Kendrick Lamar set Los Angeles on fire with a spectacular concert at the Kia Forum.
The show, intended to unify the West Coast rap scene, featured over 20 guest musicians. These included Dr Dre, Roddy Ricch, Ty Dolla $ign, Tyler The Creator, and Steve Lacy.
KENDRICK LAMAR AND THE WEST COAST
Yet, the true highlight of the evening was Lamar’s live debut of Not Like Us—a blistering diss track aimed at Canadian superstar Drake.
The crowd roared with approval as Lamar performed Not Like Us not once, but five times, each rendition more intense than the last.
“Y’all ain’t gonna let nobody disrespect the West Coast, huh?” Lamar shouted, inciting further cheers, according to BBC.
“Oh, y’all ain’t gonna let nobody mock or imitate our legends, huh?”
KENDRICK LAMAR AND DRAKE
This was a clear jab at Drake’s controversial use of AI-generated vocals of Tupac and Snoop Dogg in his song Taylor Made Freestyle.
The feud between Lamar and Drake has been simmering for years but reached a boiling point earlier this year.
In a flurry of new tracks, Drake accused Lamar of selling out and made unsubstantiated allegations of domestic violence.
Lamar fired back, criticising Drake’s music as “predictable” and hinting at his alleged addiction to gambling and drugs.
Not Like Us escalated the feud further, according to Rolling Stone.
KENDRICK LAMAR’S BIG HIT
Lamar accused Drake of “colonising” Southern rap culture for personal gain and made unverified claims about his conduct with young women. However, Drake has previously denied these claims.
Driven by a pulsating DJ Mustard beat, the track shattered Spotify records. It became the hip-hop song with the most plays in a single day.
It topped the US charts and reached number six in the UK, marking Lamar’s biggest solo hit, according to Billboard.
The concert, dubbed The Pop Out: Ken And Friends, sold out instantly when announced just two weeks ago.
It opened with DJ Hed and DJ Mustard, who paid tribute to the late LA rapper Nipsey Hussle.
KENDRICK LAMAR’S SET LIST
Lamar took the stage and kicked off with another Drake diss track, Euphoria.
The song included a new barb: “Give me Tupac’s ring back and I might give you a little respect.”
This referred to a ring once owned by Tupac Shakur, bought at auction by Drake for over $1 million (R18,118,250).
Lamar’s setlist included hits like DNA, Alright, Swimming Pools (Drank), and King Kunta.
He was joined by Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, and Jay Rock, his Black Hippy groupmates.
They joined him for electrifying performances of M.A.A.D City and That Part.
WAR OF WORDS
The audience erupted when Lamar performed his verse from Like That, a Future and Metro Boomin’ track that sparked this year’s fiery war of words.
As the night progressed, West Coast rap legend Dr Dre joined Lamar, hyping the crowd with Still D.R.E. and California Love.
Dre then introduced the first performance of Not Like Us, whispering the haunting opening line, “I see dead people.”
Anticipation had been building all evening, with the crowd chanting the song’s lyrics at various points during Lamar’s set.
NOT LIKE US
Each subsequent performance of Not Like Us saw more guests joining Lamar on stage.
By the final rendition, nearly 30 people, including YG, Steve Lacy, Schoolboy Q, Big Boy, G Perico, DJ Mustard, and basketball stars Russell Westbrook and Demar Derozan, were part of the spectacle.
The concert was a rare display of unity in Los Angeles’ often fragmented hip-hop scene.
“This is unity, y’all just don’t know man,” Lamar declared, pausing for a group photo.
AN EPIC NIGHT
He dedicated the show to fallen friends and musicians, saying, “Everybody on this stage got fallen soldiers.
For all of us to be together, that [expletive] is special. We put this together with peace… I promise this won’t be the last of us.”
The night ended with an instrumental version of Not Like Us as fans filed out, buzzing from an unforgettable evening.
