Social Media Is Freaking Out About Kendrick Lamar's Surprise Album: Jack Antonoff, Tupac, SZA and More

Big three legend Kendrick Lamar dropped his surprise album GNX late Thursday evening, setting the entire internet ablaze.

The "Not Like Us" rapper, who is set to headline the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show, dropped no hints that a project was on the way, yet did not hold back on his bite. Lamar only continues the "I'm not sorry" energy he brought to his legendary summer rap beef against fellow rapper Drake, leading to the Canadian artist to indefinitely step out of the scene.

The 12-track surprise album was not without its own unexpected layers, including a heavenly SZA feature, production from Jack Antonoff, and a Lizzie McGuire reference that has the entire internet scratching its head. Social media is still processing the big moment, with one fan tweeting. "Kendrick saw Kamala and Mike Tyson lose back to back and was like ENOUGH, MY PEOPLE NEED A W. THEY NEED ME."

Almost the entire album is produced by Antonoff, most widely known for his work with pop stars like Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter. Many were caught off guard by his versatility, with GNX consisting of trap and West Coast hip hop sound. "Jack Antonoff put down the high school loser heartbreak tracks to make west coast gang affiliated music. I respect it," tweeted one user.

Social media also expressed a warm reaction to SZA popping up on "luther" and "gloria," adding to the many collaborations the TDE members have done together. Fans speculate that this may hint at SZA joining Lamar on the Superbowl stage come February.

A cleverly placed Tupac sample on "reincarnated" also left fans in a stir, with one fan observing, "I feel that it gives us a snapshot of what modern Pac would sound like. Tupac was a generational innovator there's a reason every rapper models after him." This was a clever retaliation at Drake, who utilized an AI Tupac sample to diss Lamar.

As fans continue to dissect the album, identifying any potential sneak disses (the opening track features a questionable Lil Wayne reference, who expressed disappointment over not getting chosen as the Super Bowl Halftime Show performer himself) and choose their favorites, there is no doubt left that this is Lamar's most historical year in hip-hop.

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Kendrick Lamar, SZA