The Pop Out — Ken & Friends

Why Did Kendrick Lamar Call Out Drake For Tupac’s Ring At ‘The Pop Out’?

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kendrick lamar The Pop Out – Ken & Friends Presented by pgLang and Free Lunch
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Kendrick Lamar’s The Pop Out — Ken & Friends Juneteenth concert — at Kia Forum in Inglewood, California on Wednesday night, June 19 — was bookended by Lamar reasserting his deep hatred for Drake. Lamar began his set with “Euphoria,” and his instantly iconic finale involved running through “Not Like Us” five times (six, if you count the instrumental as he left the stage) — both live debuts of his Drake diss tracks.

Fans noticed something different about “Euphoria,” as explained below.

Why Did Kendrick Lamar Call Out Drake For Tupac’s Ring At The Pop Out?

While performing “Euphoria” live for the first time, Lamar added a bar: “Give me Tupac’s ring back, and I might give you a lil respect.”

Last July, Drake bought a custom ring formerly belonging to the late Tupac Shakur at an auction. USA Today reported at the time that Drake dropped more than $1 million for the ring, which Sotheby’s described in a press release as “an exceedingly rare piece of Tupac’s signature aesthetic and a slice of hip-hop history” while confirming that Drake was the purchaser “after Shakur’s grandmother and lifelong supporter, Yaasmyn Fula, put it up for auction.”

Seeing as Tupac was a cornerstone for West Coast rap — Lamar has since taken on the mantle — and Drake has absolutely no allies within Los Angeles rap, it makes sense that Drake owning anything related to Tupac doesn’t sit well with Lamar.

Tangentially related, Lamar name-checked Tupac twice (“You think the Bay gon’ let you disrespect ‘Pac, n****?” & “Yeah, it’s all eyes on me, and I’ma send it up to ‘Pac”) in “Not Like Us” after Drake used AI-generated voices of Tupac and Snoop Dogg on “Taylor Made Freestyle,” one of his Kendrick diss tracks from April. Drake took a massive L on that — deleting it from social media after Tupac’s estate threatened legal action.

Kendrick Lamar Explained Why ‘The Pop Out’ Made Him ‘Emotional,’ Citing The Late Nipsey Hussle & Kobe Bryant

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Kendrick Lamar’s Juneteenth Pop Out concert proved to be a uniting moment for Los Angeles’ rap scene (and some of its local NBA stars) as swarms of local rappers including Kendrick’s own Black Hippy crew joined him onstage to perform some of their most iconic hits. Unfortunately, two of the city’s biggest pillars weren’t in attendance; Kendrick took time during his set to talk about the absence of rap mainstay Nipsey Hussle and NBA legend Kobe Bryant.

“This sh*t making me emotional,” he admitted. “We been f*cked up since Nipsey died. We been f*cked up since Kobe died… This is unity at its finest. We done lost a lot of homies to this music sh*t, to this street sh*t. For all of us to be together on stage, that sh*t is special.”

The slew of LA stars who appeared throughout the evening included rising stars like 310babii, AzChike, Bino Rideaux, BlueBucksClan, Kalan.FrFr, Rucci, OhGeesy, Ray Vaughn, Remble, Wallie The Sensei, and Zoe Osama, as well as veterans such as Blxst, Dom Kennedy, Jason Martin, RJMrLA, Roddy Ricch, Steve Lacy, Tyler The Creator, Westside Boogie, and YG. Dr. Dre, whose co-sign initially boosted Kendrick to superstardom, also appeared, while Kendrick and the assembled rappers teamed up to perform the Drake diss anthem “Not Like Us” five times in a row.

You can watch The Pop Out on Amazon Music Prime Video now.

Drake Got Eviscerated At Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Pop Out’ Concert And People Can’t Help But Imagine His Reaction

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Given that yesterday (June 19) was Juneteenth, it was a relatively slow news day in the music world. That is, except for one thing: Last night, Kendrick Lamar hosted The Pop Out — Ken & Friends, a special concert event that wasn’t about the Drake feud, but was also totally about the Drake feud. A number of Lamar’s Drake diss tracks made the setlist, most notably “Not Like Us,” which was performed five times in a row to end the show.

