Kendrick Lamar Explains Why "Man At The Garden" Was Surprisingly The "Easiest" To Write On ‘GNX’
BY Malcolm Trapp / 2.7.2025
Kendrick Lamar revealed the easiest song to write from GNX, and it was surprisingly not the two-part “tv off” or the name-drop-laden “wacced out murals.” On Friday (Feb. 7), the Compton rapper cruised around in his 1987 Buick GNX with Timothée Chalamet, where he shared “man at the garden” was actually the most natural to translate into words.
In a 3 ½-minute video shared ahead of the Super Bowl LIX halftime show, Lamar explained, “With my projects, [there will] always be that one record ... that I want everyone to hear, in order to push the narrative or just the message and tone that I want to get across. I can have so many other records that have different narratives and tones, you know, like reflection, right?”
He went on to say, “To reserve a space for that one that I want everyone to hear, that’s what pushes me. That’s why I like ‘man at the garden.’ Even the fact that it’s at the top of the record.”
Of all the tracks on GNX, “man at the garden” might be the least popular, given that it lacked the jabs and sly references that fueled much of the Pulitzer Prize winner’s 2024 run. Instead, Lamar took a moment to reflect on why he “deserves it all,” from respect and accolades to more money and freedom.
“I mean that s**t, bro. ‘man at the garden,’ I mean every word on that motherf**ker, man. That’s probably the easiest record to write,” he concluded. Peep the full clip below.
The days leading up to Sunday’s (Feb. 9) Super Bowl LIX have been the most we’ve heard from Lamar in a while — granted, the year is only two months in. The DAMN. artist had plenty to say at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, where he took home five trophies for “Not Like Us,” and on Thursday (Feb. 6), he sat down with Apple Music to discuss his upcoming performance.