Kendrick Lamar Commands Home Crowd as SZA Brings Out Lizzo for Surprise Duet During the First Night of L.A. Tour Stop

by

At his initial L.A. concert on the Grand National Tour, Kendrick Lamar underscored the truth in his lyrics “Eff the big three, it’s just me.” On this occasion, he didn’t require any local legends to join him at SoFi Stadium. Instead, he ruled the stage solo, save for a modest troupe of backup dancers and occasional duets with fellow headliner SZA.

Kendrick Lamar kicked off his performance by appearing on stage in his signature black 1987 Buick GNX, rapping the opening track from his newest album, which shares its name with the car. Next, he performed another popular song, “squabble up.” After that, he took a musical journey back to 2017 with the song “ELEMENT” and then to 2015 with “King Kunta.” Finally, he returned to the present day with “tv off.

Following those four performances, SZA, a long-term collaborator, had her debut moment demonstrating why she’s a joint headliner with the Pulitzer Prize winner. On “30 for 30” from the deluxe version of SZA’s 2022 sophomore album, SOS, which is due in 2024 as LANA, she and the artist went verse-for-verse. Later in the concert, they also sang “Doves in the Wind” from Ctrl, the Academy Award-nominated Black Panther anthem “All the Stars,” and “Luther” and “Gloria” together from GNX.

As I took center stage, my latest project’s buggy vibe was alive and pulsing around me, transforming the space into my own enchanted realm. On “Garden (Say It Like Dat),” two dancers moved captivatingly as giant green grasshoppers, setting the tone before I hopped onto Anthony, an enormous animatronic black ant that served as a mechanical bull for “Kitchen.” A poignant moment echoing the theme unfolded after singing my Grammy-winning single “Snooze,” when I emerged with wings and a chrysalis-inspired skirt for “Crybaby,” symbolizing my impending transformation. Midway through “Crybaby,” I was lifted into the air, shedding my costume pieces as I floated above the stage, a fairy-like butterfly in full bloom. To top it all off, I invited my bestie Lizzo onstage to join me for our remix of “Special.

Without missing a beat, Kendrick Lamar seized every chance to reinforce his magnetic stage persona and skillful cinematography during the 2024 Juneteenth concert, Ken & Friends – Pop Out and Superbowl performance in New Orleans earlier this year. Rapid camera angles and explosive bursts from the stage kept the crowd pumped during Kendrick’s rowdiest tracks, such as “peekaboo,” “mA.A.d city,” “DNA,” and a second rendition of “tv off,” where Kendrick, in the show’s finale, shouted his DJ’s name, “Mustaaaaard.” True to form, DJ Mustard, who warms up for SZA and Kendrick on tour, made an appearance on stage when called.

Kendrick Lamar primarily expressed himself through his music, except for a brief instance when he called out various Los Angeles neighborhoods, exclaiming, “We’ve traveled the globe and returned, we were on the East Coast, we spent some time in the South, but let me tell you, I couldn’t wait any longer to return home, do you understand?

In this case, Kendrick claimed victory in his lengthy rivalry with Drake, referencing the Canadian rapper only once in his performance of “Not Like Us”. Instead of performing five times like at the Pop Out, he performed against a Black history collage by artist Lauren Halsey. Additionally, Kendrick rapped on “Like That”, a track with Future and Metro Boomin, where he made the “big three” reference that sparked his feud with Drake and other rappers in the industry. He also responded to Drake’s diss tracks “Push Ups” and “Taylor Made Freestyle” with “Euphoria”. Furthermore, during his performance, Kendrick added a new verse to their shared song “family ties”, which they perform together with fellow L.A. rapper and cousin Baby Keem.

I’ve been on cloud nine for a month now, following the incredible Grand National Tour kickoff in Minneapolis on April 19th. As reported by Touring Data, the mind-blowing show at Lumen Field in Seattle on May 17th brought in an astounding $14.8 million, making Kendrick Lamar the first rapper ever to rake in over $14 million from a single performance!

Now, SZA and I are preparing for two more electrifying dates in Los Angeles on May 23rd and 24th at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA. After that, we’re off to Glendale, CA, on May 27th. The international leg of our GNX Tour will commence on June 12th in Toronto, Canada, with the tour wrapping up in the musical city of Stockholm, Sweden on August 9th. This journey is just getting started!

Read More

2025-05-22 19:24