Kendrick Lamar performs onstage during The Pop Out – Ken & Friends Presented by pgLang and Free Lunch at The Kia Forum on June 19, 2024 in Inglewood, California.
Photo by Timothy Norris/Getty Images for pgLang, Amazon Music, & Free Lunch.
You don’t need the benefit of hindsight to realize Kendrick Lamar’s Juneteenth performance was legendary. Unfolding in front of around 18,000 people at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum, The Pop Out: Ken & Friends saw K-Dot unite stars of the past and present for a live concert that played out as the most wholesome fan service imaginable. A lot happened over the six or seven hours DJ Hed, Mustard and Kendrick himself held down the stage, but today, we’re going to look at the five best moments. Check out the breakdown below.
Kendrick opening up with “Euphoria”
Kendrick Lamar performs onstage during The Pop Out – Ken & Friends Presented by pgLang and Free Lunch at The Kia Forum on June 19, 2024 in Inglewood, California.
Photo by Timothy Norris/Getty Images for pgLang, Amazon Music, & Free Lunch.
If the Pop Out was a carefully executed attack, “Euphoria” was the moment Kendrick pounced on his prey. Bouncing across the Forum stage, Kung Fu Kenny wasted no time diving into the ferocious Drizzy diss, serving up ruthless rhymes with all the diction and tenacity of the original recording. With the pummeling instrumental and Kendrick’s frenzied flow, it was a perfectly electric way to begin the show, one that was destined to be called legendary before it even ended.
Mustard’s Whole Set
While much was made about the Pop Out being a victory lap for Kendrick — and make no mistake, it was — Mustard was with Kendrick stride for stride, and he proved it with his own set at the show. Over the course of about 30 minutes, the “Not Like Us” producer reminded the world he helped craft plenty of other masterpieces, too, bringing the likes of Roddy Ricch, YG, and Ty Dolla $ign to perform some of their biggest collaborations. Just as impressively, he put the spotlight on underrated names OhGeesy, G Perico, RJMrLa, Jay Worthy, Westside Boogie before bringing out the likes of Tyler, The Creator and Steve Lacey. Covering the underground and the mainstream of the mainstream, it was a comprehensive snapshot of Cali hip-hop at its best.
Black Hippy Reunion
Look: we’re never getting that Black Hippy album. Really, any hopes of that should have vanished years ago; Beyoncé isn’t rejoining Destiny’s Child, either. But, for the briefest of moments — about 12 minutes — Kendrick indulged us all with a brief TDE reunion, serving up an electric group performance that encompassed their pantheon collaborations. For his part, Jay Rock joined Kendrick to perform “Money Trees” and “King’s Dead.” Meanwhile, ScHoolboy Q pulled up to let loose a live rendition of “Collard Greens” and “That Part.” Ab-Soul murmured the intro for K-Dot’s “6:16 in LA,” and collectively, they all danced alongside Kendrick as he performed “King Kunta.”
"Not Like Us" (times five)
Kendrick Lamar and Dr. Dre perform onstage during The Pop Out – Ken & Friends Presented by pgLang and Free Lunch at The Kia Forum on June 19, 2024 in Inglewood, California.
Photo by Timothy Norris/Getty Images for pgLang, Amazon Music, & Free Lunch.
Considering that the track is the biggest rap song of the year, it was always clear that Kendrick was going to perform “Not Like Us” last. And it was also inevitable that he performed it more than once. But, by the end of the night, Kendrick had performed it five different times. After taking the stage with Dr. Dre (who whispered the “I see dead people” before Kendrick performed the track) so he could perform “Still Dre,” Kendrick launched into his most energetic mood, twirling his arms and bobbing his head at a pace that matched his quickfire bars. The more times Kenny performed the track, the more epic the spectacle became, with many of the Cali rappers that previously several other celebs pulling up in an engrossing showcase for unity.
Kendrick’s Legendary Squad Pic!
When Kendrick rapped, “Sometimes you gotta pop out and show niggas,” it was quite natural to interpret the bar as typical rapper machismo, but showing out can mean much more than personal level ups. In the case of Ken and Friends, it meant an exhibition for harmony. Toward the end of his final “Not Like Us” performances, Kendrick had everyone from G Perico to Jay Rock dancing onstage in a moment that unified folks from across the Sunshine State, a locale famously known for endlessly intricate gang politics. Kendrick acknowledged the moment as himself and everyone else onstage posed for a soon-to-be-legendary picture. A concert that included some of the most talented artists California has to offer, peaceful coexistence was the biggest flex.
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