Kendrick Lamar performs onstage during “The Pop Out – Ken & Friends” presented by pgLang and Free Lunch at Kia Forum in Inglewood, California on June 19, 2024. Photo by Timothy Norris/Getty Images for pgLang, Amazon Music, and Free Lunch
Last night at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, Kendrick Lamar hosted an unforgettable event in front of a crowd of thousands with his “The Pop Out – Ken & Friends” concert, where Lamar celebrated the West Coast with classic records and hits. It was the perfect way to end the Juneteenth celebrations.
Presented by pgLang and Free Lunch, the concert brought together a star-studded line-up of artists celebrating California hip-hop. DJ Hed kicked off the night with a medley that included Remble, Ray Vaughn, Bino Rideaux, Westside Boogie, OHGEESY, Cuzzos, Jason Martin and more. DJ Mustard then played a timeless setlist that included artists like Dom Kennedy, YG, Ty Dolla $ign, Blxst and Roddy Rich. Tyler, the Creator also came on stage to perform “WusYaName” and fan favorite “Earfquake.”
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 19: Kendrick Lamar and Dr. Dre perform onstage during “The Pop Out – Ken & Friends Presented by pgLang and Free Lunch” at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California on June 19, 2024. (Timothy Norris/Getty Images courtesy of pgLang, Amazon Music, Free Lunch)
Kendrick Lamar closed the sold-out concert with hits such as “Euphoria,” “ELEMENT,” “DNA,” “Alright” and “Swimming Pools.” The setlist also included collaborations with DAMN. artists and TDE rappers Jay Rock, Ab-Soul and Schoolboy Q. The group make up the Black Hippie collective, and performed songs such as “Collard Greens,” “That Part” and “mAAd City.”
“The Pop Out – Ken & Friends” was a tribute to the West Coast, and Lamar used the opportunity to spotlight some hometown legends with the help of the legendary Dr. Dre. The Aftermath founder performed iconic songs like “Still Dre” and “California Love.” After a short pause between songs, Dre whispered into the mic, “Psst… I see dead people,” eliciting a huge reaction from the crowd and ushering in the intro to his smash hit, “Not Like Us.”
During the live premiere of Lamar’s hit song, fans recited the record word for word and screamed the lyrics in unison. In total, the Grammy Award-winning musician performed “Not Like Us” five times, each performance as energetic as the last. As the performance drew to a close, several artists, athletes and entertainers took to the stage to show some love for the great state of California. West Coast celebrities including Russell Westbrook, Big Boi and DeMar DeRozan came together to socialize, reunite and dance to one of the most talked-about singles of the year.
Photo credit: Armen Kelesian
The night ended with a touching moment as everyone came together onstage for a historic photo that symbolized love and community. As Armen Keresian held the camera steady for the final shot of the night, Lamar spoke about the true purpose of the event, saying, “Let’s show them this. We did this for peace.”
“The Pop Out – Ken & Friends” streamed live on Amazon Music and coincided with Rotation’s Black Music Month showcase, “Forever the Influence.” Overnight, Kendrick Lamar added another letter to his list of honors, further solidifying his status as one of the greatest artists of his generation.