Rap superstar Kendrick Lamar surprised fans on Friday with the unannounced release of a 12-track album.

GNX, the performer's sixth studio album, appeared on streaming services without fanfare at midday on the US East Coast (1700 GMT).

The offering from the 37-year-old comes at the end of a year that has seen his music fuelled by a feud with Drake, a spat that produced some of the year's biggest hits.

One of them, Lamar's Not Like Us, grabbed the top spot on Billboard's Hot 100 chart and garnered him a number of Grammy nominations for next year's gala.

GNX is the first album from Lamar since his mega-selling Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers in 2022, which itself came after a five-year wait.

Friday's release is timely for an artiste who will headline the Super Bowl halftime show in February, a coveted showcase that takes place in the middle of the NFL season finale, which is routinely watched by around a third of Americans. – AFP