Kendrick Lamar Releases New Album, ‘GNX,’ Closing Out Year With Wins: NPR

Kendrick Lamar, seen here performing at the Forum in Inglewood, California on June 19, dropped his sixth album, GNX on Friday, November 22 without prior notice.

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Timothy Norris/Getty Images

In 2024, Kendrick Lamar has put together one of the greatest years of his career: He was the undisputed winner of the highest profile rap beef for years; he has had a hit near the top of the pop charts for six months; he is nominated for several than half a dozen Grammys, including Song and Record of the Year; he will headline the halftime show at next year’s Super Bowl. All this without releasing an album. At least until today.

At noon Eastern Time on Friday, Lamar dropped his sixth studio album, GNX. He did so without sharing a hint of its existence — no advance singles or videos or cryptic social media posts. (Not that that stopped fans from speculating.) GNX is Kendrick’s first full-length release since 2022’s Mr. Morale and the great steppes. The 12-track album features performances from mariachi singer Deyra Barrera, SZA and Dody6; manufacturers include Jack AntonoffSounwave and Kamasi Washington.

Even before this surprising drop, Lamar was already on the move.

In May, he closed his ferocious back and forth with the rival Drake with the diss track”Not like us“, which peaked Billboard Hot 100 chart twice – the week after its release as well as later, in July, when the video was released – earning him several nods from the Recording Academy. On June 19, he was the host The Pop Up – Ken & Friendsa concert at the Forum in Los Angeles that was streamed live on Amazon Music and featured cameos from some of the West Coast’s biggest rappers, from Roddy Rich to Tyler, the Creator.

It was in September announced that Lamar will return to the Super Bowl stage next year to headline the halftime show. “Rap music remains the most influential genre to date. And I will be there to remind the world why,” he said in a statement. “They got the right one.”

In 2022, Kendrick performed “mAAd City” and “Alright” at the hip-hop-focused halftime show in Los Angeles headlined by Dr. Dre. That year, he had broken his five-year hiatus from the limelight after the 2017s damn it which won the Pulitzer Prize for music. GNX is Lamar’s first album since his departure from longtime label Top Dawg Entertainment. It was released under his own label, pgLang, via Interscope Records.