The GNX Connection: Regina King and Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar had the most dominant year of hip-hop ever in 2024. His scathing disses dismantled any conversations about a big three and ultimately “King Kunta” reclaimed his throne and made sure that everybody knows you can’t have three kings. His rap battle throughout the year, geared him up for arguably the best momentum towards his 6th studio album release, “GNX.” GNX is a 1987 Buick Grand National Experiment. The GNX is a highly decorated car known for its limited availability, performance, and sleek black appearance. The designers of the Buick GNX made comparisons of the vehicle to the appearance of the Star Wars' largest villain, Darth Vader. The correlation with many saying that Kendrick Lamar is in his villain era makes this a bit ironic. Kendrick Lamar recently released his album, GNX, in late November of 2024. While it comes off as a more commercial album, this album strays away from Kendrick Lamar’s traditional albums which usually hold more blatant themes. 1987 is also the year that Kendrick Lamar was born and also when the car was created.
However, Kendrick Lamar isn’t the first West Coast Legend to be associated with the GNX in recent years. In 2019, Regina King starred as the main character ,in the Watchman tv series , as Angela Abar also known as “Sister Night.” Within the first two episodes, you will notice Angela’s choice of car is the 1987 Buick Grand National. Is this a coincidence? To many, yes. However, to me, absolutely not. It’s time to explore the GNX, and the connection between Regina King and Kendrick Lamar.
As mentioned earlier, the 2020 Emmy winning limited series “Watchmen”, is where you will see the GNX first in more recent years. Angela Abar or “Sister Night” car matches her aura and vigilante persona in the tv series. While the series took place in 2019, the car being made in 1987 doesn’t make the car stand out due to updates and technology on newer vehicles. However, the ability to blend in and the black color of the car allow for Angela Abar to be a bit more incognito throughout the night and in her life as a vigilante ex-officer who has to stay incognito so the public doesn’t know her face. Not only is it a crime to be a vigilante but the show scoffs at those with the resources to make change and fight crime while hiding behind a mask (*cough cough* Batman).
Kendrick Lamar may win an album of the year for GNX, as well as record/songs of the year for “Not Like Us” and “Like That”. His “Let the Party Die” feelings towards the music industry have brought conversations about purity of culture and embracing true hip-hop. Kendrick’s love for his craft and culture shine bright throughout his projects and GNX tells more of that story. His song “Reincarnated” exemplifies the connection between King’s character Angela Abar and his own work with themes of cultural ties, past lives, and recollected memories. Kendrick recalls multiple times throughout his song about things that were done in previous lives including the career he’s had. In Watchmen, the grandfather of Angela Abar, has pills that help him recollect his memories. It’s also widely been stated that you are a compilation of your ancestors that came before you. There’s billions of DNA in your blood and being that makes you who you are today. Even how we react to some of the same type of experiences can be traced back. Likely in forms of PTSD (whether post traumatic slave/stress disorders), plays a part in who you’ve become.
Regina King and Kendrick Lamar both have other projects and themes that correlate with each other and it’s not just in the GNX car. Lamar’s “good kid, m.A.A.d city” has overall themes that correlate with murder in mayhem in South Central Los Angeles and has similarities of both movies “Boyz N the Hood” and “Menace to Society.” “Boyz N the Hood” , an Academy Awards nominee film, inspires Lamar’s album through friendship, murder and salvation based on decisions that the main characters decide throughout the stories. The John Singleton inspiration is also noticed in the song title “Poetic Justice” on the same album. “Poetic Justice” being another film that Regina King stars in with one of Lamar’s idols, Tupac Shakur. I find it ironic that King’s character , in the movie Poetic Justice, dates a character named “Chicago.” If you aren’t already familiar with Lamar’s “Damn” album, Lamar references how his father is from Chicago and he later moved to the West Coast (In no way am I saying he’s the person being referenced in Poetic Justice).
Chicago is a city full of black history and black migrants from the Great Migration. While Black people in America have made major impacts on the communities they have relocated to for better opportunities, our main/most dense populations are still in the South. Although we have regionally cultivated our own subcultures in the United States, our main culture of African-Americans/ Black Americans leads us back to the South. While the west coast culture gets overlooked from gangs, car enthusiasts, fashion, film, and music, they are doing an amazing job at keeping the various styles and regional authenticity alive.
So thank you Regina King and Kendrick Lamar for your work, your existence, and your excellence in keeping black culture, regional cultures, and historical contexts alive and well. You are appreciated!
