In his first live performance since Kendrick Lamar took the stage in Los Angeles in June June in a historic, electrifying night filled with special guests, excited fans and continued to draw his great rival.
The only concert titled The Pop Out — Ken and Friends, presented by pgLang, and the Free Lunch was filled with a long line of artists, mostly from Los Angeles and California, who played Lamar's hometown at the Kia Forum. From top to bottom, the entire event was a love letter to West Coast hip-hop culture, including a special appearance by Dr. himself. Dre.
Before the doors even opened for the highly anticipated show, the crowd was excited and curious about what was to come for the rest of the evening. Lines began forming around the venue on Wednesday morning, with people dressed in their own personally designed merchandise.
The Pop Out, a nod to a verse from Lamar's hit single and diss track “Not Like Us,” sold out almost immediately when tickets went on sale, an indication that fans were more than excited to see Lamar on stage after his intense bout with Drake. For those not lucky enough to get tickets to the actual event, the concert was also streamed live on Prime Video and the Amazon Music Twitch channel.
After shelling out over $1,500 for a pair of tickets, father-son duo Damien and Dominic Camarena, who are both born and raised in Los Angeles, lined up outside The Forum starting at 10:30 a.m. morning to see Lamar perform. Standing in the midday heat before the doors opened, Dominique gushes: “I was very young when I was wearing Kendrick. I was about 9 years old, so being here with my dad is really special because he put me on.”
It was already a party outside the Forum before the concert. While people waited around, they were able to pick up several booths, photo ops, and food and drink stations. There was even a voter registration station, courtesy of HeadCount, encouraging spectators to make sure they were ready to vote in November.
As soon as the lights went down close to 4:30 p.m. PT, DJ Hed kicked off the night by introducing the crowd to a lineup of West Coast artists who each graced the stage for about a song or two each. From Remble, Ray Vaughn and the Cuzzos, to Westside Boogie, Zoe Osama, Bino Rideaux, Ohgeesy and Jason Martin, The Pop Out kicked off with nearly a dozen artists all hailing from California roots, setting the tone for the rest of the night .
Hitmaker and LA native DJ Mustard, who produced the beat behind Lamar's “Not Like Us,” delivered a set of his popular songs and also brought in iconic artists such as Dom Kennedy, Tyler the Creator, YG , Ty Dolla $ign, Blxst and Roddy Rich. Not to mention, Mustard played a trio of Nipsey Hussle in honor of the late Los Angeles rapper and inspired everyone to pick up their phones and turn on their camera lights.
In anticipation of Lamar's performance, fans unprompted chanted “Kendrick” and “OV-ho” throughout the sold-out arena. As the rapper rose from the bottom of the stage, the audience was thrilled that his first song of choice was 'Euphoria', sparking an energy that reverberated throughout the forum. Lamar delivered a selection of his classic hits – including 'Loyalty', 'ELEMENT', 'Alright' and 'Swimming Pools' – and was joined on stage by collaborators Jay Rock, Ab-Soul and none other than Dr. Dr.
“This shit we're doing tonight is bigger than me,” Lamar told the crowd.
To close out the night, Lamar performed his viral hit “Not Like Us,” a total of five times. The crowd erupted in excitement as the beat dropped and Dr. Dre whispered, “I see dead,” introducing Lamar's first live performance of what is arguably the song of the summer (if you talk to anyone who listens to hip-hop). “You won't let anyone disrespect the West Coast, will you?” Lamar asked his loyal audience, with each rendition of the song growing in fervor. Five times wasn't enough for the crowd who were getting excited by Lamar's every word, having already memorized the lyrics to the number one diss track on the charts.
Interrupting fans reciting the lyrics to “Not Like Us,” Lamar brought out the dozens of artists who performed at The Pop Out so everyone can share the stage and celebrate together. Gathering for a final photo of the night, Lamar said: “Let them see this. We combined it with peace.”
As if Lamar hadn't already cemented his place as rap beef winner, Wednesday night's show served as a victory lap.
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