Drake Breaks Kendrick Lamar’s Record For Best-Selling Rap Tour

As the highest-grossing touring act of all time in hip-hop across his entire career, it’s no surprise that Drake can beat a few more records in this field. Moreover, his It’s All A Blur tour became the best-selling rap tour of all time- and that’s counting just 30 of the 72 shows on its schedule. This means that the 6 God beat out Kendrick Lamar’s The Big Steppers tour, which previously held claim to this milestone. K.Dot’s trek grossed around $110 million, whereas current calculations from Touring Data indicate that Drizzy earned about $130 million so far. Once we have data from the entirety of this concert series, that number will probably skyrocket.

Furthermore, perhaps this is an indicator of how successful these massive and mainstream hip-hop tours must be to warrant a seat at the table. Drake could very well raise this record by more than double if these numbers are accurate, creating a lot of safe distance between him and whoever is number two in this race. Other high-profile treks like Travis Scott’s current UTOPIA run, Lil Uzi Vert’s The Pink Tape shows, and many others could also find themselves in contention. But getting these kinds of profits with less than half of your concerts is a tough metric to reach.

Read More: Drake Fans Thank Joe Budden For “Scary Hours 3”

Drake’s Estimated It’s All A Blur Tour Numbers So Far

For those unaware, the It’s All A Blur tour is getting yet another collaborative leg in the U.S. Its first iteration was alongside 21 S*vage, and in early 2024, Drake will hit the road once again- this time with J. Cole– for the trek’s second leg: the Big As The What? run. Surely, this additional collection of performances will be equally as acclaimed and popular, especially with another artist who people consider the GOAT. It’s actually quite curious that their other competition, at least when it comes to gross tour sales, is the other candidate in that three-headed race. Also, given the possible differences in pricing points, it’s unclear whether this tour was simply more expensive or got more people into its seats, and many will argue about whether that’s a valid achievement to boast about.

Meanwhile, with the lyrically dense and sonically classic expansion to For All The Dogs, Scary Hours 3, it’s nice to hear that Aubrey Graham is treating the rap game more like a competition and proving his worth. It’s boring for sales to be your main point of dominance, even if he’s still as culturally influential and popular as ever. Once a titan brings the bars out, their place in hip-hop stardom is a much more treasured and interesting type of contested reign. Nevertheless, check back in with HNHH for the latest news and updates on Drake.

Read More: J. Cole On Kendrick Lamar Collab Album: “We Ain’t Ever Got The Chance”

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Kendrick Lamar’s Big Steppers Tour Is Just As Electrifying And Mystifying As His Latest Album

Kendrick Lamar’s Big Steppers Tour is just as electrifying, frustrating, and mystifying as the album it promotes. In May, when Kendrick released Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, it received a polarizing response from fans who weren’t quite sure how to parse the dense themes or the Compton rapper’s handling of those themes. While some observers like Pusha T and Tyler The Creator praised the album’s lyrical dexterity and honesty (especially on songs like “Auntie Diaries“), others were put off by the discomfort of hearing Kendrick get cussed out by his lady on “We Cry Together” and his questionable stance on COVID conspiracies on the probably overly metaphorical “N95.”

None of that stopped Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers from going straight to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in its first week with the biggest streaming and sales week of 2022 to that point. Say what you want about how tangled and obscure K. Dot made his Top Dawg swan song, but he is still one of hip-hop’s brightest-shining stars. And really, on Thursday night at Staples Center — sorry, Crypto.com Arena (ugh) — he shined as brightly as he ever did, even as the album’s strained symbolism threatened to throw a lampshade on the whole affair.

The thing about symbolism and metaphors is that they are only really as effective as the audience’s ability to readily interpret them. Jesus spoke in parables, Aesop taught in fables, and American Southerners have dozens of witty aphorisms for just about every situation imaginable. But something I’ve noticed over the last few years — and you may have, as well — is that a lot of the truths those lessons were designed to teach have been lost on a lot of us. It may be easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle than a rich man to get into heaven, but that hasn’t stopped supposedly devout evangelicals from hoarding wealth. The Old Woman and the Doctor might well condemn the greed inherent to the medical profession but it’s still a billion-dollar business.

