Kendrick Lamar steps up his appeal with doccie
A FEW songs into his concert at Johannesburg Stadium in 2014, Kendrick Lamar cut the music and appeared dazed as he looked on into the crowd.
The look on his face indicated that he could barely believe how the crowd had just sung his opening songs word for word so loudly that his own voice was barely audible.
Never quite able to comprehend how and why this crowd thousands of kilometres away from his home in Compton, Los Angeles knew his music so well, Lamar would do so again on several more occasions throughout his set.
He’d later describe the show as the loudest of his career.
I was in attendance that night, and to this day I consider it the most memorable concert I’ve ever been to. (Given that I've watched the likes of J Cole, Travis Scott, Post Malone, Meek Mill, Chance The Rapper and Migos live, I think that's saying a lot.)
The show came at the absolute perfect moment. Lamar had released his breakout album good kid, m.a.a.d city (GKMC) to instant universal acclaim a year and a half prior and his latest single off the album, B **** Don’t Kill My Vibe was the biggest song in the world.
A decade on from its release, GKMC has stood the test of time and is unequivocally the best and most important album of his incomparable discography. It has aged like fine wine.
Not only did the album see him share thrilling tales of growing up in Compton, which is both a hotbed of rap royalty and a hood rife with gang activity, but it also saw Lamar grapple with and explore spirituality in a way not seen before or after.
The autobiographical narrative of the album was largely centred around the nuances of Lamar’s complex upbringing.
Voicemail recordings, which form part of several songs, offered a personal feel of characters such as his mother and his uncle.
In isolation, the overarching messaging may make the album sound heavy and “deep”, but the true genius of Lamar here lies in how he utilises head-banging production, uncomplicated rhymes and relatable guest appearances to convey his message.
At its core, it’s a conscious album that also ticks all the boxes of a commercially viable project.
While Lamar’s previous release, the moody independent project Section.80, was an exercise in lyrical virtuosity, it didn't quite have the dynamism to propel it to global acclaim.
Lamar’s course correction on GKMC
came in the form of unexpected cuts like Backstreet Freestyle.
Rapping over hip hop legend Hit-boy's jaw-dropping beat, Lamar showcases his more mischievous side as he repeatedly boasts, “Damn, I got b ****** ”. On B **** Don’t Kill My Vibe, a smash hit that invoked pandemonium at Johannesburg Stadium all those years ago, Lamar pulled out his full bag of tricks as he summoned his rare storytelling prowess and dynamic flow.
Here, Lamar also employs a highpitched vocal effect to confess: “I am a sinner, who’s probably gonna sin again. Lord forgive me, Lord forgive me, for things I don't understand. Sometimes I need to be alone.”
While the Drake-assisted Poetic Justice feels like a feature cooked up by record label bigwigs eager to capitalise on the commercial currency of pairing two of hip hop’s most exciting acts, the song benefits hugely from a classic Janet Jackson sample that brings some soul and personality to the record.
There are several other memorable moments like the anthemic Money
Trees and the poetic Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst.
In the decade since its release, the legend of Kendrick Lamar has grown with each release as he’s reinvented himself time and time again.
Arguably the truest performer of this generation, Lamar has used the stage as his most creative form of expression.
Last Saturday, October 22, marked the 10-year anniversary of GKMC. Lamar performed in front of a capacity crowd at Paris’ Accor Arena as part of the tour for his latest album, Mr Morale & The Big Steppers.
This landmark performance, dubbed Kendrick Lamar Live: The Big Steppers Tour was released on Amazon Prime Video shortly after.
The show sees the prolific rapper showcasing his sprawling discography in a dazzling performance in front of a hyped Parisian crowd.
According to Variety, the performance was live streamed by Amazon Music in an elaborate 19-camera shoot which was perfected over months of co-ordination with Lamar’s team.
After opening with a performance alongside a ventriloquist doll of himself, Lamar put on an intense and riveting two-hour set that included rigorously choreographed dancing, glorious visual effects and a stellar cameo from Baby Keem.
You can tell everything was well thought out with Lamar’s trademark commitment to pushing the envelope in full view.
He rarely speaks throughout, instead opting for his music and its accompanying theatrics to do the talking. His song selection sees him mix hits from across his discography with the occasional lesser-known cut.
One of the highlights of the show comes when Baby Keem joins Lamar for a performance of their hit collaboration, Family Ties.
Their co-ordination, the expert breath control, the complex stage pyrotechnics – it’s all so flawless and breathtaking.
They don’t miss a step, which is fitting because, for the past decade, Lamar hasn’t missed a single step.