Folks online took notice: Drake became the No. 1 trending topic on X (formerly Twitter) and still is as of this post on Thursday morning.

A lot of the reactions were people imagining Drake’s reaction to the show, particularly to the repetition of “Not Like Us,” with tweets comedically imagining Drake feeling anger, frustration, or sadness.

Others just admired the whole situation. As one user put it, “17,000+ people gathered together in one place to call Drake a pedophile with Kendrick Lamar. This level of hate will never be duplicated.” Another noted, “Not Like Us to Drake is how Back To Back was for Meek [crying laughing emoji] Kendrick preformed the song 4 times and the entire arena rapped it word for word all 4 times.”

Check out some more reactions below.

Here Are All Of The Surprise Performers From Kendrick Lamar’s ‘The Pop Out’ Concert

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Kendrick Lamar concluded his sensational The Pop Out — Ken & Friends Juneteenth concert at Kia Forum in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, June 19, by welcoming all of the night’s surprise performers — the “friends” in the billing — to dance while he ran through “Not Like Us,” his masterclass Drake diss track that hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, five times in a row.

Below, check out all of those surprise performers from DJ Hed, Mustard, and Kendrick Lamar’s respective sets.

Here Are All Of The Surprise Performers From Kendrick Lamar’s ‘The Pop Out’ Concert

DJ Hed

Remble (“Touchable”)
Ray Vaughn (“Problems”)
Cuzzos (“Goldmembers”)
Rucci & AzChike (“Light It Up”)
Meet The Whoops (“Meet The Whoops”)
Wallie The Sensei (“03 Flow”)
Westside Boogie (“Silent Ride”)
Zoe Osama (“Underrated”)
Kalan.FrFr & G Perico (“Right Wit It”)
Bino Rideaux (“Bozo”)
BlueBucksClan (“Walkin’ In”)
RJMrLA (“Get Rich”)
OhGeesy (“Geekaleek”)
Jason Martin (“Like Whaaat”)
Tommy The Clown

Mustard

310babii (“Soak City [Do It]”)
Blxst (“Overrated” & “Chosen”)
Ty Dolla Sign (“Paranoid”)
Dom Kennedy (“My Type Of Party” & “When I Come Around”)
Steve Lacy (“Static” & “Bad Habit”)
Tyler The Creator (“WusYaName” & “Earfquake”)
Roddy Ricch (“Racks In The Middle,” “Die Young,” “The Box,” “Ballin’”)
YG (“BPT,” “My N****,” “You Broke,” “Toot It And Boot It,” “Who Do You Love?” & “Big Bank”)

Kendrick Lamar

Jay Rock (“Money Trees,” “Win,” “King’s Dead”)
Ab-Soul (“6:16 In LA”)
Schoolboy Q (“Collard Greens” & “THat Part”)
Dr. Dre (“Still D.R.E.” & “California Love”)

Here Is Kendrick Lamar’s ‘The Pop Out — Ken & Friends’ Concert Setlist

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Kendrick Lamar was a man on a mission tonight (June 19). His The Pop Out — Ken & Friends concert at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum featured DJ Hed and Mustard as openers, and their sets were each stacked with guest appearances, but Lamar exceeded all expectations once his set began. The bar was set extremely high from the jump, as Lamar opened with the live debut of “Euphoria,” one of his recent Drake diss tracks, but he cleared it with ease by punctuating the night with “Not Like Us” five times in a row. Five!

Check out Lamar’s full The Pop Out setlist below.

