Kendrick Lamar Repeatedly Performs Drake Diss Track Five Times
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| Kendrick Lamar is the sole hip-hop artist to have won the Pulitzer Prize for music. |
Kendrick Lamar hosted a star-studded concert at Los Angeles' Kia Forum on Wednesday, showcasing unity within the West Coast rap community.
The event featured over 20 guest musicians, including Dr. Dre, Roddy Ricch, Ty Dolla $ign, Tyler The Creator, and Steve Lacy.
The highlight of the evening was the live debut of Lamar's track "Not Like Us," a scathing critique of Canadian star Drake, concluding their long-standing feud last month.
Spurred on by the enthusiastic crowd, Lamar performed the song five times, each rendition more intense than the last.
"Y’all ain’t gonna let nobody disrespect the West Coast, huh?" he asked as the set concluded.
"Oh, y’all ain’t gonna let nobody mock or imitate our legends, huh?" he added, alluding to Drake's use of AI-generated vocals of Tupac and Snoop Dogg on his track "Taylor Made Freestyle."
Lamar's feud with Drake dates back years but reached new heights in April and May, as the two rappers exchanged insults through a series of new songs.
Drake, a mainstream pop-rap icon, accused Lamar of selling out, mocked his height, and made unfounded allegations of domestic violence (which Lamar has never faced).
Lamar, known as one of the most critically-acclaimed lyricists of his generation, labeled Drake's music as "predictable" and suggested he had issues with gambling and drugs.
However, "Not Like Us" escalated the conflict further.
In the track, Lamar accused Drake of "colonizing" Southern rap culture for personal gain and made unsubstantiated claims about Drake's conduct with young women, which Drake later denied.
Propelled by a compelling DJ Mustard beat, "Not Like Us" broke Spotify records, becoming 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.
Announcing his Juneteenth concert just two weeks prior, tickets sold out instantly.
Titled "The Pop Out: Ken and Friends," the event opened with sets by DJ Hed and DJ Mustard, who dedicated a moment to LA rapper Nipsey Hussle, murdered two years ago.
Lamar took the stage shortly before 6:30 pm, starting with another Drake diss track called "Euphoria." This song included a new line: "Give me Tupac’s ring back and I might give you a little respect."
This lyric referenced a ring once owned by Tupac Shakur, bought at auction by an anonymous bidder for over $1 million last year, later revealed to be Drake.Lamar continued his performance with hits including "DNA," "Alright," "Swimming Pools (Drank)," and "King Kunta."
During his set, he was joined by Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, and Jay Rock, members of the hip-hop supergroup Black Hippy, to perform "M.A.A.D. City" and "That Part."
He also delivered his verse from the Future and Metro Boomin' song "Like That," which sparked this year's war of words with Drake.
Near the conclusion of the live-streamed show on Amazon, Lamar brought out West Coast rap icon Dr. Dre, who hyped the crowd during energetic renditions of "Still D.R.E." and "California Love."
Dr. Dre then set the stage for the first performance of "Not Like Us" by softly delivering the opening line, "I see dead people."
Anticipation for the song had been mounting all evening, with the audience chanting its lyrics during various points of Lamar's set.
As each rendition unfolded, Lamar was joined by an increasing number of guests.
By the night's end, nearly 30 individuals graced the stage, including YG, Steve Lacy, Schoolboy Q, Big Boy, G Perico, DJ Mustard, and NBA stars Russell Westbrook and Demar Derozan.
This gathering marked a rare display of unity within Los Angeles' often divided hip-hop community.
Pausing for a group photo, Lamar addressed the crowd: "This is unity, y’all just don’t know man."
He dedicated the performance to the musicians and friends lost to violence, stating, "Everyone on this stage has lost soldiers."
"For all of us to be here together, that's special," he continued. "We organized this with peace... I promise this won’t be the last time you see us."
The show concluded with a sixth instrumental rendition of "Not Like Us," playing as fans exited the arena.
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