Kendrick Lamar's GNX Album Review

wacced out murals -

Background: Kendrick's "wacced out murals," the first track off GNX, is a song about betrayal and the critique of the hip-hop industry. Referencing murals in Compton, including one recently vandalized, he reflects on fake portrayals of success and shallow industry standards. Kendrick addresses betrayals by Snoop Dogg and Lil Wayne, including Wayne's frustration over Kendrick headlining the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show. He also touches on the well-known rivalry with Drake, where he makes a reference to Drake's use of AI in a diss track to highlight an example of commercial success over talent and artistry.

Review: Listening to this song for the first time, I definitely recognized the same type of Kendrick that is heard in some of his other albums like “good kid, m.A.A.d city”, but it definitely had a darker mood compared to most of his songs. I think this was a good opening track, setting a tone for the rest of the album. I gave this song an 8/10 because I think Kendrick has had better opening tracks in his other albums, but I definitely like this song and think it has a good message about the hip-hop industry.

squabble up -

Background - One of the beginning lines in "squabble up" is “Life goes on, I need all my babies, Woke up lookin’ for the broccoli”, which references marijuana and his commitment to family and self-improvement. Kendrick also references his album from 2015, “To Pimp a Butterfly” and the collaborator, Kamasi Washington. The song is sampled from "When I Hear Music" from 1995 by Debbie Deb to connect himself with his roots. Again, Kendrick criticizes the nature of the music industry in the lyrics "quid pro quo". 

Review - The song is definitely energetic compared to the “wacced out murals” but I don't think that Kendrick did a lot with his lyrics. Not doing a lot with lyrics in a song really isn’t a bad thing; it made it a more fun song. I would compare this song to “Not Like Us” simply because of the tempo and beat. I gave this song a 7/10, not because I didn’t like it, but because it seems like more of a fun song in an album with more meaningful songs and better music in the background.

luther (with SZA) - 🥇

Background: In “luther”, Kendrick talks about how he wishes our world could be free of pain and fighting and where he is able to share love and positivity with his partner. He says he wants to provide a better world for his significant other. His lyrics in this song bring up topics that have stayed constant throughout most of the songs, including personal growth. Kendrick and SZA are able to feed off each other, which makes for an amazing song. The instrumentals alone are great, which definitely sets the song up to be emotional yet mellow.

Review: Truthfully, I may be biased with my 10/10 rating simply because of how much I love SZA, but I think that is what makes this song so incredible. SZA adds a mellow, almost romantic sound to this song and I love Kendrick and SZA’s voices together. Both of them complement each other in a way that makes the song feel so complete. I can definitely appreciate how this song’s tempo contrasts the beginning of the album, as it feels like a more laid-back song. I also love how they included strings throughout the entire song, especially highlighting them at the end, adding to the already smooth tone of the song.

man at the garden -

Background: “man at the garden" focuses on the idea of deservingness, as Kendrick repeatedly says, "I deserve it all." His lyrics combine his personal achievements with bigger ideas. He talks about the feeling of earning success, making the message relatable, not only to other artists in the music industry but to anyone else who is looking for a distinct sense of deservingness from their success. This track is more than just about success, it is also about the recurring theme of personal reflection on the struggles that come with success. Kendrick conveys the idea that people need to work hard and have a passion in order to succeed. 

Review: I think that this song makes any listener think about what they have done to “deserve it all”. I've seen some people say they did not like the song because of Kenrick's attitude that he deserves it all, but I think it is a good thought-provoking lyric choice. This song definitely reminds me of the vibes from one of my favorite Kendrick Lamar albums, "DAMN.” I noticed that especially near the end of the song, Kendrick's voice becomes eerie, which brings back sounds from some of Kendrick's other songs, like "meet the grahams.” I gave this song an 8/10 because the message stood out to me in the album, which I loved, but the song and instrumentals didn't really stand out to me as much as I had hoped.

hey now (feat dody6) -

Background: "hey now" looks into ideas of power and rising to the top with strong wording. One of the other topics he touches on is how much pressure fame can bring. Throughout the track, he definitely describes himself as a superior and dominating figure in the rap world. Kendrick also uses references to football, one of his lyrics being, “It's a green light, don't get out of bounds, I'ma blitz.” A blitz is basically just a rush to the quarterback, but it is aggressive. In this lyric, a blitz symbolizes Kenrick's charge to the top and his competitiveness. Dody6's feature was decent, as he spoke about street life and the reality of it, giving the song a realistic and raw feeling to it.

Review: This track definitely reminds me of “squabble up” because of its energy in the beat. To be honest, it took me a couple of listens to really warm up to this track, but the more I listened to it, the more I liked it. I gave this song an 8/10 because the storyline seemed to be a little bit disconnected, but I still loved the track itself.

reincarnated -

Background: This song really shows off Kendrick's storytelling abilities and his ability to talk about deep topics with good insight. This track reflects on spiritual growth and karma. Kendrick takes on a different personality in each of the verses to talk about different heavy topics like addiction and redemption through different lives. These “reincarnations” show how mistakes can be repeated but he also talks about learning your lesson. I think this song is mainly a demonstration of self-reflection, self-awareness, and breaking through cycles of mistakes.

