Kendrick Lamar's The Pop Out: Ken & Friends concert was an epic victory lap full of nostalgia and the best kind of pettiness
There shouldn’t have been any doubt about who won this generation’s greatest rap beef after Kendrick Lamar dropped Not Like Us to unofficially bring his war of words with Drake to an emphatic end with a chart-topping song that continues to dominate the summer airwaves.
However, if there was any remaining sliver of belief Drake made out OK, Lamar extinguished it with one incredible night of performances Wednesday at the Kia Forum for The Pop Out: Ken & Friends concert. It was a show so good I wouldn’t have believed the hype this morning had I not stayed up to watch it myself on the surprisingly crispy Amazon Prime Video stream.
The four-hour concert was more than a victory lap, though. Sure, Lamar used his set to hammer home the point he won, performing Not Like Us five (FIVE!) straight times to close the show, in addition to doing Euphoria and Like That. But it was also a night of nostalgia, unity and just all around good vibes.
It opened with performances from other West Coast artists before transitioning into a set by DJ Mustard, with performances from Tyler the Creator, YG and Dom Kennedy, among so many more. Then K. Dot finally did his thing and a good night got even better.
These were the best moments from Kendrick Lamar’s finale.
Opened with Euphoria (with new lyrics)
Kendrick Lamar's full Euphoria performance at The Pop Out show #ThePopOut pic.twitter.com/easvNq7kh7
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod (@big_business_) June 20, 2024
It didn’t take long for us to learn what type of time Lamar was on, because he opened his set with what is still in my opinion the best song to come from his beef with Drake. To my knowledge this was the first time Lamar ever performed Euphoria, or any of the disses for that matter.
The energy in the arena was palpable through the screen. And not only did Lamar do the whole six-plus minute hookless song in its entirety, he added new lyrics: “Give me Tupac’s ring back and I might give you a little respect.”
Kendrick Lamar adds new lyrics to Euphoria as he opens at The Pop Out: Ken & Friends
“Give me Tupac’s ring back and I might give you a little respect” pic.twitter.com/xPn9SwDdmX
— Long Live Da Don (@tupac4everr) June 20, 2024
Black Hippy reunion and a Money Trees performance
After taking us on a journey backwards through his catalog, from DAMN. to To Pimp a Butterfly to good kid, m.A.A.d city, Lamar landed on his 2012 hit Money Trees, which set the stage for Jay Rock to perform his popular verse before diving into some of his other hits.
Kendrick brought out Jay Rock for Money Trees bruh. I’m in 2012 again.
TEARS IN MY EYES. pic.twitter.com/NN790s3oi7
— Big Boss (@LordBalvin) June 20, 2024
But that was just the start of what turned into a nostalgic reunion of TDE’s Black Hippy, with Ab-Soul and Schoolboy Q eventually joining Lamar and Rock. And of course Q had to do some of his hits too.
This meant something to some of us!
Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, Jay Rock and Schoolboy Q on stage together at #ThePopOut show
A MOMENT BLACK HIPPY TOGETHER pic.twitter.com/eXPWbjJSlv
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod (@big_business_) June 20, 2024
The Like That verse
KENDRICK LAMAR
LIKE THATKENDRICK LAMAR’S
POP OUT CONCERTLIVE AT THE FORUM pic.twitter.com/qxw4RMRhYz
— NFR Podcast (@nfr_podcast) June 20, 2024
This was the song that kicked off the “big three” beef, so it was a big moment to see Lamar perform his verse. And it hit just as hard in concert as it did the first time we all pressed play on the Future and Metro Boomin smash.
Unfortunately, Future was one of the few artists not in attendance to do his part of a collab. That’s the only thing that could have made this better.
A Dr. Dre set with a twist at the end
It wouldn’t have been a legendary show without having one of the West’s living legends come out, and Lamar checked that box by having Dr. Dre do a couple songs in the middle of his own set: Still D.R.E. and California Love.
Kendrick Lamar brings out Dr. Dre to perform “Still D.R.E.” during his LA show and after the performance Dre said this:
“One of the greatest that ever did it… can y’all make some noise for Kendrick Lamar”
pic.twitter.com/ZhkxRK4Cbb— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) June 20, 2024
But Dre wasn’t done after that. Before he left the stage, Lamar asked him if he had anything else to say. That’s when Dre broke into a whisper that’s become synonymous with the metaphorical death of Drake’s career:
“Psst. I see dead people.”
And right on cue, Lamar jumped into Not Like Us.
KENDRICK LAMAR & DR. DRE
NOT LIKE USKENDRICK LAMAR’S
POP OUT CONCERTLIVE AT THE FORUMpic.twitter.com/kQSlU6uA4V
— NFR Podcast (@nfr_podcast) June 20, 2024
He did Not Like Us (x5!)
This is when the grave dancing really begun, because Lamar didn’t do Not Like Us once, twice or even three times to bring his show to a close. He did it FIVE times.
And the first two times, he dropped the beat right as packed arena was singing “A minorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.” And if you know the reference, you know the message he was trying to send to you know who. This was a victory lap unlike any seen before it.
KENDRICK RAN NOT LIKE US BACK IMMEDIATELY AND LET THE CROWD SING THE LYRICS FOR HIM DOG.. HE BARELY RAPPED!!!
THIS IS THE MOST INSANE VICTORY LAP IVE EVER SEEN IN MY FUCKING LIFE pic.twitter.com/dig3zzZlC5
— Big Boss (@LordBalvin) June 20, 2024
He had the entire crowd singing it and everybody at home. There ain’t no coming back from this for Drake.
This video is 9 minutes of madness
"Not Like Us" is LA's new anthem. pic.twitter.com/e0BhJRSJKp
— Complex Music (@ComplexMusic) June 20, 2024
A moment of unity, including some NBA stars
There were some celebrities in attendance besides the artists performing, including Lakers star LeBron James. But when Lamar invited his L.A. family on stage at the end, Russell Westbrook and DeMar DeRozan were among the locals to come up and vibe out to Not Like Us with Lamar.
And yes, that’s DeRozan who spent nine years as a Toronto Raptor, which had to be another shot to Drake’s ego. Look at how much fun Westbrook is having.
Russell Westbrook during They Not Like Us. pic.twitter.com/i2Y7tk1ETR
— At The Buzzer (@AtTheBuzzer1) June 20, 2024
Kendrick Lamar bringing out Russell Westbrook, DeMar DeRozan and the whole west coast on stage while performing Not Like Us at The Pop Out Concert
A Moment In History #ThePopOut pic.twitter.com/cDNazGqh0d
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod (@big_business_) June 20, 2024
In the end, though, it turned into a beautiful moment, as Lamar had all these people from different backgrounds, hoods and cliques come together for a good time and a beautiful photo to cap it all off.
THEY NOT LIKE US #KendrickLamar #NotLikeUs #Westcoast #LosAngeles pic.twitter.com/jDMyt2VQLM
— Armen Keleshian (@ArmenKeleshian) June 20, 2024
This was really a special moment in hip hop.