“Euphoria” was the perfect opener
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Oh, you thought Kendrick was going to take things slow and ease into the beef songs? Nah, he got into his diabolical bag immediately and opened with “Euphoria.” We already knew this song was special when it topped our Best Rap Verse of the Year (So Far) list, but it hit even harder when tens of thousands of people barked along with Kendrick as he rapped every word. “I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk, I hate the way that you dress!” It’s a theatrical-ass song, full of dramatic vocal changes and beat switches, and Kendrick pulled all of them off exceptionally well in a live setting, delivering a powerful, dexterous performance with no backing track. It was a hell of a way to start a show, setting the tone for one of the most hater-ass concerts you’ll ever see (and I mean that in the best way possible). —Eric Skelton
This was one of the best crowds you’ll ever see
There were some notable LA rappers who weren’t there
Kendrick had almost every notable L.A. artist on stage, from upcoming rappers (Ray Vaughn) to blue-collar vets (G Perico) to burgeoning superstars (Steve Lacy and Mustard.) But there were a couple of notable no-shows, and most could be explained pretty easily. Fans online wondered where Kendrick’s cousin Baby Keem was—but Keem isn’t an L.A. rapper, and this was clearly an L.A. show. 03 Greedo said he was invited but couldn’t make it. Snoop Dogg was on tour in Saskatchewan, Canada, which would explain why he couldn’t perform “Still Dre” with Dr. Dre. The real curious omission was The Game, one of Kendrick’s earliest supporters and a West Coast legend. Not only wasn't he there, but there was not a peep from him online. One explanation: during the height of their conflict, it seemed like Game sided with Drake, posting a curious Instagram post. After Kendrick responded with “Europhia,” Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith sent out his own cryptic message on Twitter, “We saw everybody that showed their hand. This the family. Dot still the King.” —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
“Meet the Grahams” didn’t meet the cut
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Kendrick Lamar’s vicious—some would say “evil”—track “Meet the Grahams” got lost in the mix, thanks to the success of “Not Like Us.” But it’s become a dark horse favorite among rap masochists who don’t mind listening to a six-minute brooding song about Drake being a sexual deviant. So it should be noted that it was the only diss song to not get any play at the concert last night. Admittedly, it’s probably a tough sell for a crowd of 20,000 people. But who would have guessed a song like “Euphoria”—which is very verbose and not an anthem at all—would ring off the way that it did? —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
‘Mr. Morale’ didn’t get its moment
Kendrick might be the bogeyman, but that doesn’t mean he’s Teflon. Some of the most effective disses against Dot have been centered around the polarizing reaction to his last album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. J. Cole first mentioned it on the now-deleted “7 Minute Drill.” And Drake resurrected the idea, rapping, “Your last one bricked, you really not on shit” on “Push Ups.” It seems like maybe there’s a small part of Kendrick that agrees. Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers was the only major label album not to get its moment last night. And considering how Kendrick had the crowd in his hands, it’s curious he didn’t at least try to perform heaters like “N95” or “Silent Hill.” For Kendrick to not play one note from his last album during what is effectively a greatest hits show does seem to imply… something. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
Kendrick brought back the Nike Shox R4s
There can only be so much unity
Drakeo the Ruler had a complicated connection to Inglewood and, infamously, a contentious relationship with YG and his camp. But he was still an L.A. legend, one of the most prominent rappers from the city over the last decade, and the emcee who clearly was on Kendrick's mind when he recorded “Not Like Us.” So the fact that even during this unity show, Drakeo or his brother didn’t get a moment was interesting and just shows how deep some of the tension in the city is. On Twitter, Drakeo’s brother Ralfy the Plug didn’t say much about the snub, but he has been retweeting positive words about The Ruler. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
Big regional shows might be the future
Yes, artist-backed festivals and concerts have been around for years. It’s not uncommon to see artists put their name on a poster in size 400 font for the love of their respective city, from J. Cole’s Dreamville Festival to Travis Scott’s Astroworld to Drake’s OVO Fest. But this one felt different. The popular artist-run concerts and festivals quickly become co-opted and corporatized to optimize ticket sales. Although there were corporate elements here—shout out to Amazon Music and Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg’s Gin and Juice pre-mixed cocktail—this felt like a real regional show, where the culture of the city was prioritized. So can this format—where one star unifies a whole sound or scene while maintaining integrity—work in other cities? I think so. Imagine Jay-Z doing something like this with Brooklyn drill acts in the mix? Or Chief Keef rolling out the red carpet for new rappers in Chicago? I think Kendrick might have really cracked something here. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
