Kendrick Lamar decided to pop out and show the world his sixth album, GNX, today – sans promotion or warning. This after a highly successful year for the critically acclaimed artist, which included dominating a rap feud with Drake and cinching the headlining slot for next year’s Super Bowl halftime show.
Lamar unexpectedly dropped a link to the album on his social media accounts, along with a black-and-white photo of him wearing a handmade ERL belt made with vintage pins as he posed in front of the titular car, a classic Buick GNX, sending the hip-hop scene into a frenzy on social media.
Riding the hype, MTV quickly drafted an excuse letter for Lamar’s fans to send to their employers, explaining that they would “no longer [be] able to work today”.
The 12-track, nearly 45-minute album is mostly Jack Antonoff-produced and boasts vocals from SZA and mariachi singer Deyra Barrera on Gloria. The inclusion of heart pt. 6 to continue his “Heart” song series, is among other highlights.
As for the album title, Lamar has long held a place in his heart for GNX cars, which are a type of vintage Buick Regal. He told Complex that after he was born, his dad, who inspired his love for rap, brought him home in an 87 Buick Regal, and earlier this year he shared photos on Instagram of a GNX he bought.
The album seems to reference Lamar’s beef with Drake, but notably doesn’t include Not Like Us, the most popular of his Drake diss tracks, which also doubled as a song of the northern hemisphere summer after the two rappers spent months bickering.
That track paid dividends for Lamar over the past year. It broke several records, including overtaking Lil Nas X’s Old Town Road for the most weeks atop Billboard’s hot rap songs chart, and it became Lamar’s fourth No 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Not Like Us has also been nominated for five Grammys, including for song and record of the year.
Lamar also played the song five straight times at his star-studded, one-night show celebrating West Coast hip-hop, “The Pop Out: Ken & Friends”, at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, on the Juneteenth public holiday.
Keeping with his independence-themed timing, he then dropped a music video for Not Like Us on the Fourth of July, homing in visually on his Drake disses with an owl, hopscotch and a cameo from his family.
If he hasn’t crushed his Canadian rap battle opponent enough, Lamar was tapped to headline the 2025 Super Bowl LIX halftime show at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. He performed in the 2022 Emmy-winning halftime show with Dr Dre, Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg and Eminem, but his upcoming gig will be his first time leading.
Lamar explores the controversy around his Super Bowl gig in wacced out murals, where he raps about how his work “let down” Lil Wayne, the New Orleans native who said he was disappointed he wasn’t chosen for the show.
GNX might be one of the biggest album drop surprises in recent memory, though other artists including Drake have released projects without notice. The internet collectively lost its mind when Beyoncé shared her self-titled album in 2013 along with music videos for each of its 14 songs, in a release so secretive one of its producers only received a 90-minute advance notice.
One of the most highly revered and decorated rappers of his generation, Lamar has so far earned 17 Grammys, four No 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and a Pulitzer Prize.