LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� gave music listeners an early holiday present Friday with the surprise drop of a new album.
The Grammy winner's 12-track 鈥淕NX鈥� is his first release since and his sixth studio album overall. It also comes just months after his
Lamar first teased the album with a cover art and video snippet of 鈥淕NX,鈥� which features multi-instrumentalist as a co-producer on every track except for 鈥淧eekaboo.鈥� Other notable producers include Sounwave and , who both contributed production on the hit 鈥淣ot Like Us,鈥� the ubiquitous diss track emanating from the Drake feud.
Lamar's former Top Dawg Entertainment labelmate SZA appears on a couple songs including 鈥淕loria鈥� and 鈥淟uther,鈥� which also features sampled vocals from Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn through 鈥淚f This World Were Mine."
On the opening track 鈥淲acced Out Murals,鈥� Lamar raps about cruising in his Buick GNX (Grand National Experimental) car with listening to Anita Baker. He brings up Snoop Dogg posting Drake's AI-assisted 鈥淭aylor Made Freestyle鈥� diss track on social media and Nas congratulating Lamar for being selected to headline in New Orleans.
Lamar also shows admiration for Lil Wayne, who passed over as the headliner in his hometown.
Lamar, 37, has experienced massive success since his debut album 鈥済ood kid, m.A.A.d city鈥� in 2012. Since then, he鈥檚 accumulated 17 Grammy wins and became the first non-classical, non-jazz musician to for his 2017 album 鈥淒AMN.鈥�
The surprise release caps a big year for Lamar, who was featured on the song 鈥淟ike That鈥� with Future and Metro Boomin 鈥� a track that spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 this year.
Lamar is up fueled by 鈥淣ot Like Us,鈥� which earned nods 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: 鈥淟ike That鈥� is up for best rap performance and best rap song, too.
鈥淕NX鈥� track list
1. 鈥淲acced Out Murals鈥�
2. 鈥淪quabble Up鈥�
3. 鈥淟uther鈥� (feat. SZA)
4. 鈥淢an at the Garden鈥�
5. 鈥淗ey Now鈥�
6. 鈥淩eincarnated鈥�
7. 鈥淭V Off鈥�
8. 鈥淒odger Blue鈥�
9. 鈥淧eekaboo鈥�
10. 鈥淗eart Pt. 6鈥�
11. 鈥淕NX鈥�
12. 鈥淕loria鈥� (feat. SZA)
Jonathan Landrum Jr., The Associated Press
