Songfacts®:

• "Wacced Out Murals" is the introduction to Kendrick Lamar's GNX album, his first new material since his rap war with Drake. The song is a declaration of intent - a fiery, unapologetic opening salvo that lays bare both the fuel for his creative fire and the targets in his sights.
• The title references an act of vandalism in September 2024, when someone defaced a mural of Lamar in Compton, brazenly spraying "OVO" (a nod to Drake's October's Very Own brand) across his likeness. This wasn't just a random act of graffiti; it felt pointed, especially given the timing - right on the heels of Lamar being announced as the 2025 Super Bowl halftime headliner.
• The GNX album isn't just about Drake - Lamar's crosshairs widen to take in others who've crossed him. Take Lil Wayne, for example. Kendrick reflects on his younger self idolizing Wayne's Tha Carter III but then flips the narrative:
  
  Irony, I think my hard work let Lil Wayne down
  
  The line alludes to Wayne's vocal disappointment over not being selected for the Super Bowl halftime show in his hometown of New Orleans, which stung deeply for the veteran rapper.
  
  Snoop Dogg doesn't escape Kendrick's lyrical ire either. Snoop had posted "Taylor Made Freestyle," Drake's AI-powered diss track featuring the digitally cloned voices of Tupac Shakur and himself - a move Lamar clearly didn't appreciate:
  
  Snoop posted 'Taylor Made,' I prayed it was the edibles
  I couldn't believe it, it was only right for me to let it go
  
  The track, though short-lived (it was swiftly yanked after Tupac's estate threatened legal action), clearly left an impression on Lamar.
  
  Then there's Kendrick's broader critique of the hip-hop old guard:
  
  Quite frankly, plenty artists, but they outdated
  Old-ass flows, tryna convince me that you they favorite
  
  It's a stinging rebuke of veterans stuck in their ways, refusing to evolve. He doesn't name names, but the implication is clear: adapt or risk irrelevance.
• The track's emotional weight is bolstered by regional Mexican singer Deyra Barrera. Her mournful Spanish vocals open the song, setting a somber, introspective tone:
  
  Siento aquí tu presencia
  La noche de anoche
  Y nos ponemos a llorar
  
  Translates as:
  I feel your presence here
  Last night
  And we start to cry
  
  Barrera reappears later in the post-chorus, singing about reflections and shared moments in the night.
  
  The genesis for Deyra Barrera's contribution to "Murals" was her tribute performance for her friend, late baseball legend Fernando Valenzuela at Game One of the World Series. Among the crowd that night was Kendrick Lamar.
  
  Lamar later invited Barrera to his studio. "I had no idea what I was going to record. I make mariachi, not rap," she recalled to Rolling Stone. "They told me they wanted my style, my voice. I couldn't imagine how it would fit into the music."
  
  A few weeks later, to her astonishment, Barrera woke up to a text from a friend announcing that her voice opens "Wacced Out Murals," the intro track of GNX.
• The GNX album was dropped as a surprise release on November 22, 2024. The title nods to the Buick Grand National GNX, a car as rare as it is iconic. With only 547 ever made, the GNX is the sort of vehicle that inspires reverence among car enthusiasts - a six-figure collector's item today. For Kendrick, though, it's personal. Back in March 2024 he posted about buying one because it's the same model his father drove to bring him home from the hospital as a newborn.
  
  He references the vehicle throughout the album, including here, where he raps:
  
  Ridin' in my GNX with Anita Baker in the tape deck, it's gon' be a sweet love
  
  The Anita Baker reference is to her 1986 hit "Sweet Love."
• The production on GNX was primarily handled by longtime Kendrick Lamar beatmaker Sounwave and Jack Antonoff.
  
  Jack Antonoff is known for his work with artists like Taylor Swift, Lorde and Lana Del Rey. He previously co-produced Lamar's diss track "6:16 in LA " and his unreleased song "Watch The Party Die."
  
  Rounding out the production team on "Wacced Out Murals" are Dahi, Frano, Craig Balmoris, Matthew "MTech" Bernard and Tyler Reese.