Kendrick Lamar loves to leave clues. He knows fans will be watching what he says and does a second and third time and creates accordingly. His new album GNX is exactly that. The album shocked much of the internet with its meticulous rhyme scheme and energetic production. However, the car this album is named after is a bit mysterious. Why that car? Well, fans did some digging and seem to have found the answer.
Kendrick Lamar talked about the importance of the 1987 Buick Grand National Regal GNX in a 2012 interview with Complex. The rapper, who was promoting his debut record Good Boy, mAAd city, made a clear reference to the car on the cover of his sixth album. “When I was born,” he explained. “I was driving home from the hospital in an ’87 Buick Regal, and my dad was hitting Big Daddy Kane.” There you go. GNX is an album based largely on Lamar’s eclectic look back and musings on the past, named after a nostalgic relic from his youth.
Kendrick Lamar’s father once owned a 1987 Regal GNX
What makes Kendrick Lamar’s album cover and title even more shocking is that he teased the album again in March. He posted a lengthy tribute to the GNX model on his Burner Instagram account. He waxes poetic about specific car models. “The best thing you can do is find a GNX,” he wrote. The Compton rapper also detailed how much joy the car brings him and how proud he is of keeping it in pristine condition. This makes sense given the emotional connection he has with his models.
Kendrick Lamar has always made cars a part of his image. The aforementioned Goodboy’s deluxe album cover, “mAAd city,” features a van driven by the rapper’s mother. This was the van he used to borrow to get around with his friends. Of course, Drake mocked the van’s image by crushing an accurate model in his “Family Matters” music video. It seemed like a W at the time, but given the overwhelming praise Lamar has received for his new car-centric album, he may have had the last laugh.
About the author
Elias Andrews is the music and entertainment writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH in 2024 as chief night writer, which means he covers new releases every week. In the year since joining, Elias has covered some of the biggest, most tumultuous stories in music. He’s been covering Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s battle on the fly, especially with the release of topics like “Family Matters” and “Meet the Grahams.” He also detailed a list of ongoing allegations and criminal charges against Diddy. Elias’ favorite artists are Andre 3000, MF Doom, pre-808s Kanye West and Tyler, The Creator. He likes L.A. hip-hop, but not L.A. sports teams. The first album he bought was Will Smith’s “Big Willie Style,” which he thinks still sounds great.
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