Kendrick Lamar - "GNX" (2024)

At the back end of last year Kendrick surprise dropped GNX, his sixth full LP, and I'm glad I've let it sit with me for a couple of months as it has really grown on me. It follows a massive 2024 for him, where he absolutely decimated Drake in their rap-beef and one of those songs rivalling HUMBLE. as his biggest hit yet. That song being the massive sounding, party banger Not Like Us produced by DJ Mustard. It was the kind of transcendent pop-rap jam that Kendrick rarely explores, as when he does go in a more pop direction, it's usually in the styles relaxed neo-soul beats and contemporary R&B, or straight up trap. 

While in retrospect it makes sense that GNX follows in this direction, at first it kind of took me aback a little. Kendrick's last record, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, was excruciatingly personal, with the narrative of that record basically being about Kendrick overcoming the pressure he feels on him to be some kind of 'black saviour' figure, alongside his past familial trauma, to basically live his life for himself. It seemed like a massive whiplash for him to make what is quite frankly his most mainstream album to date. Similarly, GNX follows on from the Drake beef, with Kendrick at his most self-aggrandising and self-righteous, taking shots left and right at other rappers and rap culture at large. Which again is a massive u-turn on one of Mr. Morale's biggest themes, that of letting go of ones ego.

But the more I let the record sink in, the more it clicked with me. The pressure on Kendrick with each release to make albums that were simultaneously 'grand artistic magnum opuses' and also pop mega smash hits resulted in both DAMN. and MM&TBS being quite inconstant and cohesive releases; with Mr. Morale in particular being quite a tortured and messy album in retrospect. Looking at it from that angle, it's clear that GNX was the only path forward for Kendrick, as no-one (not even Lamar) can keep topping each release with something 'even more' grandiose and culture defining. And anyway, Kendrick deserves to let loose every once in a while. It also helps that these tracks absolutely bang, and at a trim 45 minutes, it's Kendrick's tightest mainline release.

And yes, while it lacks some of the overtly provocative and deeply personal moments and mental genre-bending experiments that initially drew me to Kendrick's music, it's still lyrically dense and meaningful, and has some great beat switch ups and instrumental flourishes. There is a recurring motif featuring mariachi singer Deyra Barrera, neo-soul slow jams featuring SZA (and Kendrick R&B crooning voice is finally getting better after like 3 albums of trying it), hardcore hip hop bangers and a handful of those loose, reflective west-coast hip hop jams that Kendrick never fails to pull off. GNX is also Kendrick at his goofiest and most fun, with a couple of moments becoming meme status.

All in all, by removing himself from the pressure of being 'the most important artist alive' Kendrick has made his most consistently enjoyable LP since To Pimp A Butterfly, and I wouldn't be surprised if it tops DAMN. as his commercial peak in the coming months / years.

Top Tracks: wacced out murals, squabble up, luther, man at the garden, hey now, reincarnated, tv off, peekaboo, heart pt. 6, gloria

8/10

Slowthai - "TYRON" (2021)

 

Slowthai burst onto the scene a couple of years ago with his manic, DIY and punk style of grime and hip hop. He leaned into his background, growing up on the council estates of Northampton, to create this persona of a wild, unpredictable, standoffish kid of the streets; but paired it up with incredibly poignant and powerful socially and politically conscious lyrics. This made his debut record really stand out against the usual grime bluster and posturing. Fast forward two years, where Slowthai got 'cancelled' for being drunk, inappropriate towards the host Katherine Ryan, and starting fights at an awards ceremony; immediately before a global pandemic locked him inside, forcing him to reflect on himself, his persona, and his actions. What results is TYRON, a 35 minute record where Slowthai separates his manic and aggressive, and thoughtful and emotional sides onto two distinct halves.

While I understand the artistic motivations behind this, it does mean the record runs more like two very separate EPs rather than one cohesive listen. The tracks are also short, some so short that they feel like vignettes or motifs rather than a complete song. This mainly affects the first, more aggressive half, which could've done with a bit more depth as the disassociation of Slowthai's emotions leaves this half feeling a bit lightweight, despite how hard hitting and in-your-face it sounds to the ear. This side feels very much like Slowthai playing into his leery-lad character, acting like he owns the place and doesn't care about people's opinions and criticisms. You can tell it's supposed to be a bit tongue in cheek, but there isn't much beyond that for the entire half. CANCELLED is literally about being 'too big to be cancelled'. Both that track and MAZZA have really kinetic and propulsive beats, and Slowthai's performance on both is inflected and charismatic. Skepta's feature on CANCELLED is fairly run of the mill but the beat and Slowthai carry the song. The side as a whole has a punky, trap flair which makes it very listenable despite not every track standing out.

The second half is where the record really shines. Slowthai shows much more of his emotions and vulnerability, against some really lush and detailed instrumentation. i tried opens up this half with a jazzy and low-key beat, which Tyron raps detailed and heavy lyrics dealing with his torn identity adn imposter syndrome, feeling that he's only famous for his manic antics rather than the quality of his work. The intro of the track literally states that 'I tried to die', like he feels that much of an imposter that he's contemplating suicide. Following this is focus, which focuses on the themes of mindfulness and self-improvement. This is backed by a stripped back trap beat and a simple bass riff, giving it a really relaxed vibe.

