Kendrick Lamar highly anticipated new album, GNX, dropped unexpectedly on November 22, delivering a mix of innovative tracks and surprise collaborations. As fans eagerly tuned in, they were met with an unexpected voice on the opening track, “wacced out murals”—that of Deyra Barrera, a lesser-known Mexican mariachi singer. Barrera’s rousing introductory verse sets the tone for Lamar’s sixth studio album, which also features her vocals on two additional tracks, creating a unique blend of regional Mexican and hip-hop sounds.
Barrera, who has under 500 monthly listeners on Spotify, is a mariachi musician with a rich background in Mexican music. She rose to prominence as a finalist on the singing competition show La Reina de la Canción in 2017 and has appeared on various other reality TV programs, including La Voz and La Academia. Barrera is also part of the Mariachi Corazon de Mexico group and recently performed at the 2024 World Series in tribute to Mexican baseball legend Fernando Valenzuela, which led Kendrick to discover her.
On GNX, Barrera’s voice appears at the beginning of three standout tracks: “wacced out murals,” “reincarnated,” and “gloria.” Her emotionally charged vocals bookend the album and provide a haunting, poetic backdrop that flows throughout the work. In a deeper exploration, fans may notice that Barrera’s contributions read as one continuous Spanish-language poem split across three parts.
The album also features other Mexican artists, including L.A.-based rapper Peysoh on the title track and the Guatemalan-Mexican-American rapper Lefty Gunplay on “tv off.” Through these collaborations, Kendrick Lamar pays tribute to the often-overlooked Latino influence on hip-hop, reinforcing his long-standing admiration for Latino culture. A tweet from 2012 resurfaces in support of this, where Lamar expressed his love for the Latino community in California, noting their values and culture.
With GNX, Kendrick Lamar continues to break boundaries in both music and cultural recognition, highlighting the vibrant contributions of the Latino community in shaping contemporary hip-hop.