The Grammy winner’s 12-track “GNX” is the rapper’s first release since 2022’s “Mr.” Morel and the Big Steppers” and their sixth studio album overall. This comes just months after his rap battle with Drake.

Lamar first teased the album with the cover art of “GNX”, which features multi-instrumentalist Jack Antonoff as co-producer on every track except “Peekaboo”. Other notable producers include Sounwave and DJ Mustard, who contributed the production of the ubiquitous diss track “Not Like Us” that emerged from the Drake controversy.

Lamar’s former Top Dawg Entertainment labelmate SZA appears on some songs, including “Gloria” and “Luther”, which also samples vocals from Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn, via “If This World Were Mine”.

On the opening track “Wacked Out Murals”, Lamar raps while listening to Anita Baker while driving around in his Buick GNX car. He mentioned Snoop Dogg posting Drake’s AI-assisted “Taylor Made Freestyle” diss track on social media and Nas congratulating Lamar for being selected for February’s Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans.

Lamar also praises Lil Wayne, who expressed his hurt feelings after he was let go as a headliner in his hometown.

Lamar, 37, has enjoyed massive success since his debut album “Good Kid, MAAD City” in 2012. Since then, he has earned 17 Grammy wins and became the first non-classical, non-jazz musician to win the Pulitzer Prize for 2017. Album “Hey.”

The surprise release marks a big year for Lamar, who featured alongside Future and Metro Boomin on the song “Like That” — a track that spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 this year.

Lamar is up for seven Grammys, boosted by “Not Like Us,” which earned awards for record and song of the year, rap song, music video as well as best rap performance. He has two simultaneous entries in the latter category, a career first: “Like That” is also up for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song.

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