Kendrick Lamar had a week that captured two very different sides of what it means to be one of the most celebrated artists in the world: a tearful reunion with a seventh-grade science teacher back in Compton, and a mysterious disappearance of his Grammy-winning album from major streaming platforms.
The reunion happened first.
A 7th grade teacher who almost missed the moment
On May 7, Lamar returned to Centennial High School in Compton, California, for the groundbreaking ceremony of a $270 million campus rebuild. The event brought fellow Compton alumni Dr. Dre and will.i.am back to the community and represented one of the largest investments in local education in recent memory.
Nicole Findley-Miller, who taught Lamar science in the seventh grade, was also there, though she nearly did not attend. She had doubts about showing up, uncertain whether he would remember her after so many years. Her daughter stepped in and told her with quiet confidence to just go, that Kendrick would know exactly who she was. The daughter was right.
When Lamar spotted his former teacher in the crowd, he moved toward her immediately and held her in a long, genuine embrace. Video of the moment spread widely on social media, drawing warmth from viewers who recognized the authenticity of a reunion years in the making. The moment was clearly unrehearsed, which is precisely why it landed so powerfully.
The $270 million project at Centennial High reflects a broader investment in Compton’s future shared by Lamar, Dr. Dre, will.i.am, and others who built their careers there. For young people in the community, the event delivered a tangible reminder that success does not have to mean leaving behind the people and places that shaped you.
GNX disappears from streaming platforms
Just days later, a very different kind of story broke. By May 11, Lamar’s 2024 album GNX had gone dark on Apple Music, TIDAL, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music. The official music videos for Not Like Us and his collaboration with SZA, luther, were also temporarily removed from his YouTube channel under a notice indicating the uploader, not a third party, had initiated the takedown. The luther video eventually returned, though the album remained unavailable across several platforms.
Neither Lamar, his creative agency pgLang, nor Interscope Records issued any explanation. Industry observers noted that simultaneous removals across multiple platforms typically reflect distributor-level decisions or licensing changes rather than isolated technical problems. The timing added a layer of speculation: Drake’s ninth studio album, Iceman, was scheduled for release on May 15, and the two artists remain tangled in ongoing legal proceedings.
Drake filed a legal appeal in January 2026 following an October 2025 district court ruling that Lamar’s diss tracks constituted protected artistic expression, effectively dismissing a defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group.
What GNX has meant for Lamar’s career
The temporary disappearance of GNX carried particular weight given what the album represents. Released without advance notice in November 2024, it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Squabble Up and luther both reached No. 1 on the Hot 100. At the 68th Grammy Awards, GNX earned eight nominations and won four, including Best Rap Album, while luther took home Record of the Year. Those wins pushed Lamar to 27 Grammy wins total, making him the most decorated rapper in Grammy history.
The album’s commercial reach has also extended beyond streaming. The Grand National Tour with SZA became the highest-grossing co-headlining tour ever recorded, and Lamar recently became the first rapper to surpass 100 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Whatever is behind the platform removal, it arrived for an artist at the peak of his commercial and cultural reach.