Mosi Reeves’s November 26, 2024, review for Rolling Stone Australia hears Kendrick Lamar’s GNX as both a victory lap and an unresolved argument: its spiritual self-questioning sits beside the forceful, combative rap that defined Lamar’s public year. The album captures a moment in Los Angeles rap, Reeves argues, but leaves open whether individual triumph can answer demands for broader change.
GNX holds two versions of Kendrick Lamar together
Reeves’s central lens is the tension between an inward spiritual voice and a street-facing performer. “Reincarnated” gives that inward voice its clearest form: Lamar stages an exchange with an inner God, a device Reeves compares with “Mortal Man” from To Pimp a Butterfly. Against it, “Wacced Out Murals” and “Dodger Blue” deliver the brash, combative side of the record.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
![GNX[LP]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/313J2w8PuQL._SL160_.jpg)
|
GNX[LP] | $32.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Kendrick Lamar - GNX Royal Azure Colored | $69.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
GNX - Limited Grey 1LP-Record Includes Printed Inner Sleeves | $59.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Kendrick Lamar - GNX (Indie Exclusive Blue Vinyl) | $69.77 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Gnx (X) & To Pimp A Butterfly & Damn. (X) (2LP/180G) | $136.01 | Buy on Amazon |
The contrast is not simply between seriousness and swagger. In Reeves’s reading, both modes belong to the same artist, and the album’s energy comes from their coexistence. Its victory lap is confident, but the spiritual questions keep that confidence from resolving into a single, uncomplicated statement.
How the album reflects Lamar’s 2024
The review places GNX in the wake of Lamar’s highly visible dispute with Drake and his emergence as a defining figure in West Coast rap. Reeves reports that “Like That,” with Future and Metro Boomin, and “Not Like Us” were two Number One singles in the review’s 2024 framing. That is the figure Reeves gives, rather than an independently established chart-history claim here.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
#1 Best Overall
- Description Kendrick Lamar - GNX - Vinyl GNX is the sixth studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. Titled after the Buick Regal model, and a follow-up to Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (2022). Tracklisting SIDE A: 1. wacced out murals 2. squabble up 3. luther 4. man at the garden 5. hey now 6. reincarnated SIDE B: 7. tv off 8. dodger blue 9. peekaboo 10. heart pt. 6 11. gnx 12. gloria...
- Format: Vinyl...
- Released: 2025-02-07...
- Genre: Hip-Hop...
- Best Sellers: Top Seller...
Conflict in “Wacced Out Murals”
Reeves reads “Wacced Out Murals” as Lamar confronting detractors, including Lil Wayne and Snoop Dogg, amid reactions to the choice of Lamar for the Super Bowl LIX halftime show. The track is an example of the record’s combative posture; the review’s account does not settle the broader dispute or establish every participant’s motives.
“Keep it rap” in “Dodger Blue”
“Dodger Blue” is the review’s explicit example of Lamar insisting on rap as a defining priority. Along with “Squabble Up,” “Peekaboo,” “TV Off,” “Man in the Garden” and the title track, it helps Reeves describe an album rooted in a particular time and place rather than detached from its surroundings.
Rank #2
- kendrick lamar
Los Angeles is part of the album’s portrait
Reeves points to the contributions of underground rappers AzChike, Dody6 and Lefty Gunplay, as well as mariachi singer Deyra Barrera, as part of GNX’s Los Angeles setting. The album also draws on Mexican cultural references. These details widen the portrait beyond Lamar’s individual celebrity: the record’s sound and collaborators help locate it in a city and a scene.
The title has a personal connection in Reeves’s account: it refers to the Buick GNX Regal Lamar’s father drove from the hospital where Kendrick was born. The car’s name gives the album a link between family memory and its broader picture of place.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors“Heart Pt. 6” looks back while looking forward
Reeves hears “Heart Pt. 6” as a reflection on Lamar’s early relationship with Top Dawg Entertainment and his later move toward developing as an executive at pgLang. In the reviewer’s reading, Lamar also takes creative responsibility for Black Hippy not working. The title had already appeared in Drake’s diss track during their battle, adding another strand of context to a song that turns toward Lamar’s own history.
The victory lap’s unresolved question
Reeves admires much of GNX’s force, but does not treat success as an answer to every question raised by the album. The tension is between the achievement of one artist and the possibility of change beyond him: a celebration of individual power may leave deeper questions about ego, artistic purpose and the structures around rap untouched.
Rank #4
- Media Condition: Mint (M)
- Sleeve Condition: Mint (M)
As Reeves puts it: “But the existential question of whether one man is allowed in the kingdom of heaven or the whole enterprise deserves real, structural change remains frustratingly unresolved.” The line captures the review’s final reservation. GNX can sound like a triumphant summation of Lamar’s 2024 while still leaving the larger stakes unsettled.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Physical editions of GNX
Kendrick Lamar’s official store lists a digital album alongside vinyl editions, CD and cassette. The listing establishes that physical formats exist, but it does not establish current stock at other retailers or differences in sound quality between formats. Check the official Kendrick Lamar store for its current GNX formats and availability.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Your favorite artist, Kendrick Lamar, on LP Vinyl.
- Immerse yourself in the genre of Hip Hop.
- Enjoy the music style of Conscious on LP Vinyl.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
