Kenny weaves through the distorted bounce with a blurry flow, with some help from Ink, Siete and Roddy Ricch. The West Coast tribute fails to break through like some of the other stronger songs on the LP, so it’s forced to blend into the background.

“Peekaboo” is a perfect description that puts Lamar’s career in line. He only comes out of hiding on his own terms to shake up the game and then can go back into hibernation for months without anyone hearing a word, a social media post, a TMZ paparazzi photo or something of him. As Charlamagne Tha God described him, K. Dot is truly the boogeyman of rap or the rap version of WWE legend Undertaker. Was that Kendrick mimicking NBA star Kawhi Leonard’s viral “hey, hey, hey” clip? This man can incorporate almost anything into the flow of a song.

Only Kendrick can turn irrelevant statements like “Hey now, say now” into a menacing chorus. “The Blacks know I just strangled a GOAT in front of me,” he raps in a possible jab at Drake after their fight. The pulsating reverb transitions to traditional Cali bounce and Kendrick opens the floor for an assist from rising LA rapper Dody 6.

Amid the Kendrick-Drake feud, a repeated attempt to blast Lamar for rarely elevating younger artists from Los Angeles. It feels like he made that part of his story intentional GNX. Especially with the title track, he screams about “putting the West Coast back in front.” He then takes a back seat as if he were iconic UCLA head coach John Wooden and lets Young Threat, Peysoh and Hitta J3 take charge of the triumvirate.

“Gloria” serves as Kendrick’s version of Common’s memorable “I Used to Love HER.” In what begins as a love song, Lamar vulnerably talks about the complications and toxicities of his relationship with what appears to be his fiancée Whitney. While she had other suitors on their journey, he also had commitment issues. However, the last line reveals that K. Dot was talking about his love for his pen, with references to writer’s block calming his continued journey to the top of the food chain in this rap game.

A second hat tip to Nas, as Kendrick seemingly interpolates the Queensbridge icon’s 2002 ‘One Mic’. Lamar paints a scenario in which he stands at the gates of heaven in search of eternal life. He builds a case of how his life practices have prepared him for this moment as he gets through trials and tribulations. “I did it with integrity and I’m still trying to be hated. Just wait and see, more blood will be shed, it’s just paint to me,” Kenny promises.

A captivating intro with a Latin touch thanks to Deyra Berrara. Kendrick is balancing an ego boost that comes from his dominant Drake win and spitting his version of a State of the Union. And all while bumping into Anita Baker in his GNX.

Dot struggles with his Lil Wayne fandom while hoping it was his spot at the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show in Weezy’s hometown. He was stunned by the reaction and shouted out Nas for showing him love.

There aren’t many direct references to his Drake feud, but Lamar makes his disappointment in Snoop known after the Doggfather reposted Drizzy’s AI-assisted “Taylore Made Freestyle.” “I prayed it was the edibles. I couldn’t believe it. It was only right that I let it go,” he raps.

An all-star lineup of Jack Antonoff, Sounwave, Cardo and Kamasi Washington are among the cast lending their talents to the lavish production of ‘Luther’ – which is built around a sample of Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn’s ‘If This World Were Mind’.

SZA attends the party for her and Kendrick’s fifth collaboration and their chemistry hasn’t taken a step back as they blend the vocals with ease for a smooth blend of rapping and singing. K. Dot takes away the darkness of the world and gives new meaning to a society without pain and suffering.

Drake tried to mock Kendrick’s “The Heart” series with his own episode in the decorated series that originated in 2010, but as Lamar made a habit of in their feud, Dot flipped the script to improve the score with the real sixth addition to “Heart”. Pt. 6.”

Sounwave and Jack Antonoff create an ethereal soundscape built around a soothing Neptune-produced SWV sample, allowing Kendrick to reminisce about his humble beginnings surrounded by his TDE relatives like Jay Rock and Ab-Soul.

Lamar lets his ego creep in for a moment: “Time flies, I’m having debates about a top five,” he raps. But he also takes responsibility for the failure of his Black Hippy supergroup. “I refreshed my memory knowing that Black Hippy didn’t work because of me. Creatively, I moved on with new concepts at my fingertips,” he candidly admits. It’s another worthy chapter in the books.

Sampling Debbie Deb’s “When I Hear Music” banger, this is one of the most enjoyable productions of the entire project. Initially teased as a snippet tentatively titled “Broccoli” over the summer, fans were happy to hear that the full song lived up to the hype. “Squabble Up” gets the shoulders moving as Kendrick basks in his status as his most brash self. “Tell me why the fuck you rapping if it’s fictional. Tell me why the fuck you’re being fed if you’re a criminal,” he fires at the opposition.

Kendrick shouting “MUSTARD” should be the next little Kendrick-ism to go viral on social media. The meme possibilities are endless and the producer of “Not Like Us” has to at least taste that in the future, right? Mustard told Billboard he considers it a new tag. The beat makes a stark transition from G-Funk Cali bouncing into the realm of “Not Like Us” to triumphant horns as Lamar lets society know how disgusted he is with where things stand. As we’ve seen on many other songs, Kenny has no problem giving vent to his hatred for certain parts of the culture.

Songs at its best. Kendrick’s versatility and lively storytelling make him at his best on ‘Reincarnated’, a sample of 2Pac’s ‘Made N—-z’. Lamar pays tribute to the West Coast deity while reflecting an aggressive flow from Pac. He cinematically joins the minds of a 1940s guitarist (possibly John Lee Hooker or Jackie Wilson) and a 1960s singer on the Chitlin Circuit (Tammi Terrell or Dinah Washington) who struggled with substance abuse and 8- balls used cocaine as medicine. Dot then turns the camera lens on himself for the final poignant verse as he battles his demons as he seeks to rewrite the devil’s story.