CELEBRITY
Kendrick Lamar made hip-hop history by using his Juneteenth show as a victory lap against Drake and an attempt to unite the West Coast
But the Juneteenth concert wasn’t just a victory lap, with fans viewing it as an iconic moment in hip-hop history and an important attempt to unite the fractured West Coast.
The sold-out, one-off show, “The Pop Out: Ken & Friends” — which was streamed live on Amazon Prime Video and Twitch — was Lamar’s hotly anticipated first performance since his beef with Drake unfolded earlier this year.
After the pair released a series of back-to-back diss tracks in April and May, Lamar was viewed as the winner after “Not Like Us” topped the Billboard Hot 100 charts for one week in May and has been in the top 10 ever since. Drake’s response, “The Heart Part 6” wasn’t enough to beat Lamar. When both artists went quiet, fans were left wondering what would happen next.
Lamar didn’t disappoint with “The Pop Out,” where he performed four of his five Drake diss tracks, opening with “Euphoria.” Later came his diss verses on “6:16” and “Like That,” and he ended the night with “Not Like Us,” featuring an intro from West Coast hip-hop legend Dr Dre, who joined him on stage.
Lamar then performed “Not Like Us” four more times alongside numerous West Coast rappers, athletes, dancers, and members from multiple Los Angeles gangs. At the end, they took a group photo together. Fans said the concert was the equivalent of Lamar getting the West Coast to dance on Drake’s grave, and proof that the hip-hop community supports him.