Kendrick Lamar’s ‘The Pop Out — Ken & Friends’ Concert Setlist

1. “Euphoria” (Live debut)
2. “DNA.”
3. “ELEMENT.”
4. “Alright”
5. “Swimming Pools (Drank)”
6. “Money Trees” (With Jay Rock)
7. “Win” (Jay Rock cover) (With Jay Rock)
8. “King’s Dead” (Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future, James Blake cover) (With Jay Rock)
9. “6:16 In LA” (With Ab-Soul) (Live debut)
10. “Collard Greens (Schoolboy Q cover) (With Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, and Jay Rock)
11. “THat Part” (Schoolboy Q cover) (with Schoolboy Q)
12. “King Kunta”
13. “m.A.A.d city”
14. “HUMBLE.”
15. “Like That” (Future and Metro Boomin cover) (Live debut)
16. “Still D.R.E.” (Dr. Dre cover) (With Dr. Dre)
17. “California Love” (2Pac cover) (With Dr. Dre)
18. “Not Like Us” (Live debut)
19. “Not Like Us”
20. “Not Like Us”
21. “Not Like Us”
22. “Not Like Us”
23. “Not Like Us” (Instrumental)

Dr. Dre Teed Up ‘Not Like Us’ For Kendrick Lamar, And He Disrespected Drake By Performing It Five Times In A Row At ‘The Pop Out’

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It was already a consensus opinion that Kendrick Lamar obliterated Drake when they exchanged diss tracks this spring. But just in case there were any doubt, Lamar delivered an epic knockout punch during his set at his The Pop Out — Ken & Friends Juneteenth concert at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum on Wednesday, June 19. First, Lamar opened his set by performing “Euphoria” live for the first time — adding a Tupac-related bar, to boot — but that paled in comparison to Lamar’s grand finale.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning Compton rapper welcomed Dr. Dre to the stage. They performed “Still D.R.E.” and “California Love,” and that seemed to be that before Lamar stopped him from walking off the stage. “You ain’t gonna say nothin’ else before we continue to party?” Lamar asked. Dre said, “Psst, I see dead people,” thus beginning a relentless medley of Lamar performing “Not Like Us” five times in a row.

Eventually, Lamar was joined on stage by the guest performers from the night — plus DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook — and they all metaphorically danced on Drake’s grave. Still, Lamar paused between the fourth and fifth run through “Not Like Us” to emphasize that this Juneteenth concert was meant “for all of us to be together on stage” and display “united at its finest.” Lamar shouted out the late Nipsey Hussle and Kobe Bryant and acknowledged, “We lost a lot of homies to this music sh*t, to this street sh*t.”

Lamar dropped “Not Like Us” in early May, and it became his fourth-career No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Kendrick Lamar Kicked Drake While He Was Down By Starting His ‘The Pop Out’ Show With His ‘Euphoria’ Diss Track

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Kendrick Lamar’s The Pop Out — Ken & Friends Juneteenth concert marks his first public appearance since he and Drake exchanged several vicious diss tracks. DJ Hed and Mustard delivered stacked opening sets featuring guest performances from the likes of Westside Boogie, BlueBucksClan, Tommy The Clown, Blxst, Ty Dolla Sign, Dom Kennedy, Steve Lacy, Tyler The Creator, Roddy Ricch, and YG.

Lamar immediately reminded everyone that he is and forever will be the main attraction when he began his set with the live debut of “Euphoria,” one of the aforementioned Drake diss tracks.

Lamar additionally proved that he still disdains Drake by adding a new bar to “Euphoria,” according to various publications like Complex and XXL Magazine. The line is, “Give me Tupac’s ring back, and I might give you a little respect.”

To make matters worse for Drake, the Kia Forum crowd chanted “OV-Hoe” before Lamar took the stage for his set.

Lamar released “Euphoria” on April 30. The six-plus-minute diss track is a total evisceration. “Don’t tell no lies about me, and I won’t tell no truths ’bout you” is a self-explanatory bar, but Lamar’s attacks throughout the song are nuanced — the embodiment of “it’s levels to this,” as explained by Uproxx’s Wongo Okon.

Mustard Honored Nipsey Hussle During His ‘The Pop Out — Ken & Friends’ Set, Including A Roddy Ricch Appearance

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As of this writing, Kendrick Lamar has yet to take the stage for his The Pop Out — Ken & Friends set at Kia Forum in Los Angeles on Wednesday, June 19, but the Juneteenth celebration has already been a star-studded event. DJ Hed opened the show and welcomed out a slew of guests, including Ray Vaughn, Westside Boogie, Bino Rideaux, and BlueBucksClan. Mustard was up next and took it to another level.

The acclaimed DJ & producer brought out Blxst, Ty Dolla Sign, Dom Kennedy, Steve Lacy, and Tyler The Creator before taking a moment to honor the late Nipsey Hussle. The Jumbotron displayed a photo of the beloved rapper alongside “RIP NIP: THE MARATHON CONTINUES.” Mustard played “Perfect Ten,” the title track from his platinum-certified 2019 album. The song featured Hussle. The crowd predictably erupted, and Mustard said, “Make some noise so loud that Nipsey Hussle can hear you” before playing Hussle’s “Last Time That I Checc’d” featuring YG.

Kia Forum got even louder when Roddy Ricch joined Mustard on stage to perform “Racks In The Middle,” Hussle’s 2019 song featuring Ricch and Hit-Boy.

Hussle was fatally shot on March 31, 2019, while visiting his Marathon clothing store in South LA. He was 33.

Watch a clip from Mustard’s tribute to Hussle below.

Here Are The Set Times For Kendrick Lamar’s ‘The Pop Out — Ken & Friends’ Concert

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Kendrick Lamar’s The Pop Out — Ken & Friends is the hottest ticket in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, June 19, to commemorate Juneteenth. Luckily, The Pop Out will be livestreamed on Amazon Prime Video and Twitch, so fans everywhere can follow whether Lamar debuts any one of his Drake diss tracks.

Here Are The Set Times For Kendrick Lamar’s The Pop Out — Ken & Friends Concert

On Tuesday, June 18, DJ Hed posted the lineup on X (formerly Twitter): DJ Hed & Friends (4 p.m. PT), Mustard & Friends (4:45 p.m. PT), and Ken & Friends (5:45 p.m. PT).

It remains to be seen who all of the friends will be joining DJ Hed, Mustard, and Lamar during their respective sets, but rap’s biggest names are presumably all possibilities — except for Drake, of course.

As of this writing, DJ Hed’s set is underway. TDE’s Ray Vaughn popped out to perform “Problems.” DJ Hed quipped, “They say the West Coast can’t rap? That’s crazy.” Then, he proceeded to welcome Cuzzos for a short stint on stage before Rucci and AzChike ran out to perform their collaborative track “Light It Up.” The revolving door of guest performers continued with Jay Worthy & Meet The Whoops, Wallie The Sensei, Westside Boogie, Zoe Osama, Kalan.FrFr & G Perico, Bino Rideaux, BlueBucksClan, RJMrLA, OhGeesy, Jason Martin, and Tommy The Clown.

You can watch the rest of The Pop Out — Ken & Friends here.

When Will Kendrick Lamar Be On Stage For ‘The Pop Out — Ken & Friends’?

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Kendrick Lamar has kept rap fans fed since late March, when his feature on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That” ignited a rap beef and diss track inferno (is that a phrase?) with Drake.

Peak excitement hit when Lamar, pgLang, and Free Lunch announced The Pop Out — Ken & Friends, a one-off concert at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum on Wednesday, June 19.

When Will Kendrick Lamar Be On Stage For The Pop Out — Ken & Friends?

On Tuesday, June 18, DJ Hed posted the show’s lineup on X (formerly Twitter).

DJ Hed & Friends is scheduled to kick the show off at 4 p.m. PT, followed by Mustard & Friends at 4:45 p.m. PT and Lamar at 5:45 p.m. PT. It appears that the “& Friends” part of DJ Hed, Mustard, and Lamar’s respective sets will remain a surprise until show time.

Mustard, Sounwave, and Sean Momberger co-produced “Not Like Us,” Lamar’s ether of Drake that became his fourth-career No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Earlier Wednesday, June 19, Mustard shared five facts about “Not Like Us” with Billboard, including that he “did not sample” Nas’ “Ether.”

“I heard the song when everybody else heard it,” he said. “I never heard it before. I wasn’t in the studio with him. I had never heard that song.”