Fans of hip-hop may have seen this coming. From the aftermath of what was perhaps one of hip-hop's biggest rap feuds (against Drake, no less), Kendrick Lamar has released his newest project. This time, it arrives almost completely unannounced, much like all his other tracks released earlier in the year. It's nearly become a meme to expect Kendrick Lamar to release music out of the blue, but this time, with GNX, we have an entire album. 

From the very first track, "wacced out murals", it's evident that this album is still very fresh. Most of what is present here has probably not been in the works for long. This strikes me as a surprise, as much of Kendrick's earlier discography consists of meticulously prepared projects. Instead, GNX chooses to be unrefined, allowing Kendrick to carry over the energy he had in his rap feud and apply it throughout the 44-minute runtime of the album. The result is a gorgeous, yet haphazard mishmash of songs with incredible west-coast-style production, creative sample usage, and some incredibly surprising features.

The album, overall, is also a breath of fresh air in terms of the songwriting on display here. There is an ostensible air of levity around many of the tracks here, from "squabble up" with its thumping beat under Kendrick's braggadocious rapping to "peekaboo" with its goofy lyricism. Aided by a very comedic delivery, the album feels unrestrained in what it wants to do. This is unlike Kendrick's previous projects, many of which are built around specific themes or narratives that may be very heavy and have often been criticised for being overbearing. GNX offers a sort of variety that his other projects rarely ever do.

This isn't to say it's a complete departure from his usual songwriting style, though, as this is still fundamentally a Kendrick Lamar album. Some loose themes and motifs tie many of these tracks together. While not as pronounced, anyone willing to dig deep will be able to identify how Kendrick manages to pay homage and take inspiration from some of the West Coast's biggest rappers. "man at the garden", for instance, samples "One Mic" by Nas. Then there's "reincarnated", the instrumental for which samples a 2Pac song while also having the verses delivered in 2Pac's unique inflections. Lyrically, the song is the densest one of the album, and frankly one of the best Kendrick has ever put out.

Paying homage to the old masters aside, the album also brings in many fresh voices as surprise features, all of whom deliver. While "luther" and "gloria" both feature excellent appearances by SZA, my intrigue lies with the lesser-known artists featured here. One highlight, for me, comes from the final verse on "hey now", delivered by one Dody6— a name most people seem to be unfamiliar with.

Similar obscure names from the West Coast make themselves known throughout the album, resulting in GNX being a West Coast tribute album that also manages to pass the torch to those who are currently trying to make their names known. The album is only bogged down by a track or two, the title track being a bit of a letdown in particular. But apart from that, there is plenty to love in what has been presented, and despite it feeling a little different, it is still a Kendrick Lamar album through and through.