It’s no secret at this point that DJ Akademiks is not the biggestKendrick Lamar supporter. Time and time again, the hip-hop media sleuth has consistently come to rain on his parade whenever the Compton MC does something of merit. While not particularly jiving with an artist’s music is not a crime, this recent rant from Ak is really pushing the envelope in dangerous fashion. Today’s topic that’s up for contention is Kendrick’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers? Yes, despite the fact that GNX is now his most recent body of work, he’s going back to 2022 to find something he disagrees with.
In the clip below, Ak unleashes and goes on a pretty distasteful and disrespectful rant regarding “Auntie Diaries.” If you remember, the song delves into a very personal account about an uncle of his who is trans and the overall views on the LQBTQ+ community. Given the meaning behind the song and how sensitive the topic is, Akademiks comes across as bitter instead of funny, which his co-hosts/guests seem to think.
DJ Akademiks Is Off His Rocker With This Kendrick Lamar Take
DJ Akademiks Crashes Out on Kendrick Lamar
“With all due respect to the LGBTQ community, when in the history of f*cking hip hop have we ever given a f*ck about that type of shit bro? Kendrick couldn’t rap about saving black people no more, he start rapping about his… pic.twitter.com/MWGgSo8jUa
Overall, he feels that Kendrick needs to hang his hat on these types of issues and talk about them in his music to be relevant. “Kendrick dropped a whole album talking about LGBTQ issues. In the history of hip-hop, when have we cared about that? We don’t talk about it, and now he’s making it a focus. It’s like he’s grasping for topics to sell records.”
He also adds, “With all due respect to the LGBTQ community, when in the history of f***ing hip hop have we ever given a f*** about that type of s*** bro? Kendrick couldn’t rap about saving black people no more, he start rapping about his aunties a man and that he got fingered.” Akademiks even included Donald Trump into his rant, mentioning his nickname “Big 45.” “Big 45 is back, and we don’t want to hear about your auntie being a man or any of these other issues for four years. Save it for 2028.” Unexpectedly, Ak is currently hearing it from a lot of people online, and it’s just a bizarre moment overall.
Kendrick Lamar allegedly left a lot of Easter eggs in his 2022 album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers that fans still haven’t discovered, or at least, that’s what one of its mixers Manny Marroquin thinks. But there are also plenty of details that didn’t end up manifesting, and many different ideas that were swapped out for others. For example, we now have a look at some more outtake pictures from Mr. Morale‘s cover shoot from photographer Renell Medrano, the same session that gave us the official artwork. In them, K.Dot holds his son Enoch (in a weirdly warped and pic-combining edit), stands over his partner Whitney and the little one, and also holds a shotgun while standing behind Whitney and their two kids on the couch.
Maybe this last one was too heavy or tonally clashed for the final cut. Nevertheless, it’s still interesting to see what other creative ideas were floating around the “Not Like Us” MC’s head, and what his team was bringing to the table. Medrano showed off these newly unearthed pictures from the Kendrick Lamar Mr. Morale shoot at a New York City exhibition.
Elsewhere, though, Kendrick Lamar is focused on the future rather than his past work, and wants to cement his recent releases into the history books… Well, more than they already are, anyway. He recently submitted both “Not Like Us” and his Future and Metro Boomin collab “Like That” for consideration at the 2025 Grammys in various categories. These are Record/Song of the Year and Best Rap Song/Performance, with the former also up for consideration as a Best Music Video nominee. However, just because he submitted these picks doesn’t mean that the Grammys will actually give him the nominations.
Meanwhile, Kendrick Lamar will probably spend a lot of time preparing for his Super Bowl halftime show performance next year. Maybe this comes along with an album or new release at some point, but at press time, that’s only for fans to speculate. We don’t actually have any concrete information on what will happen next. But these old snapshots of the Mr. Morale days made us wonder as to what other curious diversions, alternate takes, and scrapped ideas are within this discography.
