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It's been almost five days since Kendrick Lamar's GNX was delivered to streaming platforms on Friday via pgLang, under an exclusive license to Interscope Records.
With fans getting enough time to run through GNX multiple times, in an attempt to dissect the 12-record LP, the album has generated hundreds of thousands of impressions on lyric platforms like Genius.
This reportedly resulted in every song from Kendrick's sixth studio album occupying the first 12 spots across major streaming platforms like Apple Music and Spotify.
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Popular charts from Billboard, like the Hot 100 and 200, will be updated this Thursday, with many predicting GNX to debut on top of the publication's album charts. Tyler, the Creator will potentially mark his fourth week at No. 1, for his recently released Chromakopia album.
Multiple songs from Kendrick Lamar's GNX are expected to debut at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100, with records like squabble up and wacced out murals generating a lot of attention online over their impressive playback value.
Media outlets on X (formerly Twitter) uploaded screenshots of Kendrick Lamar's GNX occupying the first 12 spots on Apple Music and Spotify, resulting in a flood of fan support and praise.
One fan was seen highlighting how although the project was surprise-dropped, without a rollout, K-Dot still managed to "own the charts".
Similar reactions followed from fans sharing their support over the release of Kendrick's sixth studio album.
"Kendrick Lamar is too good.. I’ve been spinning the album and every listen feels brand new," a fan claimed.
"Kendrick really outdid himself with this one! 74 million streams in just two days? The king is back," another added.
"Well deserved its a good album, And its cool because no skips , and its colored TPAB as well as DAMN in reverse, and so the black and white theme not only relates to the first Kdot album, But it shows his black and white albums are his goats ones too," a fan praised Kendrick's discography.
"People are also forgetting Kendrick is an independent artist he only signed a publishing deal with universal. Doing such numbers independent is crazy. PGLang up now," a fan praised Kendrick Lamar.
Several individuals were seen bringing up the 2024 rap beef, citing a supposed difference in commercial appeal for Kendrick Lamar against his OVO rival Drake.
"Squabble up is also predicted to go number #1 on billboard while Drake has went 0/18 since he lost to Kendrick. It's crazy to see the affects of a rap battle especially for the losing side," a user claimed.
"He should be thanking Drake for the controversy. Even J Cole knew it lol. Without it he’s nowhere near this level," a Drake fan added.
"Drake's influence is unmatched, Kendrick is good but the beef and hate people have against Drake made people interested in his music," another fan explained.
All samples used on Kendrick Lamar’s sixth studio album ‘GNX’
Kendrick Lamar's GNX was composed as a love letter to Los Angeles, Compton, and the hip-hop music industry as a whole.
While several records are abstract and highly conceptual, K-Dot's production team, led by Sounwave, DJ Mustard, Jack Antonoff, and Kamasi Washington, delivered an exceptional production on GNX.
Several popular records from artists like Debbie Deb and Tupac were used as licensed samples when creating the record, perfectly chopped in ways to accentuate GNX's listening experience.
Below is a complete list of samples that were used in producing Kendrick Lamar's sixth studio album.
1) When I Hear Music (1983)
On squabble up, Kendrick's West Coast party anthem co-produced by Sounwave and Jack Antonoff, listeners are introduced to a sample chop of Debbie Deb's 1983 hit record When I Hear Music.
The sample can be heard in the opening verse, with Debbie's vocals being heard delivering lines like:
"When I hear music, it makes me dance / You got the music, now is your chance"
2) If This World Were Mine - Cover (1982)
On his fifth career collaboration with SZA on track 3, luther, Lamar's production team chops Cheryl Lynn and Luther Vandross‘ 1982 cover of If This World Were Mine.
The original record was included on Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s 1967 collaborative album United. Cheryl and Luther's cover can be heard introducing luther, before Kendrick delivers the opening verse, on lines like:
"If this world were mine"
3) Made N****z (1996)
In one of the most abstract records on GNX, titled reincarnated, Kendrick metaphorically explains his intention to carry the legacy of artists that came before him.
Fans were surprised when the record's production was driven by a sample chop of Tupac's 1996 record Made N****z (feat. Outlawz). This seemingly acts as a homage to the West Coast legend, who Lamar has claimed to be a major inspiration throughout his career.
The haunting bell loops, built over the memorable drum sequences and electric guitar plucks, build a perfect atmosphere for Kendrick Lamar's aggressive vocal performance, with the rapper delivering lines like:
"My present life is Kendrick Lamar / A rapper looking at the lyrics to keep you in awe / The only factor I respected was raisin' the bar / My instincts sent material straight to the charts, huh / My father kicked me out the house, I finally forgive him / I'm old enough to understand the way I was livin"
Given this sample was legally licensed, is being alleged as another diss against Drake, who in the initial stages of their beef decided to use AI to augment his voice into Tupac's on a record titled Taylor Made Freestyle.
The late rapper's estate was quick to move against the song, which was eventually deleted from social media platforms.
4) MacArthur Park (1968) and The Black Hole - Overture (1979)
On his reunion with DJ Mustard, who produced the No. 1 hit Not Like Us, Kendrick Lamar delivers a record titled tv off.
Opening as the seventh track on GNX, the West Coast infused hip-hop record is split into two parts. "Part 1" opens with a sample chop of Monk Higgins' 1968 record MacArthur Park, which carries till halfway through when the production switches up to a more menacing instrumental.
The blaring trumpets introduced in "Part 2" samples John Barry's 1979 soundtrack for the movie The Black Hole, taken from the record titled Overture. Both these samples do a lot to help build the foundation on which Kendrick tackles themes like accountability, survival, false loyalties, and more.
5) Give a Helping Hand (1972)
On peekaboo, Kendrick Lamar delivers a bouncy hip-hop record whose production seemingly draws its sample from Little Beaver's 1972 record Give a Helping Hand.
The chop is sped up and immediately leads into the Sounwave-produced hip-hop banger, which also features rapper AzChike. The sample can be heard at the start of the record, with lines like:
"Give a helping hand / To your fellow men, oh, my"
6) Use Your Heart (1996)
On Kendrick Lamar's reclaimed "Heart series," the Compton native introduces fans to a record titled heart pt. 6, where he reminisces on his early days, rise to stardom, and relationships with TDE, Black Hippy, Dave Free, and more.
"My n---a Dave had a champagne Acura / A bunch of instrumentals I freestyled in the passenger / That n---a wore several hats, a producer, a manager, director, and DJ / A hothead squabblin', Bloods, Pirus, and Keeways / For this little thing of ours we called TDE" - Kendrick Lamar raps on 'heart pt. 6'.
The production on heart pt. 6 is emotionally constructed to allow for Kendrick's deeper lyricism to shine, with Dot's team sampling SWV's 1996 record Use Your Heart.
The R&B cut was sped up and used throughout the runtime of this record, most notably appearing on the song's hook:
"Use your heart and not your eyes (Baby, just relax your mind) / If you got time and I got time (Yeah, yeah) / Free your thoughts and watch them fly / Use your heart and not your eyes (Mm-hmm)"
While the samples on this album carried the production and elevated the listening experience, a notable moment on GNX was seen on the track titled hey now (feat. Dody6).
On hey now, Kendrick and Dody reinterpolate lyrics and reference vocals from records like Scotty's 2005 single D4L, Traditional Folk's iconic introduction on 1815's Eenie, Meenie, Miny, Moe, and 21 Savage's verse on 2018's No More.
