Kendrick Lamar celebrated Juneteenth with a monumental concert, The Pop Out – Ken & Friends, at a sold-out Kia Forum Arena in Inglewood, California, on June 19. The highly-anticipated event brought together an array of West Coast talent and featured surprise guest appearances, making it a night to remember.
The nearly four-hour spectacle kicked off with DJ Hed, who set the stage with performances from Jason Martin (“Like Whaaat”), Westside Boogie (“Silent Ride”), Kalan.FrFr, G Perico (“Right Wit It”), Ray Vaughn (“Problems”), and more. The energy continued to build with DJ Mustard, who brought out stars like Ty Dolla Sign (“Paranoid”), Dom Kennedy (“My Type Of Party”, “When I Come Around”), Steve Lacy (“Static”, “Bad Habit”), Tyler The Creator (“WusYaName”, “Earfquake”), Roddy Ricch (“Racks In The Middle”, “Die Young,” “The Box,” “Ballin'”), and YG (“BPT”, “My Nigga”).
The highlight of the night was Kendrick Lamar’s powerful performance, starting with the live debut of his track “Euphoria”. He then delivered an electrifying set featuring hits like “DNA.”, “ELEMENT.”, “Alright”, “Swimming Pools (Drank)”, “King Kunta”, and “m.A.A.d city”.
Kendrick was joined by his Black Hippy crew—ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock, and Ab-Soul—for the live debut of “6:16 In LA”. He also performed his verse from Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That”. Paying homage to West Coast legends, Kendrick brought out Dr. Dre, who performed “Still D.R.E.” and “California Love”. Together, they introduced “Not Like Us”, Kendrick’s third Drake-diss record of the night, which he performed five times, emphasizing unity and community.
In front of over 17,000 attendees, Kendrick preached a message of togetherness, bringing selected individuals from the crowd on stage for a poignant photo op. “Let the world see this,” Kendrick declared. “For all of us to be on this stage together, unity, from Eastside, LA, Crips, Bloods, Piru. This is special, man. We put this together just for ya’ll.”
He continued, “This ain’t got nothing to do with no song at this point. Ain’t got nothing to do with no back and forth records. It’s got everything to do with this moment right here. That’s what this was about. To bring all of us together.”
The Pop Out – Ken & Friends was streamed live online via Prime Video and the Amazon Music Twitch channel, allowing fans worldwide to partake in the celebration.
What did you think of Kendrick Lamar’s Juneteenth concert? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