The Compton star’s alleged disconnect from the world, which became a trademark of sorts for him, also led to a disconnect with Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha fans who demand their stars to be ever-present and at the top of their to keep their crown. Two years later, Lamar finds himself in the good graces of these young fans following his win in the epic, rapid-fire rap battle against Drake. Through his diss tracks, especially “Not Like Us,” Lamar not only reconnected with the world and remained present, but he also proved that he always had his ears to the streets.
For example, in the “Not Like Us” video, Lamar references a Drake TikTok dance video — something a rapper who goes “months without a phone” wouldn’t notice. In the end, it made for an entertaining war that also made Lamar a more appealing figure for Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha rap fans who had yet to connect with him.
When Lamar announced Morale, he did so by quoting a tweet by self-labeled “hip-hop enthusiast” SK (@raptalksk) who claimed that “Kendrick Lamar is officially retired” due to the lengthy absence fans endured before the album’s release. SK, a college freshman at the time of that tweet, captured the general sentiment of Gen-Z and Alpha rap fans who’d yet to see Lamar be the star that their elders claimed he was. Lamar wasn’t as active and ever-present as his contemporaries – Drake and J. Cole – or modern-day stars like Travis Scott, Future, and Young Thug, nor was his music universally loved like the aforementioned names.
Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha rap fans live in an era where their favorite entertainment is readily and consistently available, and new editions quickly arrive to replace the previous ones. In the past decade, Lamar didn’t care to cater to their desires, but in his battle with Drake, Lamar prioritized their interests knowing that it was key to beating his opponent.
Unlike any other time in his career, Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha rap fans became Kendrick Lamar’s main audience during the height of his beef with Drake. “Not Like Us,” Lamar’s final entry in the battle, is a joyful dance on Drake’s metaphorical grave and a victory lap that mocks the rapper with comedic vitriol, a perfect delivery for Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha fans. Lines like “Tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A minor” and “Freaky-ass n****, he a 69 God” and the “OVOHoe” chant quickly became rallying cries in young fans’ newfound love for Lamar in the mainstream world. With “Not Like Us,” Lamar successfully recruited a new generation of rap fans who’d failed to appreciate him as one of rap’s elites. It’s the same crowd that Drake typically catered to with his music, especially that of the past half-decade.
It was a smart move from Lamar who is just two years removed from the mixed reception Morale received. Yes, the album topped the charts and went on to win a Grammy for Best Rap Album the following year, but it wasn’t held in the same regard by this young generation. It extended a streak of difficulty Lamar had in roping in Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha.
To Pimp A Butterfly, arguably his best album, is often deemed his worst by this young crowd. DAMN. trended in the right direction, but Morale erased that progress – not that Lamar desired to go out of his way and recruit this crowd. That changed with “Not Like Us.” Lamar reportedly removed copyright claims on the song for a limited time which allowed streamers – mostly made up of Gen-Z and Alpha members – to freely use the record for any content they desired, even commercial purposes.
Just like that, “Not Like Us” skyrocketed to the top of the charts and entered itself into the song of the summer conversation while becoming the biggest hit of Lamar’s career. To this day, videos with the song continue to go viral on social media. Whether it be at clubs, birthday parties, other artists’ concerts, in weather reports, or Twitch streams from this generation’s favorite streamers, “Not Like Us” has become inescapable. It’s a successful move by Lamar pulled right from Drake’s playbook as the Toronto native employed the same tactics with his Meek Mill diss track “Back To Back.”
Lamar pushed the agenda further by performing the song five consecutive times at his The Pop Out — Ken & Friends show before releasing an epic music video for the song three weeks later. The same Kendrick Lamar who would release an album, drop music videos, and go on tour, before retreating to his Compton cave, is now outside and in the face of everyone willing and unwilling to watch just as the young generation called for him to be.
“Not Like Us” and Kendrick Lamar’s rap beef with Drake placed the star right back in the good graces of young rap fans. How long Lamar will be there remains unknown, but at the very least, their eyes are on him as they await his next move. Rumors of new music on the way from Lamar have picked up steam by the day as some hint at a massive “Not Like Us” remix while others point the rapper’s sixth album is on the way.