So it goes with Mr. Morale. Kendrick was disinterested in providing a codex for translating the hyper-confessional project, which may have contributed to its divided reception. Likewise, the show also eschews easy interpretation, incorporating shadow play, fraternity marches (big steppers, get it?), and oblique references to the ongoing pandemic that hewed dangerously close to Hotep bullshit. On one hand, the staging is remarkably stark; Kendrick spends much of his time alone on the stage, with little going on around him to distract from his always dazzling performance. On the other hand, when Kenny’s dancers re-emerge a half dozen times to line step around him in various outfits, it feels both cluttered and hashed together, like it’s supposed to mean something, but nobody ever took the time to figure out what.

Maybe I have been to too many arena shows at this point, but in terms of theme and aesthetic presentation, this might have been the least impressive one I’ve seen in a while. What was on display was Kendrick’s star power, the fact that he could basically just stand there on stage and do nothing and elicit an explosive reaction from the audience — which is why I wish he’d left goofy gimmicks like a barely utilized ventriloquist’s dummy and the plastic quarantine cube in his imagination. Even his wardrobe — a white nudie suit with “Compton” airbrushed on the back worn with a sparkling bedazzled glove on just one hand like a certain King Of Pop with an eroded legacy — gave “half-baked allusion to other, more thoughtfully-produced ideas.” I mean, was the MJ reference an effective homage in the context of the thesis or just derivative? I still can’t decide.

Meanwhile, that suit called to mind another recent piece of pop culture that turned out to be polarizing but that I loved. In Jordan Peele’s recently released summer blockbuster Nope, Steven Yeun’s Ricky “Jupe” Park sports a similarly elaborate getup in his UFO-themed rodeo show as he seeks to create a spectacle that can both return him to the spotlight and ease his trauma from his last run-in with notoriety. However, Jupe has learned all the wrong lessons and pays the price for his hubris; Nope, as has been repeatedly stated throughout the film’s press run, is about the dangers of spectacle for spectacle’s sake.

That isn’t to say that Kendrick is in any danger of flying too close to the sun himself — yet. But it is starting to feel like he’s entering the messy, late-stage Kanye West phase of his career, where the appearance of meaning in his art is starting to become paramount to actually conveying a message that audiences can pick up loud and clear. Over the past few weeks, Kanye has given us plenty of cause to consider cults of celebrity being built on spectacle, and how easy it is for artists to lose touch and start buying their own bullshit. In an arena with thousands of people screaming for your every move and hanging on your every word, it’s easy to believe the hype — why else would someone loosely compare themselves to one of the biggest global pop stars to ever exist when they aren’t anywhere near the same level of celebrity?

I questioned all of this when I guested on Spotify’s RapCaviar Podcast a few weeks ago — ironically, through another metaphorical tale, The Emperor’s New Clothes. But maybe that’s the point of all the silliness, too. Maybe it’s a way for Kendrick to ground himself, to poke fun at the pretentiousness of it all — one of the running themes of the album that gets highlighted on “Savior.” Either way, as a fellow Comptoner, I have always rooted for Kendrick Lamar. May he always remain that kid from Compton and never lose sight of that humility, however bright the spotlight gets.

Kendrick Lamar Paused A Concert To Share Inspirational Words With A Young Boy In The Crowd

A 9-year-old boy named Kendrick attended his first ever concert in Detroit on Sunday night. Naturally, he went to see his idol Kendrick Lamar play at the Little Caesar’s Arena. And Lamar, who has been creating lasting moments already on The Big Steppers Tour, made this an unforgettable first concert experience for the younger Kendrick and for everybody else who was in and around the concert in Detroit.

While performing “Count Me Out,” Lamar noticed his 9-year-old namesake, who had written on a poster-board sign, “My name is Kendrick. This is my first concert. Can we take a pic.” Lamar looked over at the boy holding up the sign and flashed a huge smile while rapping the song like there was an immediate connection between the pair. Then, he broke his stride to address young Kendrick.

“It’s your first concert? You will forever be great,” he said as the crowd roared amidst all the feels. “You’re great right now – you can do whatever you put your mind to, you know? You understand that? I remember when I was your age as well, dreaming. Lil Kendrick, do what you wanna do in life.”

But that was just the first part of the magical evening for 9-year-old Kendrick. He met his idol after the show, who scribed a note to him on the back side of the poster board. It read: “Young Kendrick, thank you for coming. I’m glad we got to exchange energy. You are special. Continue to manifest the great energy you possess!!! See you next time!!! Luv!!!”

