In his first stay efficiency since his beef with Drake, Kendrick Lamar took the stage in Los Angeles on Juneteenth in a historic, electrifying night stuffed with particular visitors, exhilarated followers, and continued jabs at his arch-rival.
The one-off live performance titled The Pop Out — Ken and Mates, offered by pgLang and Free Lunch was jam-packed with an extended line-up of artists, largely from L.A. and California, who carried out in Lamar’s hometown on the Kia Discussion board. From prime to backside, the complete occasion was a love letter to West Coast hip-hop tradition, together with a particular look from Dr. Dre himself.
Earlier than the doorways even opened for the extremely anticipated present, the gang was stimulated and interested by what was to come back for the remainder of the night. Strains began forming across the venue on Wednesday morning, with individuals wearing their very own personally designed merch.
The Pop Out, a nod to a lyric from Lamar’s hit single and diss observe “Not Like Us,” offered out virtually instantly when tickets went on sale, an indicator that followers have been greater than hyped to witness Lamar on stage following his heightened sparring match with Drake. For individuals who weren’t fortunate sufficient to snag tickets to the precise occasion, the live performance additionally live-streamed on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch.
After spending over $1,500 on a pair of tickets, a father and son duo Damien and Dominic Camarena who’re each born and raised in Los Angeles stood in a line exterior of The Discussion board beginning at 10:30 within the morning to see Lamar carry out. Standing within the mid-afternoon warmth earlier than the doorways opened, Dominic gushed, “I used to be actually younger after I bought placed on to Kendrick. I used to be about 9 years outdated, so simply being right here with my dad is de facto particular as a result of I bought placed on by him.”
It was already a celebration exterior of The Discussion board previous to the live performance; whereas individuals have been ready round, they have been in a position to hip up a number of merch stands, photograph ops, and meals and beverage stations. There was even a voter registration station, courtesy of HeadCount, encouraging concertgoers to verify they’re all set to vote in November.
As soon as the lights went down near 4:30 pm PT, DJ Hed kicked off the night by introducing the gang to a slew of West Coast artists who every graced the stage for about one or two songs every. From Remble, Ray Vaughn, and Cuzzos, to Westside Boogie, Zoe Osama, Bino Rideaux, Ohgeesy, and Jason Martin, The Pop Out commenced with practically a dozen artists who all stem from California roots, setting the vibe for the remainder of the evening.
Hitmaker and L.A. native DJ Mustard, who produced the beat behind Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” delivered a set of his well-liked songs and likewise introduced out iconic artists like Dom Kennedy, Tyler the Creator, YG, Ty Dolla $ign, Blxst, and Roddy Wealthy. To not point out, Mustard performed a trio of Nipsey Hussle tracks in honor of the late L.A. rapper and impressed everybody to boost their telephones and switch their digicam lights on.
In anticipation of Lamar’s look, followers chanted “Kendrick” and “OV-ho” all through the sold-out area with out being prompted. Because the rapper rose from the underside of the stage, the viewers was exhilarated that his first music of selection was “Euphoria,” setting off an vitality that reverberated all through the complete Discussion board. Lamar delivered a choice of his traditional hits — together with “Loyalty,” “ELEMENT,” “Alright,” and “Swimming Swimming pools” — and was additionally joined on stage by collaborators Jay Rock, Ab-Soul, and none apart from Dr. Dre.
“This shit we’ve happening tonight is larger than me,” Lamar instructed the gang.
To cap off the evening, Lamar carried out his viral hit “Not Like Us,” a complete of 5 occasions. The group exploded with enthusiasm when the beat dropped and Dr. Dre whispered, “I see useless individuals,” introducing Lamar’s first stay efficiency of what’s arguably the music of the summer time (if you happen to speak to anybody who listens to hip hop). “Y’all ain’t gonna let no person disrespect the West Coast, huh?” Lamar requested his loyal listeners, with every efficiency of the music rising in fervor. 5 occasions wasn’t sufficient for the gang who was entranced with Lamar’s each phrase, having already memorized the lyrics to the primary charting diss observe.
Interrupting followers reciting the lyrics to “Not Like Us,” Lamar introduced out the handfuls of artists who confirmed as much as The Pop Out so they may all share the stage and rejoice collectively. Gathering for a ultimate photograph of the evening, Lamar stated, “Allow them to see this. We put this along with peace.”
As if Lamar hadn’t already solidified his place as winner of the rap beef, Wednesday evening’s present served as a victory lap.