The latter seems to be the most likely as the “Not Like Us” video begins with a brief preview of an unreleased song complete with thumping, bass-rattling production that Lamar glides over with a catchy flow. The preview was met with support from all generations as they begged Lamar to release the song. This is all a result of “Not Like Us,” a record that unlocked the Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha rap fan generations for Kendrick Lamar who will have his biggest audience yet for the most anticipated era of his career.
Kendrick Lamar’s new song “Not Like Us” has upended the hip-hop landscape, and such a seismic single warrants an equally world-shaking music video. That’s what K. Dot provided with the supporting visual for “Not Like Us,” a four-minute celebration of not just his victory over one of the biggest stars on the planet, but also of his city, Compton, and LA culture in general.
Those elements often appear in Kendrick’s videography, which spans far longer than the obvious decade or so since he became a Grammy-winning, Fox News-terrifying, esoteric yet somehow ubiquitous fixture of pop culture. The following list was debated, discussed, and even outright dissed by my colleague Wongo and I (with our long-suffering editor, Phil, playing referee) until we got to his best — both in their visual representation of K Dot’s messaging and for their dynamic and memorable imagery.
Disclaimer: We left “The Heart Part 5” off this list over its use of deepfake AI — contrived and problematic technology on its own — that we believe aged poorly in hindsight.
12. “Michael Jordan”
The song that put Kendrick Lamar on the map in the city of LA. If the unofficial through-line of this list is how deeply Kendrick connects to his city through his visuals, this is where that line begins. It may not be as visually striking as other clips on this list, but it is likely one of the most thematically impactful — look no further than the fact that the then-relatively unknown Kendrick, considered something of a sidekick at the time to TDE’s “real” star, Jay Rock, shut down the 110 Freeway in Downtown Los Angeles to shoot much of this video. For non-Angelenos, this is vaguely akin to choking off the superior vena cava of the human heart. For a less heady comparison, consider this: The only other times this is done is to film major Hollywood productions like San Andreas and La La Land, or for major protests like the ones against police brutality in 2020 and advocation for a Gaza ceasefire. Basically, Kendrick was saying, “I AM LA. I am bigger than Hollywood. I am a world-changing event.” He wasn’t wrong. — Aaron Williams
11. “The Hillbillies” w/ Baby Keem
Though “Family Ties” launched it, “The Hillbillies” solidified the pgLang era of Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem’s careers. Released without much warning, the vlog-style Neal Farmer-directed video captures the true laid-back personas of both Lamar and Keem. Between time in London and Los Angeles (where Tyler The Creator joins them), Lamar and Keem do everything from dance outside a private jet, prance through a shopping mall, flex clothes and jewels, play video games, help Tyler tease news about Camp Flag Gnaw Carnival at Dodger Stadium, and more. Quirky camera tricks and numerous meme-worthy moments from Lamar and Keem add to the carefree and fun energy that the duo brings to the video, a rarity for the former when it comes to his visuals. — Wongo Okon
10. “B*tch, Don’t Kill My Vibe”
An early standout from Kendrick’s catalog, the video for “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe” lays much of the groundwork for what will become recurring motifs throughout his videography: Striking, spiritualistic imagery (a funeral in a well-appointed church, with mourners dressed in white-on-white rather than the traditional black), an unexpected cameo from a Los Angeles legend (in this case, standup comic Mike Epps, who baptizes Kendrick in a “pool full a liquor,” a callback to another Good Kid, M.A.A.D single, “Swimming Pools”), and the abiding contrast/coexistence of communal celebration and solo introspection. A bonus highlight: The very 2010s unsubtle product placement shot, which scans as one of K. Dot’s most “here, damn” concessions to commercialism in a career full of them. — A.W.
