Big Three legend Kendrick Lamar releases a surprise album GNX late Thursday night, setting the entire internet ablaze.
The “Not Like Us” rapper, who will headline the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show, gave no hint that a project was in the works, but still didn’t hold back. Lamar just continued the “I’m not sorry” energy he brought to his legendary summer rap against fellow rapper Drake, leaving the Canadian artist off the stage indefinitely.
The 12-track surprise album isn’t without its own layers of surprises, including a great SZA feature, production from Jack Antonoff, and a Lizzie McGuire reference that left the entire internet scratching its head. Social media is still processing this important moment, with a fan tweeting. “Kendrick saw Kamala and Mike Tyson lose in a row and said ENOUGH, MY PEOPLE NEED A W. THEY NEED ME.”
Almost the entire album was produced by Antonoff, who is most widely known for his work with pop stars such as Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter. Many people were surprised by his flexibility, with GNX includes trap and West Coast hip hop sounds. “Jack Antonoff ditched his high school loser heartbreak songs to make West Coast gang-affiliated music. I respect that,” one user tweeted.
so Jack Antonoff is going to make taylor his bad beats huh cuz these Kendrick instrumentals are crazy 😭
– clementine (@ilyclemmie) November 22, 2024
Social media also expressed enthusiastic reactions when SZA appeared on “luther” and “gloria”, adding to the many collaborations that TDE members have done together. Fans speculate that this could hint at SZA joining Lamar on the Superbowl stage in February.
A cleverly placed Tupac sample on “rebirth” also got fans buzzing, with one fan commenting: “I feel like it gives us a glimpse into Pac’s sound Tupac was a generational innovator, there’s a reason every rapper model followed him.” This was a clever retaliation to Drake, who used the Tupac AI model to criticize Lamar.
As fans continue to dissect the album, identifying any potential snark (the opening track features a questionable reference to Lil Wayne, who expressed disappointment at not being chosen as a performer). Super Bowl Halftime Show) and chose their favorite song, there’s no doubt that this is Lamar’s most historic year in hip-hop.
Tags Kendrick Lamar, SZA