Kendrick Lamar’s “The Pop Out — Ken and Friends” took place on Juneteenth (June 19) at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, and according to fans and viewers online, the event was nothing short of spectacular.
During the four-hour show, the Compton emcee brought out Steve Lacy, YG, G Perico, Bino Rideaux, Blxst, Dom Kennedy, and Tyler, The Creator, among others. Lamar also delivered performances with his Black Hippy collaborators — and former Top Dawg Entertainment labelmates — Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, and Jay Rock.
Highlights included tracks “euphoria” and “6:16 in LA,” both of which contained shots aimed at Drake. The spectacle eventually ramped up with Dr. Dre joining Lamar on stage to do renditions of hits like “Still D.R.E.” and “California Love.” Afterward, the legendary producer called for a moment of silence only to segue into a dramatic recitation from “Not Like Us“: “I see dead people.”
It’s also worth mentioning the event’s star-studded audience, with appearances from The Weeknd, LeBron James, Hit-Boy, and Rick Ross, who all joined in the energetic crowd chanting along to Mustard’s production and DJ Hed on the decks. Lamar seemingly took the opportunity to respond to Drake using 2Pac’s AI likeness on “Taylor Made Freestyle.” The “i” hitmaker said, “Y’all ain’t gon’ let nobody disrespect the West Coast. Y’all ain’t gon’ let nobody imitate our legends.”
“This ain’t got nothing to do with no song at this point. Ain’t got nothing to do with no back-and-forth records. It’s got everything to do with this moment right here. That’s what this was about, to bring all of us together,” Lamar stated before calling for unity among different communities within LA, including the Crips, Bloods, and Pirus.
On Wednesday, Mustard opened up about creating the instrumental for “Not Like Us.” He revealed, “It took me approximately 30 minutes to make that beat… I didn’t know he was going to gas that beat like that.”