This experience equates to catching a foul ball in your first baseball game. Except instead of a foul ball, the team asked you to play outfield and you caught the last fly ball off a no-hitter. Bravo Lil Kendrick.

Kendrick Lamar Played A Tiny NYC Show With Jay-Z And Beyoncé In The Crowd

Kendrick Lamar is currently in the thick of his The Big Steppers Tour in support of his triumphant new album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. This past weekend, the Compton rapper played three dates in New York City, with two nights at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on Friday and Saturday, followed by a Sunday show at UBS Arena in Long Island on Sunday. But that was clearly not enough of New York on-stage time for Lamar. So, on Saturday night, Kendrick played an intimate stripped-down performance at Brooklyn’s Dumbo House, where Jay-Z and Beyoncé were both in attendance and Kendrick tipped a cap to Jay-Z for a very specific reason.

In the stripped-down performance for what looks like less than 100 people, Kendrick was backed only by a keyboard and bass and when he was playing “The Heart Part 5,” he stopped mid flow to thank Jay-Z for clearing a lyric sample. “I say I do this for my culture,” he rapped, before delivering an aside to his esteemed guest: “Hov, good looking out for clearing that muthaf*cking line. You ain’t never… you ain’t never charged me for a muthaf*cking line, dog! You know, I really appreciate that sh*t.”

Some folks captured Jay-Z and Beyoncé leaving the members-only club (which is the Brooklyn outpost of the more well-known Soho House) after the performance, but not before Jay, Kendrick, Baby Keem, Tanna Leone, and Dave Free had time to pose for a photo together.

This was a special one for anyone in attendance, but one Dumbo House regular missed out on surprise. Give this dude a hug if you see him around town:

Kendrick Lamar Shares 50 Photos of Big Steppers Tour on Instagram

Kendrick Lamar Big Steppers Tour 1

Kendrick Lamar may be in the middle of his “Big Steppers” tour, but he’s apparently not too busy performing to share his perception of his experience with fans. The artist took to Instagram on Wednesday afternoon where he uploaded 50 artistic photos of his recent tour along with a heartfelt and introspective message to his fans about his artistic struggles and motivation.

Kendrick Lamar Big Steppers Tour
Kendrick Lamar Big Steppers Tour

He uploaded the photos in just over an hour with no captions. Most of the photos, which appear to have been shot by a professional photographer, show Lamar performing a variety of his hits, often with dazzling special effects in the background. However, some are close crops of his outfits or props while others are silouhettes and wide panoramic shots that would look almost abstract if viewed too quickly.

While the photos did not have captions, the photo dump was accompanied by a heartfelt message in which he described his artistic struggle to create “Mother I Sober,” a song off his latest album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. The story read:

“ngl jesus jojo and mary. took a n**** 20 years to find mother i sober. rap has truly helped my expansion of self. beyond the perception of who I believe to be. on jojo. music is air to a young n**** at this point. mr. morale. the catalyst of my self expression. ill never forget the process of falling in love with imperfection. the piano. my fans. the stories of reconciliation i hear from penitentiaries to small villages. Some words will find you today. Some will find you in 10. find your children type sh**. sitting in like an old book. im forever underground. infiltrating the mainstream a la carte. these cities still beautiful to watch. on jojo. ily -ok ok!”

Dates for the “Big Steppers” tour can be found here: https://www.livenationentertainment.com/2022/05/kendrick-lamar-announces-the-big-steppers-tour/.

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Kendrick Lamar Opens ‘The Big Steppers Tour’ in Oklahoma City

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In Oklahoma City, OK’s Paycom Center, on Tuesday night, 14-time Grammy Award winner, Pulitzer Prize winner, and Academy Award nominee Kendrick Lamar began his world tour, THE BIG STEPPERS TOUR.

After a five-year hiatus, Kendrick returned to the stage to give his fans a stirring performance of songs from his critically acclaimed album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, which also includes the songs “Silent Hill,” “N95,” and “Savior,” in addition to the number-one singles “HUMBLE,” “Money Trees,” and “Alright.”

Live Nation’s enormous 65-show international tour will resume on Thursday, July 21, in Austin, Texas, and go on to other cities in North America, Europe, and Australia until coming to an end on December 17 in New Zealand with a performance at Auckland’s Spark Arena.

You can see images from the show and upcoming tour dates below.

