Compton supernova Kendrick Lamar dropped his sixth studio album without warning on Friday morning. GNX is exciting, kinetic, eminently bumpy and, above all, very Los Angeles.

“Don’t say you hate LA if you don’t travel past 10,‘ he taunts ‘dodger blue’. He hovers over a 2Pac monster (“reincarnated”) and takes us to Watts’ Nickerson Gardens projects (“walked-out murals”). It’s reminiscent of the late Drakeo the Ruler’s flow on ‘hey now’, and the title track’s beat sounds like something ASM Bopster would chop to pieces. The 80-pointers are for Kobe Bryant; the position unites Westchester, Gardena and King/Drew High Schools. There’s mariachi and G-funk in equal measure, and he salutes both Pirus and Kiwes.

Perhaps most notably, he takes us through the folklore of the city’s ruling rap apparatus, Top Dawg Entertainment and its Black Hippy crew. “heart pt. 6” – the authorized version, of course – finds Kendrick admitting that Ab-Soul was the early inspiration for his own pen game, that Jay Rock was the one who opened the door, and that ScHoolboy Q protected his energy as he emerged. .

There are no features listed GNX, but the entire album is littered with guest spots. Besides SZA, they all come from the underground of Los Angeles. There’s local Mexicano singer Deyra Barrera, who appears on three songs, ‘wacced out murals’, ‘reincarnated’ and ‘gloria’. And a collection of rappers who are on the rise or have had their status as fierce underground. rod slings cemented.

For the uninitiated, here’s a guide to all the rapper cameos on Kendrick Lamar’s GNX.

Dody 6

Where they come from: West side of South LA

The sapphire-infused rapper, proudly hailing from the Rollin 1940s, was initially given a seven-year prison sentence into his career. He recorded with an iPhone while in prison, and as soon as he got out, he flooded the streets with vengeance. ‘Section’ with R3 Da Chilliman reflects that transition: it starts behind bars and expands into a full studio mix. Dody raps like he’s in a foxhole, with his chest out and precision.

On ‘hey now’ he salutes back and forth with Kendrick. “WWhat the hell am I looking forward to? I feel like Joker/Harley Quinn in the cut with a blazer,‘ is a scene-stealing moment. Like a point guard leading the break, Dody puts Kendrick in position for the clean finish. It also helps take out “peek-a-boo” on the back half of GNX.

Wallie the Sensei

Where they come from: Compton

Wallie the Sensei from Compton is loved throughout LA County for his rip-roaring hooks. He set the city on fire in 2020 with ‘Scandalous’ – the thumping bass and anthemic chorus were inescapable in LA, even at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. He scored another hit here with ’03 Flow’, a tribute to the then imprisoned 03 Greedo. Wallie provides the hook on “Dodger Blue,” creating a nostalgic tribute to Los Angeles summers. His melodic sensitivity and big, warm vocals are reminiscent of a modern Nate Dogg.

Siete7x

Where they come from: Compton

Another highlight from Compton with a contribution to ‘dodger blue’: Siete deals with auto-tuning croons and poppier blues rap. His delivery is weightless and fluorescent. Like contemporaries RJ Mr. LA and Kalan.FrFr, Siete bridges the gap between the golden vocoder from the Death Row era and the contemporary club sound.

Last month’s “Tell Me What You Know” is a groovy yet soulful loose song, and 2023’s Long live my therapy is his most confident mixtape yet.

AzChike

Where they come from: South Central LA

A Los Angeles celebrity who trades in Too $hort vibes, Az is a trunk-rattler best known for his 2022 album Chike Anders. He appeared on ScHoolboy’s Blue lips earlier this year, and has long-standing pick-and-roll chemistry with South Central teammate Rucci. AzChike has already dropped three full-length projects in 2024, including a collaborative album with elite West Coast producer Low the Great. On ‘peekaboo’ he calls himself ‘Chike E. Cheese’ and stomps along to the album’s most challenging beat work.

Left-handed gunfight

Where they come from: Baldwin Park

Perhaps the most watched man here, the inked Lefty Gunplay is an electric, yet polarizing artist from Baldwin Park. He looks like a generational Latino rapper who will appear out of nowhere in 2023 with “Blvd Babies.” He has since collaborated with Jeremih, Shordie Shordie, Shoreline Mafia’s OHGEEZY and Stinc Team’s Ralfy the Plug. He is smart and clumsy, aggressive and charismatic in his work.

LA rap stars don’t usually come from the San Gabriel Valley. But he has won over a horde of fans with relentless output and unvarnished, often unhinged interviews. Lefty is the one whocrazy, scary, creepy, hilarious‘ energies at the end of ‘TV off’.

Peysoh

Where they come from: Maywood

The 20-year-old Mexican-American artist was locked up this time last year. Consider the first verse on “gnx” his national breakthrough moment. “Do my dance, hit the heel when I see opponents goin’ he snaps. Peysoh rose to fame with Parkside Records, a collective led by him and the late MoneySign Suede. The loose “Life I Live” is grimness distilled. His debut album, 2022’s Ghetto Journalimmediately impressed with the power of the hit ‘Chosen’. And this appearance on “gnx” is meaningful for a music scene that has long sought unity between black and Hispanic.

Hitta J3

Where they come from: Compton

The second verse on that title track is from Hitta J3, a fellow Comptonite who has been in the mix for a minute. Ten years ago he released ‘Do Yo Gutta’, with an official remix featuring Kendrick, Problem and YG. He followed with “All off a Brick,” a lively club hit that will blow out your subwoofer.

Hitta knocks with a steel grater and finds his pockets half a step behind the beat. He has released a dozen music videos in 2024, including an inspired freestyle on “Not Like Us.” He has also been a fierce defender of Kendrick online, standing up for the rapper on X and in interviews.

Next step for Hitta? a collaboration album with Mozzy.

Young threat

Where they come from: West side of South LA

YoungThreat takes the third and final verse on ‘gnx’. Never shy about its “Shady 80s” affiliation, South Central’s livewire took off with 2019’s “Who Gon Slide,” which featured John Wick over a creeping piano loop. He has been on the run since he was released from prison in 2021. One of his latest songs is “Astro H Hat,” one of the most underrated LA rap songs of the year.

Threat delivers his bars on “gnx” with more subdued croaks, and he stands out to level out the busy, heated energy of the posse track. YoungThreat’s power lowers the temperature and darkens rooms.