The surprise album is Kendrick’s first official release since his chart-topping hit “Not Like Us” pgLang With no warning—and because he can— dropped his new album on Friday afternoon. The record takes its name after the 1987 Buick featured on the album’s cover, the same year Kendrick was born. The rapper behind the biggest song of the year, who may be responsible for the potentially permanent demise of a particular rapper from Toronto, is as detail-oriented as ever on the record, leaving a number easter eggs for fans to dissect in the coming days.
Off the bat, however, is clearly a love letter to Kendrick’s native Los Angeles. The city’s distinct G-Funk infused sound is all over the album, produced by a tight circle of collaborators including Mustard, the architect of the lethal weapon of a diss track “Not Like Us,” as well as , whose crafted some of the biggest pop albums on the planet. Kendrick manages to strike a balance between both sensibilities, making songs with mainstream appeal that maintain a focus on LA’s unique sound There’s plenty to unpack with , including possible responses to commentary around the announcement of Kendrick’s Super Bowl performance, and his ongoing feud with Drake.
We put together seven key takeaways from Kendrick Lamar’s surprise album Earlier this year, Jack Antonoff and Kendrick Lamar tested out their potential as collaborators on the second diss track to arrive in the rapper’s feud with Drake. Antonoff was fresh.