Summer 2024 belongs to Kendrick Lamar, and so does the entire West Coast.
During his historic Pop Out: Ken & Friends show in Inglewood, California last night, Dot brought fans, artists, and rival gang sections together to join him in his victory lap after winning the rap war against Drake. The show was a reflection of West Coast unity that many of the artists themselves didn’t even think was possible, and Kendrick demonstrated how restorative a diss track can really be.
I came into Ken & Friends skeptical about what it would actually feel like. Taking place on Juneteenth, the show was being touted as a major Black cultural tentpole immediately after its surprise announcement two weeks ago. But tickets sold out within minutes and resale prices were reaching such high prices that I assumed the majority of attendees would, in fact, not be “like us.” As I spoke with fans walking into the venue before the show started, though, it was clear that this wouldn’t be the case. The stream captured a lot of the non-Black folk at the event, but I’d say at least two-thirds of the actual audience were Black or brown, with a good amount of them decked out in custom LA gear. “Kendrick means everything to the West Coast,” said one fan who was dressed head-to-toe in Dodgers clothing. “He represents the best in us.”
I’m not from the West Coast, but I do know what it feels like to have a strong sense of pride in your city. Anyone who’s lived in (or in close proximity to) the trenches knows what it’s like when the summertime comes around and block parties start popping up in the neighborhood. Kendrick’s Ken & Friends show felt like a block party for the entire West Coast—a place where artists who would normally have qualms with each other due to street politics could peace it up for the sake of the community. Before the concert, a person close to Dot’s camp told me that Kendrick wanted the impromptu show to feel like “some real hood shit,” and the 37-year-old Compton rapper ended up capturing the atmosphere of a local block party perfectly.
“[K Dot] is doing some shit that has never been before, bro,” rapper AZ Chike explained hours before the show began. “There’s a lot of niggas outside in their trailers that you wouldn’t catch on a regular day next to each other. Kendrick really brought the city together. Niggas who really do shit to each other is just here having a good time, and that says a lot.”
Ken & Friends was streamed on Amazon Prime, but what the broadcast didn’t show you was the intimate moments backstage, like West Coast legend and Godfather of Krump Tommy the Clown practicing his routine side-by-side with artists like YG and Dom Kennedy. Or how, instead of staying siloed in their trailers, LA artists and their entourages with opposing colored bandanas interacted with each other outside, drinking Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg’s Gin and Juice-branded beverage. Even just being out there for a few hours had me ending my sentences with “West Coast” because the energy was so contagious. “I’ve never seen something like this in my lifetime, especially in the music space,” Kennedy told me. “It just shows the power of being an artist.”
Inside of the arena, Kendrick opted not to have any elevated risers on the floor for special guests. Instead, all of the celebrities in attendance, including artists who weren’t performing, were sitting in the arena seats or standing amongst each other on even footing throughout the general admission floor.
DJ Hed and Mustard kicked the party off by priming the crowd with an impressive lineup of LA guests like Roddy Ricch, Blxst, Tyler, the Creator, and YG, plus a dedication for the late Nipsey Hussle. Throughout the show, nobody was acting too cool or above celebrating Kendrick and his friends. In fact, during Mustard’s set, I found myself randomly vibing with LA Clippers star James Harden and Rick Ross while Steve Lacey performed.
Then Kendrick took the stage and started by performing the 6-minute Drake diss “Euphoria.” There were a lot of amazing moments during his set—like bringing out Jay Rock, Ab-Soul, and ScHoolboy Q for a Black Hippy reunion—but none impressed me more than how the sold-out crowd spit this hook-less, high-level rap song bar-for-bar. The primal pettiness of the song became even more potent when it spread across the arena; at that moment, we all hated the way that Drake walks, talks, and dresses. After running through some of his most popular tracks, including “Money Trees,” “Humble,” and a special rendition of “6:16 in LA” with Ab-Soul, the crowd was primed and ready for the main event.
We all knew Kendrick performing “Not Like Us” for the first time live would be a spectacle, but I don’t think anyone was prepared for Dr. Dre to introduce the song after performing “Still Dre” and Tupac’s “California Love.” When Dot performed it the first time, he extended his “a-minor” bar for so long that the crowd just started chanting “OV-hoe” on their own before he started the song over again. He pulled a “Niggas in Paris” and performed “Not Like Us” five times straight, and with each rendition, the crowd grew even louder. The song has only been out since May, but in this moment, it somehow felt like a track we’ve collectively known for years, kind of like when Maze’s “Before I Let Go” or Cameo’s “Candy” comes on during the barbecue—except with pedophile bars.
Kendrick closed the show by dancing on the grave of his previous opponent and invited everyone from Westside Boogie to YG to Steve Lacey to Russell Westbrook to join him onstage as he performed “Not Like Us” for the fifth time. The moment was special, but what caught my attention was how Dot made sure everyone had a chance to get on his platform, both literally and figuratively, as he monitored the steps by the stage and told security to continue letting more people up.
“We been fucked up since Nipsey died. We been fucked up since Kobe died,” Kendrick said as all of his companions joined him onstage at a show that represented a moment of unity that the region has been yearning for. Thirteen years ago, Kendrick was symbolically passed the West Coast torch by Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, Warren G, and Daz Dillinger, and last night, with so many sides of the LA represented onstage with him, we saw what he did with that responsibility.
“Let the world see this,” Kendrick said at the end of the show, with countless LA rappers flanking him onstage. “You ain’t seen this many sections on one stage keeping it together and having peace. They ain’t never seen this.” Dot made his Juneteenth show about LA unity, and despite what prior violence might have been going on in the city, gang affiliations did not matter last night. This was a historic night, not only because of the legendary performances, but because it showed how hip-hop can do so much more than just generate revenue or create viral party moments.
As I navigated the crowd pouring out of the Forum, you could still hear echoes of “Not Like Us” and “Euphoria” being played in the distance. “This was a historic night for LA and the West Coast, I don’t think we’ve seen anything like this,” one fan told me. “I didn’t want him to stop playing ‘Not Like Us!’”
The Pop Out: Ken & Friends was a victory lap and block party that only Kendrick Lamar could have orchestrated, and it proves why he is encroaching on GOAT status. He brought rivaling gang sections together last night thanks to his pen, harnessed his unbridled hate towards Drake, and turned it into one of the most legendary concerts in rap history. The first official day of summer is June 21, and Dot already owns the season thanks to “Not Like Us.” West Coast.
