washington are among the producers.

“MAN AT THE GARDEN”

This meditative reflection faintly recalls Nas’s contemplative “One Mic,” especially as Kendrick’s flow rages to a boil by the end. His repetition throughout of “I deserve it all” also evokes his therapeutic revelations from Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers—a mantra convincing himself of worthiness. What exactly he deserves includes his GNX, white diamonds, beachfront property and time to watch Tom Hanks in Cast Away.

“HEY NOW”

“Hey now, say now, let me pop my shit” sums up Kendrick’s aims on this Mustard-produced boast, co-featuring L.A. rapper Dody6. Anyone searching for subliminal Drake digs on GNX will most certainly find them; “Hey Now” is full of haymakers about strangling goats (aka G.O.A.T., a rap greatest of all time that Drake claims to be) and the spooky days of October (a veiled reference to Drake’s OVO label—OVO for October’s Very Own, naturally).

“REINCARNATED”

A GNX highlight, Kendrick sports a Tupac-influenced flow over a sample of 2Pac and the Outlawz’ “Made Niggaz.” Featuring the conceptual storytelling that moved the Pulitzer Prize committee to recognize him years back, Kendrick moves verse by verse detailing the lives of unnamed music pioneers—John Lee Hooker? Billie Holiday?—and an abridged biography of Satan himself.

“TV OFF”

Production-wise, Mustard creates a fraternal twin of his Grammy-nominated “Not Like Us” for Kendrick to spit braggadocio over, until the song’s part two halfway through. And though he centralizes wordplay, K.Dot also plays off themes of responsibility, authenticity and endurance in a superficial world. “Ain’t no other king in this rap thing, like siblings/Nothing but my children,” he rhymes, then admonishes those kids to turn off the idiot box of artificiality like so many parents before him.

“DODGER BLUE”

An ode to California love, Kendrick name checks filmmakers Quentin Tarantino, Spike Lee and Alejandro González Iñárritu in verse one—reminding us about the cinematic ambitions of his pgLang company with partner Dave Free. West Coast MCs Wallie the Sensei, Roddy Ricch and Siete all guest on the track, which happens to come fresh off the L.A. Dodgers’ World Series win.

“PEEKABOO”

In the home stretch to a glorious album finish, this track opens with a sample from soul guitarist Willie Hale’s “Give a Helping Hand” before unfolding into a bragfest with L.A. rappers AzChike and Dody6. This catchy trifle moves briskly with the hyphy bounce of some of Kendrick’s earlier 2024 singles.

“HEART PT. 6”

Continuing his series of earnestly sincere “Heart” recordings dating back to 2010, this latest installment stands tall musically and thematically as an apex of GNX. Detailing his history with former TDE labelmates Ab-Soul, Jay Rock and ScHoolboy Q, Kendrick goes back to his salad days using his famously acerbic eye. A chorus sampled from SWV’s 1996 hit “Use Your Heart” gives this the same pop potential as “Luther.”

“GNX”

In the tradition of, say, Prince’s Graffiti Bridge, Kendrick doesn’t exactly bless his latest album with the strongest title track. After a brief opening, posing questions à la “6:16 in L.A.” and “Euphoria” (“Have you ever been a joint and you know it?”), Kendrick largely throws the song over to guest rappers Peysoh, Hitta J3 and YoungThreat. The song also makes no mention of the Buick GNX featured on the album’s cover.

“GLORIA”

Ending as it started with vocals from Deyra Barrera, GNX’s conclusion (spoiler alert) uses a loving relationship with a woman named Gloria as a metaphor for Kendrick’s relationship to his pen; Nas used a similar technique with a gun on 1996’s “I Gave You Power.” SZA returns too, proving again that their chemistry on their 2018 hit “All the Stars” was no fluke.