Review: Again, there was an eerie vocal sample and a dynamic flow. The beat goes through different moods like between aggression and vulnerability, as Kendrick described different personalities. I definitely like how the track talks about sin and self-discovery. The song had a really good piano and drum pattern in the background, which made the instrumentals great. I really enjoyed listening to this track and will definitely be adding it to some of my playlists, which is why I gave it a 9/10.

Background: "tv off" is definitely a multi-layered track that looks into personal growth and critiquing society. He also mentions a similar theme to some previous songs in the album, like the legacy of being an artist. Kendrick reflects on his role in the rap industry as he critiques expectations from society along with the fakeness and superficiality of the world. I think this song really cements Kendrick's position as a leader and someone who disrupts the typical standards of the music industry. Like so many of the songs on GNX, Kendrick is not scared to talk about the uncomfortable truths in the hip-hop world.

Review: This song definitely reminds me of "Not Like Us,” energy and beat-wise. This song, while it still has meaning about the superficialness of current rap, seems like more of a fun track. The song starts off with a high energy and has a fresh, upbeat, and powerful beat that continues throughout the entire song. I gave this song an 8/10 because I love the fact that the track still has a good message while being energetic and fun, but it is a little bit too similar to “Not Like Us,” which I am the biggest fan of.

Background: “dodger blue" is dedicated to Kendrick's hometown of L.A., with themes of pride, resilience, and culture. Kendrick shows the different views of L.A., the glamorized version and the darker version that shows the reality of addiction. He raps about the duality of the city, while also mentioning the realness of the city. "Dodger Blue" ultimately is about the city that shaped his identity.

Review: Overall, I really like this song and how it contrasts with “tv off”. It starts off with a low bass which makes for a laid-back mood. This shows the transition from “tv off,” as it had a lot less energy or powerful mood to it. Wallie The Sensei, Roddy Ricch, and Siete7x all really made the song better because they enhanced the features of the song. Their styles, although not identical, combined with each other. I gave this song a 9/10 because it continues to show how solid this album is. This track's tempo is definitely placed well in relation to the other songs and I love how this song sounds.

Background: This track criticizes the hip-hop and rap industry in the modern world. Kendrick's sharp critique of the music industry highlights other people's lack of meaningful lyrics. Like some of his previous songs, he is mainly talking about how people should focus more on style than substance. The lyrics show his talent for talking about serious social problems. The song reflects his frustration with superficiality and emphasizes his dedication to staying true to himself.

Review: To be honest, I am not a huge fan of this song. Compared to the rest of the album, there definitely could have been a lot more improvements to the song and I think it probably could have been taken off the album. While I liked the feature from Little Beaver's “Give Me a Helping Hand” in the intro, the rest of the song disappointed me a little bit. I gave this track a 6/10, but even that might be a little bit generous. I don't hate this song, but I think it had a lot more potential than what it ended up being.

heart pt. 6 - 🥈

Background: “heart pt. 6” dives into Kendrick's journey as an artist and how is identity is constantly changing. This track reflects on the struggle in the beginning of his career and forging his own path. Like some of the previous songs in this album, Kendrick shares through his storytelling about topics like growth and determination. He focuses on how to communicate, be humble, and stay true to yourself against all odds. His lyrics referenced ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock, and Ab-Soul, who were in a group with Kendrick previously. The lyrics show how impactful this group of people was on Kendrick.

Review: I absolutely love the intro to this song; it has an almost ethereal feel to it and brings out my favorite part of Kendrick. His voice goes so well with the instrumentals in the back and I love the meaning behind the song. The lyrics “Use your heart and not your eyes, if you got time and I got time, free your thought and watch them fly,” have a psychedelic sound to them, which I love.  From start to finish, this song was amazing, a solid 10/10.

gnx (feat. hitta j3, youngthreat, peysoh)

Background: This track is all about survival, loyalty, and competition in the rap world. The song features peysoh, hitta j3, and youngthreat, which allows for there to be storytelling about what it is like on the streets, rivalries, and other personal struggles. In some of his lyrics, Kendrick reflects on his ability to control situations. The song references violence, power, and legacy.

Review: This song definitely has some good parts to it, but there is something about it that I'm not a fan of. It is a combination of the repetitiveness and the way Kendrick sings some of the lyrics that makes the song a little annoying. I actually don't mind the other artists’ features in the song, but the rest of the song was not for me. I can see how others may like this song, but personally, I'm not a fan, which is why I gave it a 6/10.

gloria (with SZA) -🥉

Background: "Gloria," explores of redemption, faith, and personal transformation with reflective lyrics. The song goes into Kendrick's struggles and how he critiques the lack of morality in society. Throughout the song, there is a combination of English and Spanish lyrics. The song highlights the search for forgiveness, with "Gloria" symbolizing both enlightenment and culture. It shows a personal awakening, leaving listeners with a message of hope and redemption.

Review: I love this track's ability to be a great outro to an amazing album. I like the message about growing up and maturing and I also like the clever analogy of his pen being a partner. The song starts off with a laid-back sound with a guitar riff, setting the mood for a reflective song. I like how the lyrics show how you can find light in the darkness and bring up topics of love. Obviously, if SZA is in a song, I already love it. This was a clear 10/10 and an amazing closing song.