On Sunday (Dec. 1), it was revealed that Kendrick Lamar’s surprise drop, GNX, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, making it his fifth consecutive chart-topping album. According to Billboard, the Compton emcee’s latest effort is now the sixth-largest opening week of 2024. The hard-hitting body of work also scored the largest streaming week for any R&B and Hip Hop release this year.

Of the 319,000 album-equivalent units the project received, 285,000 were from streaming, while 32,000 units came from traditional sales. Two thousand units fell into the track-equivalent albums category, of which one TEA is equal to 10 purchased song downloads or 1,500 song streams. Outside of the full-length offering, Lamar topped the Billboard Hot 100 twice in 2024 with the scathing Drake diss “Not Like Us” and the equally aggressive “Like That” with Future and Metro Boomin.

GNX followed 2022’s Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, a deeply personal effort that largely focused on Lamar’s journey through family trauma, infidelity, and struggles with fame. The LP, which served as his last with Top Dawg Entertainment, received universal acclaim, along with a wealth of chart placements and sales certifications across the globe.

As REVOLT previously reported, the pgLang frontman will soon appear on the big stage for the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show, which takes place in February 2025. “What’s the deal, everybody?” he began in a trailer promoting the upcoming event. “Will you be pulling up? I hope so. You know it’s only one opportunity to win a championship. No round twos. I wouldn’t want you to miss it. Meet me in New Orleans... Wear your best dressed, too, even if you’re watching from home.”

As heard on the GNX opener “wacced out murals,” Lamar addressed critics of his upcoming performance and a certain Louisiana star that some felt should have been offered the opportunity. “I think my hard work let Lil Wayne down,” he rapped.