Kendrick Lamar Lands Crazy Comparisons to Ye and Jay-Z’s This Single Most Iconic Moment After Pop-Out Concert

Published 06/20/2024, 12:44 AM EDT

Ye, once recognized as Kanye West, and Jay-Z, have consistently stood as towering figures in the world of hip-hop. From their initial collaboration, this rap duo carved a legacy that continues to resonate today. The recent performance by Kendrick Lamar at the Pop-Out concert has sparked comparisons to one of the legendary stage presences of Ye and Jay-Z, illustrating the enduring impact of their influence on contemporary music culture. It is a moment where history echoes its past, albeit with a different messenger.

At the Pop Out: Ken & Friends concert in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, Kendrick Lamar unleashed a flurry of surprises, leaving no card unturned. From the outset, K-Dot signaled his intention to make a full impact, opening the show with his Drake diss track, ‘Euphoria’, featuring a fresh verse. Yet, it was his streak performance of ‘Not Like Us’, the scathing Drake critique that drew comparisons to the likes of Ye and Jay-Z. Lamar performed the track 5 times, marking the first time he had done it live.

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Recalling a similar spectacle in 2012, when Ye and Jay-Z performed ‘Ni**as in Paris’ a staggering 11 times in succession at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy in Paris, Lamar's repetition underscored a similar level of audacity and showmanship. As for fans, this edgy performance did not go unnoticed, as they were quick to juggle up hip-hop’s history to dot the similarity.

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Undoubtedly, this moment was destined for the annals of history. However, for online fans, it was also an opportunity for a spirited trolling session directed at Drake.

Kendrick Lamar’s streak performance, reminiscent of Ye and Jay-Z, turns into a troll fest for Drake

When Kendrick Lamar unleashed his blistering track 'Not Like Us', aimed squarely at Drake, the music world found itself engulfed in a whirlwind of comparisons and controversy. While the track quickly ascended to chart-topping status, its impact was amplified during its inaugural live performance, sparking renewed fervor in the troll sessions. With five repeat performances in a single night, fans joked whether 'Not Like Us' would also dominate Drake's playlist for the foreseeable future.

Many admirers hailed Lamar as the preeminent rapper of his generation, while others marveled at his ability to overshadow feud discussions with a singular concert performance. 

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Predictably, Drake's loyal fan base voiced objections, decrying what they perceived as disrespect. Such divided opinions are par for the course within hip-hop fandoms, yet many observers noted that Lamar's strategic repetition of the track echoed the bold moves of hip-hop luminaries like Ye and Jay-Z, ensuring that his message reverberated loud and clear—five times over. Thus, regardless of the Drake-Lamar feud's outcome, with Lamar's trajectory mirroring that of hip-hop icons Ye and Jay-Z, he has well cemented his status as the genre's next formidable force.

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What do you think of fans comparing Kendrick Lamar's five-time performance of 'Not Like Us' at the Pop Out concert to Ye and Jay-Z's performance in Paris from 2012? Let us know in the comments below!

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Anushka Bhattacharya

906 articles

I'm Anushka Bhattacharya, an entertainment journalist at Netflix Junkie. Armed with a degree in literature, I once wielded my words to catalyze change within society through my work with NGOs. However, as I stumbled into the exuberant hole of crime thrillers and documentaries on Netflix, it was love at first sight and pushed me into entertainment journalism.

Edited By: Itti Mahajan

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