Kendrick Lamar’s Surprise ‘GNX’ Album Is Named After A Killer Muscle Car
The superstar rapper (and Super Bowl LIX halftime performer) poses with the “Buick Regal from Hell” on the cover of his latest record.
“Ridin’ in my GNX with Anita Baker in the tape deck, that’s gonna be that Sweet Love/Fuck apologies, I wanna see y’all geeked up.” So sounds the first of many references to the Buick Regal Grand National Experimental on Kendrick Lamar’s new surprise album, which is not only named for the classic American muscle car, but features the lyrical technician posing alongside his personal GNX on the cover.
In addition to the above line from the opening track “Wacced Out Murals,” Lamar nods to the rare ride in “Man at the Garden” with the lyric, “VVSs, white diamonds/GNX with the seat back, reclinin” and begins the track “TV Off” with the the proclamation, “All I ever wanted was a black Grand National.” Then there’s the title track “GNX”—a celebration of West Coast hip-hop featuring L.A. artists Peysoh, Hitta J3 and Young Threat.
Lamar’s love for the GNX dates back to his first living moments. In a 2012 interview with Complex, the Compton-bred wordsmith revealed that after his birth in 1987, his father drove him home from the hospital in a Buick Regal, the GNX’s base model. K-Dot’s birth year is also notable, as the GNX was produced for 1987 only as a swan song to the Regal’s Grand National Trim, named for the NASCAR Winston Cup Grand National Series that Buick won in 1981.
The GNX’s performance and rarity destined it for reverence. McLaren Engines helped modify the Regal Grand National’s turbocharged 3.8-liter V6 to produce an official (and underrated) 276 hp and 360 pound-feet of torque. The so-called “Regal From Hell” could hit 60 mph in 4.7 seconds, making it the fastest American production car of the day.
According to GM, only 547 GNX models were built, compared to the 20,193 Grand National Regals produced the same year. Its worth has only increased in recent years, with mint-condition examples now selling for $257,000. That’s nearly a 30 percent jump from its valuation from three years ago, when Kourtney Kardashian bought one for her husband (then-fiancee) Travis Barker. That sparsity is a shame, as the combo of G-Funk-inspired instrumentals and Lamar’s idiosyncratic lyric delivery would undoubtedly sound best from behind the wheel of the album’s namesake vehicle.
Meanwhile, Lamar is set to headline the Super Bowl LIX halftime show on Sunday, February 9—the same day when his hip-hop nemesis Drake kicks off his 2025 tour.
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