For those uninitiated into hip-hop culture, rap has a pantheon as exclusive and illustrious as any athletic Hall of Fame, and every asserted “greatest of all time” is contested. Kendrick Lamar has long been a GOAT contender and even the number one rapper ever for many, such as this author. Lamar’s seismic conquest of Drake this spring, ending in the mythical damnation of “Meet the Grahams” and “Not Like Us,” added the greatest head-to-head victory in any rap beef to his resume. And for those who have downplayed his brilliance before, his surprise album “GNX” is an uncharacteristically direct reminder why he is what he proclaims himself to be on the record: “the greatest of all time.”
The album’s production is simultaneously sharp and multilayered, with Lamar’s frequent collaborator Sounwave uniting with pop genius Jack Antonoff to oversee a beautiful and bouncy palette. West Coast icon Mustard also hops behind the boards, which Lamar lets the planet know loudly and memorably during the electrifying second half of highlight “TV Off.” All of this is to complement Lamar’s always-stellar poetry, which is notably less somber than usual as he rides over blatant bangers. He efficiently and ruthlessly tears into mostly unnamed opponents over the scintillating beat of “Wacced Out Murals,” and poetically buries Drake even deeper on “Hey Now,” creating a new alias as he icily asserts, “The Black Noah, I just strangled me a goat.” He dives back into his past and back out to slash at the fake in a single verse on “TV Off,” the raging beat fitting every setting of his lyrics.
Lamar also flexes his conceptual and storytelling muscles, though less so than on previous efforts such as “To Pimp a Butterfly” or the haunting “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.” His directness here is deliberate, as evidenced by his dismissal of double entendres (lines with multiple intentional meanings at once) on the opener, but he still finds time for an epic, extended metaphor in which his pen — his rapping — is incarnated in a childhood sweetheart and life companion on “Gloria.” He pays tribute to 2Pac on the tripartite “Reincarnated,” borrowing from the West Coast hero’s abrasive vocal delivery, but the song’s storytelling takes time to fully enrapture the listener, warming for up for two verses before reaching a great conclusion best experienced without spoilers. On “Man at the Garden,” he allows his material desire and spirituality to simultaneously surface, his ideals growing loftier as the song progresses — before crowning himself the best rapper ever. The song is a gorgeous portrait of his soul, contradictions intact, that leaves the listener with much to analyze and internalize.
Like Lamar’s last album “Mr. Morale,” “GNX” serves as a platform for quite a few relatively unknown artists to make their case, and many shine. Deyra Barrera beautifully introduces multiple tracks on the album singing in Spanish. Dody6’s intensity burns through the last leg of “Hey Now,” AzChike gets off spectacular one-liners alongside Kendrick’s humor on “Peekaboo” and on the title track, every featured rapper finds the right pocket on the chaotic beat. Lamar’s one-time labelmate, R&B superstar SZA, appears as the album’s sole star feature, and her performances on “Luther” and “Gloria” are highlights of the record. She even paints an entire world in a single line on the former: “Heartache, she only doing what she know.”
“GNX” has continued to bloom for me since its release. Preparing for this review, I dove back to rediscover excellent moments I overlooked or realized the full power of the songs I’ve had in rotation. That’s been my experience with all Lamar’s work throughout the year: my appreciation for his many individual songs has only grown with time, as has my awareness of the lyrical brilliance he’s been putting on display since his incredible beef with Drake erupted. Since the album’s release, he has announced a stadium tour with SZA, to which tickets will be available to the public Friday. And if you haven’t experienced this album or much of his work before now, take time this week to acquaint yourself. By Friday, you’ll likely be rearing to see the greatest of all time.
