Here’s Five Things to Expect at Kendrick Lamar’s Juneteenth Concert

Is the culture ready for K-Dot’s hometown victory lap?

June 18, 2024

Epic special guests

While he’s known to throw some curveballs, Kendrick probably called his forthcoming show The Pop Out: Ken & Friends for a reason, and it’s probably got something to do with an array of flashy special guests. For his part, “Not Like Us” producer Mustard has already said he’s pulling up. Given that he landed a No. 1 single by appearing on Future & Metro Boomin’s “Like That,” it’s not too hard to imagine both showing up for the concert. Baby Keem should be a lock. Those are obvious candidates, but there’s no telling who and what Kenny will pull out on his victory lap of an event.

A “Not Like Us” performance for the ages

Barring a sudden change of heart or some sort of behind-the-scenes end of battle arrangement, Kendrick should be performing “Not Like Us” for the first time, and it could become as legendary as 2Pac performing “Hit Em Up” at the House of Blues; imagine ScHoolboy, Jay Rock and Ab-Soul flanking Kendrick onstage like a supercharged version of the Outlaws. It’s the perfect track for a concert closer, but it could also extend the event when the crowd asks for an encore.

He’ll Skip “Meet The Grahams

As dope as it is, don’t be surprised if Kendrick skips “Meet The Grahams” for this particular affair. While it’s an undeniable fire diss track, it’s also an uncomfortable character study with four lengthy verses that might just sap the festive vibes from a Juneteenth night.

A TDE Reunion

Kendrick might have left Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), but loyalty goes deeper than labels. Throughout his Drake beef, folks like TDE founder Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith, ScHoolboy Q and Jay Rock have tweeted in support of Kendrick’s cause, letting the world know just where their allegiance lies. Given that ScHoolboy’s just dropped a new album, and that Jay Rock’s also supposed to drop a new LP soon, they’ve got all the more reason to pull up for Kendrick’s show for a performance, which could also lead to several micro-reunions. Basically, it’s entirely possible that ScHoolboy Q and Kendrick perform “Collard Greens” before Jay Rock takes the stage with Kung Fu Kenny for their “Wow Freestyle.” In an ideal world, they’d all hit the stage to premiere a special TDE mix of “Not Like Us,” but we’d be happy with a reunion — for now.

A Barrage of Hit Singles

With the celebratory nature of Juneteenth and the general idea that he’s coming off an epic rap war victory, folks shouldn’t expect a whole lot of deep cuts or somber introspection from Kendrick. Instead, he will probably perform tracks like “DNA,” “Humble,” “Not Like Us” and more upbeat tracks from Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. This way, he can keep things festive while turning his show into an HBCU-style turn-up.

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