"This isn't his next album": DJ Akademiks claims Kendrick Lamar's 'GNX' is not an album but a "dope tape"

DJ Akademiks recently shared his take on the new Kendrick Lamar album, GNX. The Compton-born rapper and singer surprise-dropped his brand new album, which was released on streaming platforms on Friday, November 22, 2024, at 12 pm ET. It's a 12-track album featuring Heart Pt. 6, the latest track in the ongoing back-and-forth diss track with Drake that started this year.

As fans clamor about the surprise release, Jamaican-American podcaster and Internet personality DJ Akademiks shared what he thinks about Kendrick Lamar's GNX. While he admitted it is a "dope tape," he doesn't think GNX is the album fans have been waiting for from the rapper.

In a clip of his Twitch livestream listening party, where he listens to the tracks from the album on Spotify, that a fan shared on X on November 22, the podcaster can be heard saying:

"Now I get it, that's on Spotify, you're like, 'No this is his next album. 'No this isn't his album, right? This is a tape."

He clarified that while GNX has been released on streaming platforms and publications calling it Lamar's sixth studio album, he doesn't believe that it is the new album that has been hinted at for several months. That said, he thinks it's "dope."

"I think this is a dope tape... [He] dropped a dope tape at a time when people are expecting music from him and we don't know what his next album is gonna be."

He also shared some personal commentaries about the songs included in the album, saying that it's not filled with tracks that are "commercial bops," like "Loyalty." However, he added that he doesn't think that the songs are trash, saying:

"Do I think they're trash songs? No. Come on, we gotta be fair."

He also replied to a commenter, who ranked Kendrick Lamar's album at 3/10 max, saying that he didn't agree with that. DJ Akademiks again noted that "we gotta be fair," implying that he would rate GNX much higher than a 3/10.

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Kendrick Lamar's GNX features SZA, Jack Antonoff, Kamasi Washington, and more

Following a one-minute teaser trailer on YouTube, Kendrick Lamar made a surprise rollout of his sixth studio album GNX, leaving the hip-hop world with 12 new tracks to listen to and dissect. He dropped the album with zero warning, sharing a link to it on his social media accounts alongside a black-and-white picture of him donning a handmade ERL belt and posing beside the titular Buick GNX car.

The 12-track album, which lasts about 25 minutes in total, is mostly a collaboration between Kendrick Lamar and producer Jack Antonoff. It also features vocals from SZA, who contributed to both Gloria and Luther. Mariachi singer Debra Barrera is also featured in Gloria, with INK helping write the lyrics.

INK, who was Beyoncé's major contributor in Cowboy Carter, is also credited on Squabble Up, Luther, Heart Pt. 6, and Dodger Blue. Kamasi Washington, who has been a frequent Kendrick Lamar collaborator, has been credited as a producer throughout the album, with other contributions from Roddy Rich, Sam Dew, Bobby Hawk, Sounwave, and more.

That said, there was no Taylor Swift appearance on GNX, despite rumors that the Bad Blood duo is making a comeback.