9. “Element”
Kendrick Lamar’s promise to “make it look sexy” if he ever had to “slap a p*ssy ass n****” on “Element” hits a lot differently in the wake of his beef with Drake. Prophetic foreshadowing aside, “Element” is a prime example of the persona Lamar carries today: impenetrable, undefeatable, and unconquerable. Its visual, directed by Jonas Lindstroem & The Little Homies, captures Lamar in militant form. Nearly every time Lamar appears in the video, he is either standing above us or surrounded by a crew of supporters who are all on standby for a brutal fight. For three-and-a-half minutes, Lamar, bloody white t-shirt and all, embraces the boogeyman characteristic in a fine display of kingship in the rap game that resonates more than ever today. — W.O.
8. “These Walls” Feat. Bilal, Anna Wise & Thundercat
“It was Kendrick! Yeah, Kendrick Lamar!” Corey Holcomb proclaims this in the opening scene of the “These Walls” video which is actually titled “Behind The Walls: A Black Comedy.” The video, directed by Colin Tilley and The Little Homies, lives up to that title as we’re invited into a house party complete with drinking, drugs, fights, and loud music. In this one, Lamar doesn’t even rap the Grammy-winning song’s words until the very end. Instead, he enjoys a dance with a woman against a wall before breaking through it and falling into another room, all to continue the fun in another room. He also teams up with an overzealous Terry Crews to perform the Hit The Quan dance at a talent show. The colorful visual continues with a shift back to the party where Holcomb arrives to see Lamar with his lady, something that doesn’t entirely mind as he finds two for himself. The fun is short-lived for Holcomb who gets hauled away by two cops after he crashed into a police cruiser as he parked before entering the party. Comedic angle aside, the video, true to the song’s message, is a true visual representation of what occurs within the walls of the mind and a home as men like Kendrick and Holcomb aspire to explore the walls of a woman. — W.O.
7. “Loyalty” Feat. Rihanna
“Loyalty,” Kendrick Lamar and Rihanna’s first-ever collaboration, is a standout on DAMN. for many reasons, one being the perilous visual the song received. For four minutes, Lamar and Rihanna flirt with many of life’s harmful dangers to prove that their love and loyalty to each other are unmatched. Rihanna taunts a man by spitting her gum on him, and when he angrily approaches her, Lamar is there to knock him out. He later dangles Rihanna off the roof of a building before they both lay on its edge as if they’re on ground level and not hundreds of feet in the air. The “Loyalty” visual ends with Lamar and Rihanna absorbing the blow of a tractor-trailer crashing into their car as Lamar does donuts in the middle of an intersection. — W.O.
6. “Count Me Out”
Though Kendrick Lamar’s video for “Count Me Out” isn’t as eventful as the other standout visuals in his videography, it excels by capturing the mindset that created< em>Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. The visual begins with a conversation with his therapist, played by Oscar award-winning actress Helen Mirren, where the two laugh about Lamar stealing a woman’s parking spot and delve into a more serious discussion about his self-doubts. The Dave Free and Kendrick Lamar-directed video then splits into three screens with a visual of Lamar rapping the first verse of “Count Me Out,” another of Mirren listening intently, and a third that pairs images of pain, anger, fear, joy, strife, contention, and more to Lamar’s words. — W.O.
5. “N95”
“N95” is hands-down the best video to come down from the Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers era for a multitude of reasons. It succinctly captures the erratic and chaotic atmosphere of the song and the album as a whole. Want to see and hear where Kendrick’s head was in 2022? Look no further than the “N95” video. Furthermore, from a more general standpoint, it’s just a sick visual. It juxtaposes itself over and over again in just seconds, going from Kendrick in full sprint as he evades an angry mob to watching the rapper gracefully scales down steps by a waterfall. He sits in peace and reads a pgLang magazine before a car tumbles by a clears out chairs just a few away from the one he sits in. Add in shots of Lamar doing burpees, floating over the ocean in a Christ-like position, hitting donuts in a car with Baby Keem, and more, and you have a visual worthy of a top-five slot in Lamar’s career. — W.O.
