Kendrick Lamar made a striking statement at his “Pop Out” concert in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, unveiling a new verse in his ongoing feud with fellow rapper Drake.
The concert, which was held at a packed venue in downtown LA, saw Kendrick opening his set with the controversial track “Euphoria”, where he added, “Give me Tupac’s ring back and I might give you a little respect.” This line references a ring once owned by Tupac Shakur, which was bought at auction by Drake last year.
KENDRICK OPENING UP WITH PERFORMING EUPHORIA FOR THE FIRST TIME WITH EVERY ONE SINGING ALONG
THIS IS LEGENDARY SHIT 😭😭😭
pic.twitter.com/KGOQPrewV5— Big Boss 🇵🇸 (@LordBalvin) June 20, 2024
The “Pop Out” concert, officially titled “The Pop Out — Ken and Friends”, not only featured Kendrick’s powerful performances but also included guest appearances from notable artists such as Dr. Dre and Tyler, the Creator. The title of the concert itself is derived from Kendrick’s diss track “Not Like Us”, which directly targeted Drake and has climbed to the top of the charts since its release.
The feud between Kendrick and Drake has been characterised by a series of intense public exchanges, with their rivalry escalating with accusations ranging from personal attacks to more serious allegations.
Recently, Drake hinted at the feud in his verse on Sexyy Red’s “U My Everything”, rapping over a beat produced by Metro Boomin titled “BBL Drizzy”. This track followed the release of “Like That”, a collaboration between Kendrick and Future produced by Metro Boomin, which initially sparked the beef in March.
Kendrick recently took time away from his busy feud with Drake to deliver a surprise commencement speech at Compton College’s Class of 2024 graduation. The rapper, a native of the Los Angeles city and an unannounced “special guest” at the ceremony, praised both Compton and the students in his remarks.
“I wanted to come out here just to tell y’all how much I appreciate y’all. I’m proud of the city of Compton, I’m proud of Compton College, most importantly I’m proud of the graduates out here,” Kendrick told the graduates.
“I know what it takes. You had a lot of hardship, not only in your house, in your communities, but most importantly, in yourself, and that’s the toughest thing to overcome. We still growing day by day, brick by brick, making sure we develop, not only in physical form but in the spiritual as well.”
You can watch Kendrick’s speech at the 43-minute mark of the video below:
