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Kendrick Lamar hosted a monumental concert at Los Angeles' Kia Forum on Wednesday, celebrating unity within the West Coast rap community. The event, titled The Pop Out: Ken And Friends, featured over 20 guest musicians, including icons like Dr. Dre, Roddy Ricch, Ty Dolla $ign, Tyler The Creator, and Steve Lacy.
The highlight of the night was the live debut of Lamar's controversial track "Not Like Us", a scathing critique of Canadian rapper Drake. The song, which put an end to their long-standing feud last month, was performed five times at the urging of the enthusiastic crowd, each rendition more powerful than the last.
"Y’all ain’t gonna let nobody disrespect the West Coast, huh?" Lamar asked, receiving a resounding cheer from the audience. "Oh y’all ain’t gonna let nobody mock or imitate our legends, huh?" This was a clear reference to Drake's use of AI-generated vocals of Tupac and Snoop Dogg on his track "Taylor Made Freestyle".
The feud between Lamar and Drake, which had simmered for years, reached new heights in April and May as they exchanged barbs in a series of new releases. Drake accused Lamar of selling out and mocked his height, while Lamar derided Drake's music as "predictable" and suggested he had issues with gambling and drugs.
"Not Like Us" took the rivalry to another level, with Lamar accusing Drake of "colonizing" Southern rap culture and making unverified claims about his behavior with young women, which Drake denied. The song, driven by a DJ Mustard beat, set a Spotify record for the most plays in a single day and topped the US charts, peaking at number six in the UK—making it Lamar's biggest solo hit to date.
The concert, announced just two weeks prior, sold out instantly. The evening opened with sets from DJ Hed and DJ Mustard, who paid tribute to the late LA rapper Nipsey Hussle. Lamar took the stage around 6:30 pm, kicking off with another Drake diss track, "Euphoria". The song featured a new line aimed at Drake: "Give me Tupac’s ring back and I might give you a little respect" referring to a ring previously owned by Tupac Shakur that Drake purchased at auction for over $1 million.
Lamar's concert was not just a display of musical prowess but also a statement of solidarity for the West Coast rap fraternity, uniting fans and artists alike in a powerful testament to the enduring legacy and influence of the region's hip-hop culture.