4. “Alright”
Arguably the best of Kendrick Lamar’s videos, “Alright” earns its place thanks in part to bearing the hallmarks of Kendrick’s videos — community, camaraderie, visual metaphors for resilience — and throwing in one of the best-sounding unreleased songs of Kendrick’s entire catalog. It’s still the only place to hear this song, which by itself should be enough of a recommendation for this video, but just for the sake of argument, “Alright” is also the recipient of the 2016 Grammy Awards for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song and was nominated for that year’s MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year. — A.W.
3. “Not Like Us”
This is why we’re here, people. A visual representation of Los Angeles culture, of Kendrick’s rap dominance, of his hometown hero status, the video also doubles as a bit of a wake for that poor OVO owl. From smashing an owl piñata to putting a live owl inside a cage, the video reflects the song’s primary goal of burying Kendrick’s longtime foe Drake, while at the same time, uses the controversy as an opportunity to highlight K Dot’s hometown, from the Tommy The Clown and DeMar DeRozan cameos to its raucous, impromptu community gathering at Compton City Hall. — A.W.
2. “DNA”
The best videos in Kendrick Lamar’s career came from his DAMN. era. Look no further than the “DNA” visual for proof of this. Don Cheadle stars as an interrogator ready to give Lamar a lie detector test when he is shocked into the same rhythm as the rapper, rapping the lyrics of “DNA” as if they both wrote the song from the same experience of anger and struggle. The moment takes a mental toll on both men, but Lamar reigns supreme as Cheadle succumbs to Lamar and lets him go before falling to his knees in defeat. For the rest of the “DNA” video, we watch an erratic Lamar shoot dice with friends, recount past events, show off his Grammys, and more all while a group of girls drive a car recklessly through city streets – a conclusion that pairs perfectly with the song’s chaotic second half. — W.O.
1. “Humble”
“Humble” was the first single from Kendrick’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 2017 album, DAMN., and its release heralded the largest leap the Compton artist had taken in public awareness in his career. It was his first solo No. 1 on the Hot 100, and it won Grammys for Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and most relevant here, Best Music Video. The video is another Dave Free masterwork, incorporating more of the religious iconography that Kendrick has grappled with throughout his career, borrowing as much from the distinctive visual style of Hype Williams as from Leonardo da Vinci, whose “Last Supper” plays centerpiece to the point Kendrick makes lyrically on “Humble.” To this day, it is still the most-viewed video on his YouTube channel. — A.W.
Even though the rap battle between Drake and Kendrick Lamar is seemingly over, their fan bases are still going at it. Most people love to pick sides and go to bat for their beloved artist, celebrity, athlete, etc. Throughout this legendary beef we have constantly seen Lamar’s supporters rip Drake at every turn. For Drizzy, they are still holding out hope and make the case that he won the feud. However, their Canadian superstar has not been doing them any favors. Ever since “Not Like Us” dropped, the multi-hyphenate seems to make questionable decision after questionable decision.
Whether it be removing diss tracks, dropping head-scratching guest performances, and reference tracks leaking, he cannot seem to do anything right. Now, Drake is getting accused by Kendrick’s fans for copying the fit he wore on the cover of Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. The Boy wore this ensemble to Adonis’ recent soccer game, in which the youngster’s mother, Sophie Brussaux, was also in attendance for. Looking at the outfits side by side, we can see why he is being called out.
— Team TOP DAWG ENT. – Fan Page (@_TopDawgEnt_) June 11, 2024
Drake posted the photo seen above on his Instagram with yet another cryptic message. “Goats don’t worry about one trick ponies.” This could certainly be a shot at K-Dot, as this was something that he consistently did even during the battle. If this was an attempt to shush the dead-beat dad claims, it still did not work. Kendrick fans are never going to let him get away easily and this is one clear indicator of that.
What are your thoughts on Drake dressing like Kendrick Lamar did for Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers? Do you think he nearly copied it piece by piece? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section below. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Drake and Kendrick Lamar. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.
