Kendrick Lamar has just announced his upcoming “Pop Out – Ken & Friends” concert in Inglewood, California. The live show will kick off at 3 PM on June 19. Fans expect a wide array of on-stage performers, though they have not announced any to the public yet. The show will also be Kendrick’s first outing since the dust has settled on his brutal beef with Drake. Billed as “Ken & Friends,” the event has already excited many fans about the possibility of their favorite rappers joining Kendrick on stage. Let’s take a look at a few favored artists who would surely turn heads at the event.
7. Mustard
Given that this “Pop Out” concert is Kendrick Lamar’s first live show since the Drake beef, the number one question on everyone’s mind is, will he perform “Not Like Us?” On one hand, it seems like a no-brainer, as the platinum-selling single has been touted as a massive summer anthem, and has drawn throngs of crowds worldwide. On the other hand, Kendrick Lamar may very well eschew this performance in favor of tracks that promote peace and togetherness due to the concert’s Juneteenth setting.
Either way, if Mustard takes the stage, we’ll know that an earthquake is coming, as the acclaimed DJ will surely have the crowd stomping from the moment they hear his iconic producer tag. Mustard has also announced plans to release an album this summer. This means the DJ could preview a wide array of previously unheard cuts at the show.
As long as we’re cool with playing Drake disses on stage at the “Pop Out” concert, Kendrick Lamar should absolutely bring Future and Metro Boomin into the mix. For starters, the trio could perform the explosive track “Like That,” which kicked off the beef back in March. Beyond that, Future and Metro have 2 full albums of brand-new material to showcase to the world. The albums, We Don’t Trust You and We Still Don’t Trust You, are some of the biggest releases of 2024. The Inglewood audience would certainly be welcoming to the iconic hip hop duo.
5. Kodak Black
Kendrick Lamar has made no secret of his kinship to Kodak Black in recent years. Yak was featured all over Lamar’s last album Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers, in the form of numerous spoken interludes and two highly-favored verses. Fans would certainly love to see Kodak Black live in concert alongside Kendrick Lamar, especially if it means seeing them perform “Silent Hill” together. If the rumors are true that Kendrick has a new album coming out in the near future, Kodak is a likely candidate to be on it, meaning the duo could even perform new unreleased music to the crowd.
4. Baby Keem
This one is almost a certainty, as Kendrick and Baby Keem tend to move as one unit together these days. It’s well known that the “Hillbillies” MCs are cousins, and Keem was placed in a number of front-and-center moments during Kendrick’s Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers album. Baby Keem also toured with Kendrick throughout the entirety of his record-shattering Big Steppers tour. Rumors have been bubbling for months now that there may even be a Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem joint album in the works, though no confirmation has been provided on that front from either artist just yet.
3. Kanye West
This is arguably the biggest long shot on this list, but it is still technically possible for Kanye West to make an appearance. West and Ty Dolla $ign have been making the rounds at numerous stops across the country to promote their ongoing Vultures album series. Kanye also firmly sided with Kendrick during the latter’s beef with Drake, even dropping a “Like That” remix. Despite this, people largely view Kanye as radioactive these days due to his outspoken antisemitism and public controversies.
Plus, Kanye did take subtle shots at Kendrick before dropping his “Like That” remix, arguing on a social media post that he “washed” Lamar on their 2016 collaboration “No More Parties In L.A.” While fans would love to see Kanye take the stage at Pop Out, nobody really knows the status of his working relationship with Kendrick right now.
2. SZA
Kendrick and SZA haven’t collaborated since the “Not Like Us” rapper departed their shared label, TDE, though they have been known to have exceptional chemistry on wax. Some fans have suggested that SZA has sided with Drake in the recent beef. These rumors are unsubstantiated, though SZA has worked with Drake in the last year, and the Toronto native even shouted her out while dissing Kendrick on the song “Push Ups.” An appearance from SZA at Pop Out would be a perfect way to solidify that she’s still cool with Kendrick while also promoting her long-awaited upcoming project Lana, which she has teased since late 2022.
Speaking of TDE, Kendrick Lamar’s former label-mates ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock, and Ab-Soul would also be perfect picks to appear at the Pop Out concert. All three of the Compton MCs have deep roots in the neighborhood, as well as long-running relationships with Kendrick. Fans have demanded a Black Hippy collaboration album from the four artists for over a decade now, though it seems clear that it will never happen. At this point, a Black Hippy stage reunion would be the best that the fans can hope for. It would also make perfect sense as ScHoolboy Q recently dropped one of the hottest albums of the year with Blue Lips, while Jay Rock and Ab-Soul are each rumored to be working on new music behind the scenes.
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