Opener ‘wacced out murals’ is embroiled in the fallout of Kendrick’s controversy with Drake as the rapper issues warnings to anyone who turned their back on him, plans to do so or even hesitates at the decision. Its barebones instrumental and booming 808s support the foreboding feeling but aren’t too intrusive, allowing Kendrick’s voice and message to take centre stage for the full five-minute runtime.
Kendrick’s final diss against Drake ‘Not Like Us’ has become one of his biggest songs ever, notably for its lively West Coast influences. Following up on its success, many of the songs on 'GNX' share this same sound, like the second track ‘squabble up’. The energy is immaculate on this one, owed much to the funky sample of Debbie Deb’s ‘When I Hear Music'. Kendrick tells listeners not to kill his vibe - “I feel good, get the fuck out my face” - as he carelessly sends out shots and shouts out a call-and-response bridge.
'GNX' basks in Kendrick’s California-rap roots for much the record, particularly on ‘Not Like Us’ producer Mustard’s track ‘tv off’. The track is incredibly similar to its predecessor with synthesised strings playing on a three note loop. That is, until the beat switch ramps the energy even higher, with Kendrick screaming Mustard’s name for two bars straight like a Dragon Ball character turning Super Saiyan.
Perhaps the most potent use of this West Coast sound on the album, however, appears on the track ‘reincarnated’. Backed by a sample of 2Pac’s 'Made N****z', Kendrick moves between a series of "past lives" of artists who he feels connected to, rapping from their perspectives and then finally his own, learning from those past mistakes in a dialogue with God and coming to terms with problems that still prevail in his current life. It’s a masterwork of songwriting and perspective-shifting and a track that will surely go down as one of Kendrick’s greatest.
The album isn’t without its softer moments though, such as the smooth R&B joint ‘luther’. Kendrick raps a set of melodic verses envisioning a perfect world made imaginable by his lover, while long-time collaborator SZA offers her angelic voice to the chorus, painting a pretty picture over the track’s heavenly instrumental. SZA appears again on the album’s finale ‘gloria’, where the duo further showcase their chemistry on another song about the power of love.
Other than herself and Roddy Ricch, the feature list for this album is made up of relatively obscure rappers, all sitting below one million monthly listeners on Spotify at the time of release. Kendrick uses this project as an opportunity to showcase some rising talents from his home of LA, all of whom deliver. Dody6 on ‘hey now’ is a highlight, flowing seamlessly over the song’s sinister beat.
'GNX' is by far Kendrick’s most fun project to date. It may not be as conceptual as 'To Pimp A Butterfly', or as introspective as 'Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers', but Kendrick’s gold-standard pen game and ear for good beats are as strong as ever. “Fuck being rational, give 'em what they ask for” says Kendrick on ‘tv off’. And considering how good he’s gotten at making songs like these, can you really blame him?
