Kendrick Lamar united the West Coast with his epic Pop Out: Ken & Friends concert in celebration of Juneteenth on Wednesday night (June 19), which was one for the hip-hop history books with K. Dot to perform the Drake diss track “Not Like Us” five times in a row to close the show.
After performing his live debut nuclear verse on Future and Metro Boomin's “Like That,” K. Dot welcomed his mentor and iconic West Coast rapper Dr. Dre at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, as he was getting up from underneath. stage for one of the biggest surprises of the night. “I'm seeing dead people,” Dre whispered as Mustard's Cali signature bounced to “Not Like Us” through the speakers.
In a red sweatshirt with jeans and a pair of Nike Shox (some outfit fans compared to 2Pacat the 1994 Source Awards), Kendrick had more than 18,000 in attendance and the rap world watching via Amazon Music at home in the palm of his hand.
The raucous crowd sang along to the last word of his live debut 'Not Like Us'. They held 'A-minor' Drake for what seemed like an eternity while Lamar did what he had been up to.
But that wasn't all. Kendrick ran the Drake shot back for a second time and dropped the block for a third round of “Not Like Us.” The fourth edition was the most special yet, as K. Dot proved West Coast unity about 15 miles northwest of where the Compton native grew up while bringing various LA luminaries to the stage, including NBA stars DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook, who practically danced on Drake's figurative grave.
Mustard, G Perico, Hit-Boy, Blxst, Steve Lacy, Big Boy, Westside Boogie and Lamar's Black Hippy joined the party with other members of the gang rehearsing different sets in Los Angeles. Everyone took a turn bringing Kenny up on stage as he kept his breath under control amid the distractions.
“That doesn't make me emotional,” Lamar admitted while gathering the mixed crew for a group photo he'd like to last forever. We are excited by Kobe [Bryant] he died,” he stated sadly. “This is unity at its best.”
“Not Like Us” wasn't the only Drake diss Lamar performed for the first time as part of his explosive set. He kicked things off with the impressive 'Euphoria', which found him tweaking a verse addressed to the 6 God. “Give me back 2Pac's ring and maybe I'll give you some respect,” he said. Lamar also brought out Ab-Soul to perform his verse on “6:16 in LA” mixed in with his greatest hits set.
“Not Like Us” gave Kendrick his fourth Hot 100 leader as it debuted atop the elusive chart on May 13 with over 70 million streams in its first week. The West Coast anthem is at No. 6 in its sixth week on the Hot 100 while “Euphoria” is at No. 47.
While gang violence and street politics have cut many lives short, Kendrick Lamar united a city for a night where territories and beat sets didn't matter in the name of hip-hop. “It's not about any record back-and-forth,” Kendrick said, dismissing his feud with Drake. “It's all about this moment here. That was the point. To bring us all together.”
Find more footage of Kendrick's unforgettable performance of “Not Like Us” below.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/kendrick-lamar-performs-not-like-us-five-times-la-show-1235714258/