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THE BIG STEPPERS TOUR 2022 DATES: 

Thu Jul 21 – Austin, TX – Moody Center 

Fri Jul 22 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center

Sat Jul 23 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center

Wed Jul 27 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena

Fri Jul 29 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center

Sat Jul 30 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena

Sun Jul 31 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena

Tue Aug 02 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center

Thu Aug 04 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena

Fri Aug 05 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center

Sat Aug 06 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center

Sun Aug 07 – Long Island, NY – UBS Arena

Tue Aug 09 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center

Wed Aug 10 – Boston, MA – TD Garden

Fri Aug 12 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena

Sat Aug 13 – Toronto, ON Scotiabank Arena

Sun Aug 14 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena

Tue Aug 16 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center

Thu Aug 18 – Milwaukee, WI – Fiserv Forum

Fri Aug 19 – Chicago, IL – United Center

Sat Aug 20 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center

Sun Aug 21 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center

Tue Aug 23 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena

Wed Aug 24 – Salt Lake City, UT – Vivint Smart Home Arena

Fri Aug 26 – Portland, OR – Moda Center

Sat Aug 27 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena

Sun Aug 28 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena

Tue Aug 30 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center

Wed Aug 31 – Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena

Thu Sep 01 – Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena

Tue Sep 06 – San Diego, CA – Viejas Arena at San Diego State University

Wed Sep 07 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center

Fri Sep 09 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena

Sat Sep 10 – Phoenix, AZ – Footprint Center

Sun Sep 11 – Ontario, CA – Toyota Arena 

Wed Sep 14 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena

Thu Sep 15 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena

Fri Sep 16 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena

Sat Sep 17 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena

Fri Oct 07 – Amsterdam, NL – Ziggo Dome

Sat Oct 08 – Amsterdam, NL – Ziggo Dome

Mon Oct 10 – Prague, CZ – O2 Arena

Tue Oct 11 – Berlin, DE – Mercedes-Benz Arena

Thu Oct 13 – Hamburg, DE – Barclays Arena

Sat Oct 15 – Copenhagen, DK – Royal Arena

Mon Oct 17 – Stockholm, SE – Avicii Arena

Wed Oct 19 – Oslo, NO – Telenor Arena

Fri Oct 21 – Paris, FR – Accor Arena

Sat Oct 22 – Paris, FR – Accor Arena

Mon Oct 24 – Stuttgart, DE – Scheleyerhalle

Tue Oct 25 – Zurich, CH – Hallenstadion

Wed Oct 26 – Laussane, CH – Vaudoise Aréna

Fri Oct 28 – Antwerp, BE – Sportpaleis

Sun Oct 30 – Cologne, DE – Lanxess Arena

Mon Oct 31 – Frankfurt, DE – Festhalle

Wed Nov 02– Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro

Thu Nov 03 – Leeds, UK – First Direct Arena

Fri Nov 04 – Newcastle, UK – Utilita Arena 

Sat Nov 05 – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena 

Mon Nov 07 – London, UK – The O2

Tue Nov 08 – London, UK – The O2

Wed Nov 09 – London, UK – The O2

Sun Nov 13 – Dublin, IE – 3Arena

Mon Nov 14 – Dublin, IE – 3Arena

Wed Nov 16 – Manchester, UK – AO Arena

Thu Dec 01 – Perth, AUS – RAC Arena

Sun Dec 04 – Melbourne, AUS – Rod Laver Arena

Mon Dec 05 – Melbourne, AUS – Rod Laver Arena

Thu Dec 08 – Sydney, AUS – Qudos Bank Arena

Fri Dec 09 – Sydney, AUS – Qudos Bank Arena

Mon Dec 12 – Brisbane, AUS – Entertainment Center

Fri Dec 16 – Auckland, NZ – Spark Arena

Sat Dec 17 – Auckland, NZ – Spark Arena

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Kendrick Lamar Announces “Oklama Presents… The Big Steppers Tour”

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Kendrick Lamar is hitting the road this Summer — in support of the release of his new album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers — as he announced on Friday morning (May 13) dates for his upcoming Oklama Presents… The Big Steppers Tour featuring K.Dot’s proteges Baby Keem and Tanna Leone — brought to you by Amazon Music, Cash App and Rotation.