Charlamagne Tha God recently recalled how he had to block out other people’s opinions on Kendrick Lamar’s album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. Speaking with The Diary Of A CEO, Charlamagne explained how fans are always trying to influence what he says about music on The Breakfast Club.
“If your emotional IQ is so low that people on social media can dictate how you move, how you think, how you talk, you’re not a smart person to me. Smart people know how to disconnect from that. And smart people know how to go do some meditation and make sure that their thoughts are absolutely positively their own,” Charlamagne explained.
Charlamagne Tha God During The Black Effect Podcast Festival
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 22: Charlamagne Tha God during The 2023 Black. Effect Podcast Festival at Pullman Yards on April 22, 2023, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for iHeartMedia)
From there, he revealed how people have been trying to tell them their thoughts on Kendrick Lamar. He added: “I love Kendrick Lamar. I think he’s fantastic. I think Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, in the future, is gonna be known as one of the most important hip-hop albums of all time. That one and JAY-Z’s 4:44. But, people are hitting me and telling me their thoughts and telling me their opinions and I’m blocking all of that because I listened to the record. I listened to it five or six times, I know what I got from it. I know what I feel about it. And, I’m not letting y’all change my mind.” Check out his full comments on the issue below.
Charlamagne Tha God Speaks On Kendrick Lamar
Charlamagne speaks about the importance of disconnecting from social media and blocking people who contact his phone trying to influence his opinion about Kendrick Lamar’s album “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.”
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) May 27, 2024
Kendrick Lamar dropped Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers back in May 2022. It was met with widespread acclaim from critics and debuted atop the Billboard 200. Be on the lookout for further updates on Charlamagne Tha God on HotNewHipHop.
Ghostface Killah is a legend in any time period. He’s dominated other artists for over three decades, and he’s gone head-to-head with the likes of Biggie and Nas. Ghost’s reputation is bulletproof (insert wallets joke here), which would probably intimidate any rapper who attempted to collaborate with him. Kendrick Lamar is the exception to the rule, apparently. Ghostface Killah talked about his 2022 song with Lamar, “Purple Hearts,” and how impressed he was with the latter’s work ethic. He was so impressed, in fact, that he upped his game.
Ghostface recounted the collab during a recent appearance on the Juan Epstein podcast. He was asked about the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar (because everybody is these days), and he redirected the convo to “Purple Hearts.” The Wu-Tang rapper was “honored” to contribute to Lamar’s double album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. “He put his call in and it was like, ‘Yo, okay. This is one of them names,’” he recalled. “I ain’t take him lightly because his wordplay, his style, y’know what I mean? Now, I just gotta do what I feel.”
Ghostface knew that he couldn’t phone in a verse, however. He put down his bars for “Purple Hearts,” then decided to write and record a second verse just in case. He wanted to make sure Lamar was happy with the final product, so he gave him multiple options. “[These young guys] can really, really rhyme,” he explained. “That’s why when I did the record with Kendrick, it was like, ‘Okay… I sat with it and was like — I sent him two verses. I sent him a ‘just in case’ one. Like, ‘N**ga, if that don’t go, this one [will].’”
This isn’t the first time Ghostface Killah has praised the Compton rapper. During a 2022 interview with Billboard, Ghost gave Kendrick Lamar his flowers and singled him out as one of the best of his generation along with J. Cole. “For a lot these [fans] in the younger generation, [their favorite], it’s either Kendrick or J. Cole,” he noted. “I gave him his praises, and he boomeranged that sh*t back.” This was well before the Big Three battle, but it’s safe to assume Ghost’s high opinion of Lamar is even higher now. The rapper’s victory has even led to Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers re-entering the Billboard 200.
