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Kendrick Lamar shocks fans with surprise album

"GNX" album cover courtesy of Spotify.
“GNX” album cover courtesy of Spotify.

Renowned rap artist, Kendrick Lamar unexpectedly dropped his sixth studio album, “GNX,” on Nov. 22. The news spread fast, as word of mouth took the album’s existence from chatter on social media to conversations in friend groups.

Compared to his previous albums, “To Pimp a Butterfly” and “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers,” “GNX” embarks on a more reflective approach in expressing Lamar’s legacy and personal growth. Lamar blends his anger, introspection, and pride into this release, leading to a 12 song, 44 minute bundle of raw emotion and expert lyricism, alongside stand-out collaborations with artists like SZA and producers Mustard and Kamasi Washington.

Elaborate tracks like “reincarnated” dive deep into Lamar’s imagined past through a soulful, 2Pac-sampled beat, while songs like “heart pt. 6” drips with nostalgia and homage to Lamar’s career beginnings.

The album is personal, striking, and most definitely hard to ignore; however, what blurs the artistry of this album is the inconsistency prevalent from song to song. Lamar’s goal of storytelling becomes scattered with the differing collaborations and producers. Specifically, aid from producers like DJ Mustard and Jack Antonoff varies in impact from a listener’s perspective.

Overall, the experimental nature of Lamar’s creation creates a compelling, if uneven, view of his career up to this point. The sharp mix of bangers and introspective storytelling solidifies, yet again, that Lamar’s stranglehold on the rap scene remains, even as he explores new directions.

4/5 stars.

“GNX” Spotify Code courtesy of Spotify
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