MORE: Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers’ Album Is Here

Kicking off in Oklahoma City July 19, the 65-city tour runs nationwide all summer long with its last U.S. stop in Los Angeles on September 15 before heading for international terrains from October to December with stops including Amsterdam, London and Sydney. General admission tickets go on sale worldwide May 20 at 12 PM local time via the Oklama website. The same website Kendrick used to announce Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers would be his “final” album with Top Dawg Entertainment.

For U.S. dates, the first tickets to the tour will be made available via an exclusive Cash App presale starting one day earlier at 10 AM local time.

See complete 2022 tour dates below.

Tue Jul 19 – Oklahoma City, OK – Paycom Center

Thu Jul 21 – Austin, TX – Moody Center 

Fri Jul 22 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center

Sat Jul 23 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center

Sun Jul 24 – Miami, FL – Rolling Loud

Wed Jul 27 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena

Fri Jul 29 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center

Sat Jul 30 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena

Sun Jul 31 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena

Tue Aug 02 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center

Thu Aug 04 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena

Fri Aug 05 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center

Sat Aug 06 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center

Sun Aug 07 – Long Island, NY – UBS Arena

Tue Aug 09 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center

Wed Aug 10 – Boston, MA – TD Garden

Fri Aug 12 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena

Sat Aug 13 – Toronto, ON Scotiabank Arena

Sun Aug 14 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena

Tue Aug 16 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center

Thu Aug 18 – Milwaukee, WI – Fiserv Forum

Fri Aug 19 – Chicago, IL  – United Center

Sat Aug 20 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center

Sun Aug 21 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center

Tue Aug 23 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena

Wed Aug 24 – Salt Lake City, UT – Vivint Smart Home Arena

Fri Aug 26 – Portland, OR – Moda Center

Sat Aug 27 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena

Sun Aug 28 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena

Tue Aug 30 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center

Wed Aug 31 – Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena

Thu Sep 01 – Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena

Tue Sep 06 – San Diego, CA – Viejas Arena at San Diego State University

Wed Sep 07 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center

Fri Sep 09 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena

Sat Sep 10 – Phoenix, AZ – Footprint Center

Tue Sep 14 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena

Wed Sep 15 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena

Fri Oct 07 – Amsterdam, NL – Ziggo Dome

Mon Oct 10 – Prague, CZ – O2 Arena

Tue Oct 11 – Berlin, DE – Mercedes-Benz Arena

Thu Oct 13 – Hamburg, DE – Barclays Arena

Sat Oct 15 – Copenhagen, DK – Royal Arena

Mon Oct 17 – Stockholm, SE – Avicii Arena

Wed Oct 19 – Oslo, NO – Telenor Arena

Fri Oct 21 – Paris, FR – Accor Arena

Mon Oct 24 – Stuttgart, DE – Scheleyerhalle

Tue Oct 25 – Zurich, CH – Hallenstadion

Wed Oct 26 – Laussane, CH – Vaudoise Aréna

Fri Oct 28 – Antwerp, BE – Sportpaleis

Sun Oct 30 – Cologne, DE – Lanxess Arena

Mon Oct 31 – Frankfurt, DE – Festhalle

Wed Nov 02– Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro

Thu Nov 03 – Leeds, UK – First Direct Arena

Fri Nov 04 – Newcastle, UK – Utilita Arena 

Sat Nov 05 – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena 

Mon Nov 07 – London, UK – The O2

Tue-Nov 08 – London, UK – The O2

Sun Nov 13 – Dublin, IE – 3Arena

Wed Nov 16 – Manchester, UK – AO Arena

Thu Dec 01 – Perth, AUS – RAC Arena

Sun Dec 04 – Melbourne, AUS – Rod Laver Arena

Thu Dec 08 – Sydney, AUS – Qudos Bank Arena

Mon Dec 12 – Brisbane, AUS – Entertainment Center

Fri Dec 16 – Auckland, NZ – Spark Arena

MORE: Kendrick Lamar Reveals ‘Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers’ Cover Art

A double album that also includes Baby Keem and Tanna Leone, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers features Kodak Black, Sampha, Blxst, Summer Walker, Ghostface Killah, Beth Gibbons, Sam Dew and actress Taylour Paige (“Zola”). The new album marks Lamar’s first album in five years since the release of his Pultizer Prize-winning DAMN. in 2017.

See the tour’s promotional flyer above that advertises “Come help Mr. Morale get out of the box.”

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