The record ends on its best run, nhs into feel away, then adhd. nhs is such a bittersweet tune, as Slowthai lists off good and bad opposites in life; reminding us and himself that bad things happen in life, and you've got to acknowledge that or you'll never enjoy the good parts. The track is built on this pitched up vocal loop which also acts as the hook and combined with the lush piano notes makes it sound very sweet and refreshed. feel away is the most overtly soulful song on the record, thanks to James Blake's smooth croon on the hook. The track is revolves around a crumbled relationship, but references to pregnancy and car accidents make it feel far more traumatic and catastrophic. The chopped up, reverb-y piano sample adds to the haunting nature of the song. adhd has a more prominent drum beat, and Slowthai's rapping is much less enigmatic and more monotone, sounding almost defeated. The track is about him growing up with adhd and how people didn't really understand how it affected him or understood him. It's a very downer note for the record to end on, but fits with the record's themes as whole, that Tyron is still working out who he is and how he feels.

Some of TYRON is fantastic, introspective and engaging hip hop; but it still doesn't feel like Slowthai has reached is full potential yet. The distillation and segmentation of his different moods leaves the record feeling a bit choppy; and out of the heavier, more manic tracks, nothing bangs as hard as Doorman or gets as lyrically heavy as Northampton's Child from the first record. I am really looking forward to what he does next, because an entire record similar to the second half of TYRON could be really up my street.

Top Tracks: CANCELLED, MAZZA, i tried, focus, nhs, feel away, adhd

7/10

Run the Jewels - "RTJ4" (2020)

I've known of the hip-hop duo Run the Jewels (comprised of Atlanta rapper, Killer Mike, and New York rapper and Producer, El-P) for a while by their political activism and the critical acclaim that met their previous 3 self-titled records. This is my first time ever listening to them however, and wow I wish I dived in when I first was made aware of them. This record is 40 minutes of intense, charismatic, political hip hop; paired with equally colourful and powerful instrumentals. The record just pops, it commands your attention and will not lose it at all in the whole runtime.

The duo have always made political music, yet the context surrounding the release of RTJ4 brings so much significance to this record, and is why I gave it a listen myself. Following the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers and the ensuing Black Lives Matter protests across the globe, and an emotional and powerful speech by Killer Mike himself, the duo decided to release the album two days early on the 3rd of June, and for free via a download on their website. This record feels like the soundtrack to the moment, like they have captured the zeitgeist, but still stands on it's own as an excellent release outside of the current context.

I think what's really special about this album is not just that the production and beats are imaginative and varied, and the lyrics and flows are technically impressive and strikingly poignant; it's the way they all wind together and interplay off each other. Beat switch-ups and visceral sonic moments are paired with every statement of intent or punchline Killer Mike or EL-P raps, with elements introduced into these songs just for one time to match up with the lyrics at that precise moment and then done away with in favour of something more appropriate for the next mic drop moment. Most of the tracks are fairly short (10 out of the 11 are under 4 mins), and they roll up one after another without a single moment of silence inbetween. It never lets you breathe, almost as if it's telling you to think about it after the record is finished, in it's entirety, not piecemeal track by track.

Despite the serious subject matter, the record is still a very fun listen. The album is very loosely framed by the opening and closing tracks as a sort of 'duo on the run from the cops' TV show, which gives the album a slight sense of separation from reality which aids in making some of the more humorous bars work. The first few tracks focus more as an introduction to Killer Mike and El-P themselves, while still referencing the broader themes of the record. yankee and the brave (ep. 4) opens the album with an introduction to these two characters who are on the run, before ooh la la follows it up with an incredibly catchy woozy piano sample and the earworm-y hook of "ooh la la, are we wee". The flows on this track ebb and flow just like instrumental. It's easily the most chilled out of the tracks, with throwback record scratches closing it out.

As the record moves on, it dives further into the political themes, and by the time goonies vs. E.T. closes out it is fully immersed. Killer Mike's final verse on this track sees him call out the preformative activism of 'woke twitter' and the counter-productiveness of internet tribalism. Following this is the hardest hitting and probably the best track on the album, walking in the snow. Mike and guest Gangsta Boo roll out bar after bar, calling out the treatment of children at the Mexico-US border, how cages aren't built for just one group, institutional racism and police brutality, and the public's general apathy to the injustices of the world. The lyrics "And you so numb you watch the cops choke out a man like me, Until my voice goes from a shriek to a whisper "I can't breathe"" feels like a gut punch considering how George Floyd was killed. This song was written back in November, and yet feels like it could've been last week. It's genuinely moving.

It's one of a few tracks which feature really heavy, grimy guitar samples. ground below samples post punk band Gang of Four, and pulling the pin features guitar work and ethereal, psychedelic backing vocals from Queens Of The Stone Age's Josh Homme. The track also features vocals from Mavis Staples, which gives the track a real sense of weight and urgency. It feels like the internal gut-wrench of an individual who is finally standing up against the injustices facing them and others. The back half of the record really feels oppressive and smothering, as opposed to the bounciness and stomp of the first half. JU$T rages against the systematic oppression of minorities, America's prison-industrial complex, the political elite's links to child sex trafficking and the general public's perpetuation of these systems by their willingness to play along and 'be a slave to the system'. Rage Against The Machine's Zack de la Rocha roars "Look at all these slave masters posing on your dollar" in the most direct chorus on the record.

The final track, a few words for the firing squad (radiation), switches back to the yankee and the brave characters from the start of the record, about to be gunned down police, making their last stand. The track builds and builds until its final moments, where it all comes crashing down in a crescendo of dissonant strings and wailing saxophone before the hidden title theme plays letting you know it is all over (and supposed to be a TV show fantasy, but unfortunately is the reality we live in).

This record is relentless. It is relentlessly fun and listenable, yet relentlessly heavy and profound. This record is 2020, and also can be set apart from the context and still stand on its own. The first thing I did after finishing is pop on Run The Jewels 2 because I just wanted more of this. This record is absolutely fantastic.

Top Tracks: yankee and the brave (ep.4), ooh la la, out of sight, goonies vs. E.T., walking in the snow, JU$T, ground below, pulling the pin, a few words for the firing squad (radiation)

9/10