What Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's 'GNX' Albums Have in Common

Newsweek

09-05-2025

Both Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar kicked off the year on a high note.
At long last, Bey won the coveted album of the year award at the 67th annual Grammy Awards in February. That same night, Lamar won song of the year and record of the year for his Drake diss track, "Not Like Us." Though these two artists have long put in work and delivered quality albums, these wins proved they are still in their prime. As Bey's Cowboy Carter tour and Lamar's Grand National Tour—which he's coheadlining with SZA—are underway, the artists and fans are seeing the full visions of these respective eras. And as these stories come to life, listeners and viewers are connecting the parallels of Cowboy Carter and GNX.
Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar are pictured.
Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar are pictured.
Photo IllustrationBoth of these albums were born at a time when outside factors disturbed their peace. Shortly before Cowboy Carter's release, Bey wrote on Instagram that her venture into country music was inspired by an experience years prior in which she "did not feel welcomed"—likely referring to the 2016 CMA Awards. In the months leading up to the release of GNX, Lamar was embattled with Drake in a very public rap beef. Through each of these albums, the two boldly lay claim to a landscape that was always theirs, pushing the musical envelope through vivid sonic shapeshifting and vivid storytelling.
Cowboy Carter features country icons like Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton. And the album pays tribute to artists like Linda Martell—the first commercially successful Black female artist in the realm of country music, whose legacy has long gone overlooked in the conversation of country music legends. Bey also took it upon herself to feature other Black country music artists, like Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, and Shaboozey—all of whom were considered up-and-coming at the time of Cowboy Carter's March 2024 release.
In his own right, the Pulitzer-winning Lamar is also a legend, but like Bey, his is not resting on his laurels. GNX boasts the chart-topping SZA collaboration "Luther," but some of the high points of the album come from the collaborations with newer, fresh voices. Songs like "dodger blue" feature LA natives like Siete7x and Wallie the Sensei. "Don't say you hate LA when you don't travel past the 10," Lamar repeats throughout the song, slamming those who disparage his hometown. Lamar is using his platform to spotlight pure hip-hop talent, as opposed to using the culture for his own gain—of which, he accuses Drake of on "Not Like Us" ("No, you not a colleague, you a f**kin' colonizer").
Since the beginning of his career, Lamar has been regarded as a "conscious rapper," often highlighting issues like mental health and socioeconomic inequality. During the Drake feud, the former Degrassi actor released a track called "Family Matters" on which, he accuses Lamar of "always rapping like you 'bout to get the slaves freed." With GNX, Lamar doesn't shy away from his signature poetic bars, he delivers his raps, bass-heavy hip-hop beats, subtly decrying those who claim his music isn't club-ready.
Songs like Cowboy Carter's "YA YA" also highlight how contributions by Black people in country music—and America as a whole—are frequently overlooked. "Whole lotta red in that white and blue / History can't be erased," Bey sings on the song's intro. A press release accompanying the album revealed that Bey's Cowboy Carter character was "inspired by the original Black cowboys of the American West. The word cowboy itself was used in a derogatory way to describe the former slaves as 'boys,' ... destroying the negative connotation, what remains is the strength and resiliency of these men who were the true definition of Western fortitude."
The visuals for the Cowboy Carter tour are riddled with southern imagery, with Bey wearing cowboy hats and denim suits throughout performances, and video clips of her smoking cigars in dive bars playing throughout the concert. The GNX tour pays tribute to neighborhoods like Compton, as graffitied walls, lowriders, and scenes from various streets play in interludes through the duration of the show. In one clip, SZA chides Lamar during a trip to a convenience store when he can't pronounce chamoy, a savory sauce. "Your fans are Mexican!" she exclaims. During the Cowboy Carter tour, a message displays on screen that serves as an overarching message for both the Cowboy Carter and GNX eras—"Never ask permission for something that already belongs to you."
The reign of Lamar and Beyoncé isn't slowing down in the near future, as their albums and tours continue to raise the bar for musical narratives. While their lyrics and melodic arrangements set the scene, their ongoing tours realize their full vision—showcasing the fluidity of their respective genres while paying homage to the places they call home, and to reclaim art forms that have been watered down through the mainstream.
Lord help the next person who ails Bey or Lamar's spirits. Because, as we've seen time-and-time-again, these two will not be taking it sitting down.
Alex Gonzalez is an art and culture journalist based in Dallas, Texas. His work has also appeared in Variety, Billboard, Paste, and The Hollywood Reporter.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.