Last year, Kendrick Lamar returned with his new albumMr. Morale & The Big Steppers. The project followed a long 5-year drought of studio albums dating back to the release of DAMN. in 2017. Following the release of the critically acclaimed album he took off on a major tour in support of it. Dates across North America and Europe saw the rapper lighting up the stage for massive delighted crowds. Much like some of his major touring contemporaries Taylor Swift and Beyonce did this year, Kendrick captured the magic of the tour in a concert film.
For the Mr. Morale concert film, Kendrick focused on just one show rather than collecting performances from various shows and assembling them together. The show he chose to focus on was a massive sold-out affair in Paris in October of last year. The show was originally streamed through Twitch before an edited version made its way onto Amazon Prime. Earlier this week Kendrick was in attendance for a screening of the film which was followed by a Q&A where he explained some of the motivation behind the project. Check out some of the answers he gave below.
In the Q&A, Kendrick Lamar answers numerous questions about the creative decisions that went into the film. When asked about why he chose Paris Kendrick had some jokes before delivering a genuine answer. “N-ggas was just copying JAY-Z and Kanye,” he joked. “We was thuggin’ around that m*thafucka like 2012, 2014. That was like second home, just shooting sh*t, just getting material. So to go back and shoot on the anniversary of good kid, that’s special.”
When asked what he did differently knowing the show was being filmed, Kendrick had a hilarious answer. “The difference for me was, I was shaking major ass, man. I ain’t never shaken that much ass, bro! But at the same time, it’s freeing, though, ’cause that’s who I am.” What do you think of Kendrick Lamar’s reflections on his concert film from last year? Let us know in the comment section below.
Back in 2017, Kendrick Lamar remarked on his track “The Heart Part 4” that there’s “a difference between accomplishments and astonishments.” To no one’s surprise, one of the greatest artists of the past fifteen years continues to do both. Moreover, the Compton MC’s 2022 album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers has spent a full year on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Chart Data reported the accolade and specified that the project currently sits at No. 110. Interestingly enough, his previous LP (2017’s DAMN.) is currently at No. 41.
Of course, such an achievement is expected from a body of work that has garnered such widespread and agreed-upon acclaim amid hip-hop heads, casual listeners, and the wider pop culture sphere. Kendrick Lamar’s latest full-length work won Best Rap Album at the 2023 Grammys, and provoked deep conversations around its themes. Across its nineteen tracks, the former TDE artist delves into spirituality, family, generational trauma, talent, responsibility, social change, and much more. In fact, it’s quite the feat to have such a dense album contain as many accessible bangers as it does emotive breathers.
Still, that’s Kung Fu Kenny for you, who continued his streak of record-breaking and awe-inspiring moves. For example, his tour for the project, supported by Baby Keef and Tanna Leone, became the highest-grossing headlining trek by a rapper in history. With that milestone, he surpassed the likes of Kanye West, Drake, Lil Wayne, Travis Scott, and many other insane concert series. Especially these days, it can seem tough to find artists in the game who break artistic ground as much as they break commercial records. But those talented MCs are always there, and Kendrick Lamar is currently leading the charge.
However, rap fans are also excited to see who will reach similar heights of crossover appeal and creative amazement. That’s not to say that they’ve become less hungry for new offerings from the 35-year-old, not by a long shot. His leaks garner a lot of attention online, whether for the potential displays or by their quality as they stand. For at least ten years, he’s been at the top of the game, and it’s been crazy to see him hold onto that spot no matter how long he takes to drop. For more updates and the latest news on Kendrick Lamar, log back into HNHH.
The biggest hip hop tours of all time serve as a key reminder as to how crucial concerts are to the hip hop genre. As we continually move towards a digital era, concerts remain the lifeblood of artists’ livelihoods. The Covid-19 pandemic shied a visible light on this, as complaints surrounding streaming revenue for artists became even louder during the pandemic. Essentially, the music industry realized that the hard-earned money of fans looking to see their favorite artist live was still the hallmark source of revenue for artists and music companies alike.
