Kendrick Lamar is making history. The Compton resident has now smashed two huge Billboard records off the back of the surprise release of his sixth studio album “GNX,” cementing his reputation as one of the most powerful men in modern hip-hop. Kendrick flipped the industry on its head after he dropped GNX without warning this past November. It started as a stunner, and it has become a juggernaut of success. Seven months later, GNX rests atop the charts, making it the No. 1 album for the longest in Billboard’s Top Rap Albums chart. That’s historic.
But Kendrick didn’t stop there. A highlight from GNX, the stirring team-up “Luther” with SZA, has also left its mark on the history books. The song is now the longest-running No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart, a testament to its enduring popularity and the chemistry between Kendrick and SZA. More than a fan favorite, “Luther,” with its eerie melodies and introspective verses, is a cultural moment.
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This latest treasure only provides more fuel to Kendrick’s 2025 record-breaking season. He picked up five Grammy Awards earlier this year, mainly on the strength of his searing Drake diss, “Not Like Us.” And the track seized global headlines and conversations. Days after the Grammys, Kendrick doubled down on his legacy with an incendiary set at the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show in New Orleans, a reminder that he’s a force of nature.
Add a barnstormer of a tour with SZA that has been selling out arenas across North America, and Kendrick’s momentum right now feels unstoppable. No one can marry the underground and the mainstream as seamlessly and deftly as he has been able to do, and the results of that have given fans a golden period they may someday look back on as the zenith of his career. As GNX and “Luther” poke holes in the envelope, one thing is sure: Kendrick Lamar is creating the tide.
