Kendrick extended his year-long reign by dropping his surprise album GNX on November 22. The twelve-track project included smooth jams like “luther” with help from SZA, the newest addition to his “Heart” series, and the song he teased at the beginning of the “Not Like Us” video—”squabble up.”
The song had its own music video drop on November 25—filled with Easter eggs paying homage to L.A.
What hints did Kendrick drop?
Directed by Calmatic, K. Dot showed love to iconic album covers like Ice-T’s Power (hence the gun-holding woman with her cakes out) and Nate Dogg’s G-Funk Classics project. The overall vibe and set-up of the video also reference The Roots’ 1999 music video for The New Movement.
He took a spiritual approach by referencing Issac Hayes’ Black Moses cover art and held up a sign proclaiming that “JESUS SAVES GANGSTERS TOO.”
When it comes to TV and movies, a kid riding on a bike appears as K. Dot and raps, “Don’t hit him, he got kids with him, my apologies.” The child was a reference to the 1993 movie A Menace II Society (which Kendrick has shared he was a fan of back in 2013).
The video also featured the classic Soul Train scramble board, though it hasn’t been confirmed yet what it’s trying to spell out.
While sitting back and reading the book How to Be Like Kendrick For Dummies, signature West Coast mentions like the Trunk Boiz’ “Scraper Bike,” a photo booth featuring the group CUZZOSx5, and signs for the Compton Christmas Parade and the 105 Freeway street sign were on display. He also put the unofficial African-American flag on full display.
With a surprise album and music video being dropped within days of each other, who knows what Kendrick has up his sleeve next? Regardless, fans are sitting on the edges of their seats.
