Did Kendrick Lamar Just Have the Greatest Rap Concert Ever?

Kicking things off with his frenetic Drizzy diss, “Euphoria,” KDot served up a generational exhibition for rap theater, flaunting a lethal combination of breath control and vocal projection; his verses sound as frenzied, controlled and somehow, as legible as his actual recordings. There weren’t any backing tracks. Just as on-point was the sequencing, with the seamless mix of upbeat tunes giving it all a sense of propulsiveness he maintained the whole way through. His first micro-climax came with a Black Hippy reunion, a moment that represented homeboys meaningfully reconnecting before it’s too late; imagine if Snoop Dogg had actually gotten to perform with 2Pac at Coachella instead of a hologram? It was enough to see Jay Rock rap “Money Trees” alongside KDot before Ab-Soul and ScHoolboy Q hit the stage. But when “Like That” transitioned into “Still Dre,” and Dr. Dre himself emerged to deliver the interlude for “Not Like Us,” the whole thing turned into a rap fanboy’s lucid fever dream. Speaking of that, Kendrick ended up performing the track five consecutive times, inviting numerous other West Coast rappers, as well as fellow Cali natives like Russell Westbrook and DeMar Derozan for about 20 minutes of Crip Walking.

Kendrick ended things by having everyone onstage pose for a group picture that united various gangs and sections from California; think about a concert version of XXL’s Greatest Day of Hip-Hop. That’s a good way to describe Kendrick’s Pop Out, too. In the pantheon of legendary shows — and there are many — the Pop Out feels like an inimitable cocktail of spectacle and divine timing. With his array of Drizzy diss tracks, Kendrick proved he’s at the pinnacle of his all-around ability, and his dynamic Pop Out set proved his stage presence is more powerful than ever. The concert’s tight mixture of rap veterans and newcomers made it succinctly comprehensive. The fan service was fan service, but it was a wholesome embrace of the past rather than a tacked on entry on an extensive rap trope to-do list. The stage union of the California sections emitted a spirit of warmth and transformation befitting a Juneteenth celebration.

In its totality, it’s hard to remember an artist delivering such a multi-layered experience while still at the peak of their powers; Dr. Dre’s Up in Smoke Tour feels like its closest competitor, and even that one was narrower in scope. It’s even harder to recall a moment the whole world could watch such a virtuosic rap performance all at once; Pop Out was like a Verzuz on Creatine. There are ultimately too many concerts to give any one performance the distinction of greatest ever, and every generation will have their favorites. But like the best shows, Pop Out will be tethered to an indelible memory, with the live streaming platform making it as visible as any performance before it. With his all-encompassing lineup and multidimensional performances, the concert stands as an engrossing portrait of West Coast Blackness, much of which had never been seen on a global scale. Years from now, folks will remember the day Kendrick popped out and showed the world.