The pandemic left artists lost as they scrambled to figure out other sources of revenue to keep their image relevant. In addition, many struggled to find meaning in their work because they may never be able to display it to a live crowd. In essence, tours remain an essential aspect of the music industry. This is especially the case for hip hop, where the energy of many tracks is best conveyed in a live setting. Take a Playboi Carti set, where fans lose their minds to “Rockstar Made” while shoving each other in a mosh pit. We’re looking back on the highest-earning tours in hip-hop history.
1. Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale And The Big Steppers (2023)
GLASTONBURY, ENGLAND – JUNE 26: Kendrick Lamar performs as he headlines the Pyramid Stage during day five of Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 26, 2022 in Glastonbury, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)
Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers tour has officially become the highest-grossing tour in hip-hop history. In fact, it’s the highest-grossing tour by far. Going nationwide, the tour garnered $110 million in revenue across 73 shows. His fifth studio album was his most anticipated yet, as he returned from a five-year hiatus from music. Lamar was as introspective as ever, delving into his personal biases and rapping about the demons of Compton life that still live within him. However, Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers also has plenty of crowd-including bangers such as “N95” and “Silent Hill.”
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 12: Offset and Drake attend Huncho Reality “The Album Release Experience on October 12, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Prince Williams/FilmMagic)
Drake and The Migos were arguably at their respective peaks in 2018. Amidst the rollout of Scorpion, Drake’s “God’s Plan” and “In My Feelings” took over the internet. The Migos had just released Culture II, the follow-up to their highly successful Culture debut. The two titans coming together would always generate one of the biggest hip-hop tours to date. The tour innovated the performance setting for hip-hop artists. Drake decided to switch things up by performing in the middle of the stadium on a raised, rectangular platform rather than a traditional stage. Darting from corner to corner, the Toronto-based MC was tasked will keeping all four sides of the crowd engaged. The increased fan accessibility was a hit, making Aubrey & The Three Migos the second highest-grossing tour of all time.
ATLANTA, GA – JUNE 20: Future and Drake perform onstage at Hot 107.9 Birthday Bash Block Show at Phillips Arena on June 20, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
Views ran the summer of 2016. From the iconic dance grooves such as “Hotline Bling” and “One Dance,” it only made sense for Drake to top off the album with a nationwide tour of the record. He counteracted the smooth grooves of Views for the Summer Sixteen Tour by collaborating with Future. Naturally, much of the What a Time to Be Alive mixtape was performed throughout the tour. Generating over $84 million across 56 dates, the tour dethroned the Watch the Throne tour for the highest-grossing hip-hop tour ever.
WASHINGTON, DC – November 3rd, 2011 – Chart-topping rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West perform their collaborative album Watch The Throne at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kyle Gustafson/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Kanye West and Jay-Z were the two hip hop kingpins in the early 2010s. The two shifted the sound of hip hop, a process that began all the way back to The Blueprint. Ye’s notoriety as a producer grabbed the attention of Jay-Z, who worked with him throughout much of the project. This would kick off a decade-long slew of collaborations, which would peak with Watch the Throne. The two would parlay the hit record into the most successful hip hop tour to date, grossing $75 million. Featuring striking visual elements and seamless crowd control, the two set the bar for other performing MCs to live up to.
5. Kendrick Lamar – DAMN. (2017)
NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 28: Recording artist Kendrick Lamar accepts the Best Rap Album award for ‘Damn’ onstage during the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage)
Even for Kendrick Lamar’s humble and melancholic personality, he’s still established himself as one of the most in-demand touring artists. While he most recently proved this with the Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers tour, Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN. was his most commercially successful record to date. Featuring bangers such as “DNA” and “Humble,” his fourth studio album was his most expensive-sounding project. Lamar explored his journey from the streets of Compton to the limelight on the project. He’s keenly aware of his faults in a record that, similar to Tyler, the Creator’s Igor, was sequenced as a perfect thematic loop. DAMN.’s success was inevitably reflected in the project’s tour, which grossed over $40 million in North America alone.
DJ Akademiks Crashes Out on Kendrick Lamar
