One year ago last week, Kendrick Lamar set flames to Drake’s reputation that the rap world is still feeling the embers from. In just a week, songs like “Euphoria,” “6:16 In LA,” and yes, “Not Like Us,” bested Drake’s offering in their quick-draw war of words, and subsequently crowned Kendrick the rapper of his generation in the eyes of many. He rode that momentum into GNX, a 12-track album that debuted at No. 1 on the top 200. That’s the tidal wave of energy he rode into on the MetLife Stadium stop of his Grand National Tour alongside Jersey girl SZA. He and SZA are in high demand. The 35-year-old singer-songwriter is a bona fide music superstar in her own right, and the two offered the tri-state area a rare main event concert.
The show started with DJ Mustard, who did his best to warm the crowd up with rap standards before Kendrick and SZA hit the stage. The stage design somewhat resembled the diamond design of Kendrick’s Super Bowl halftime set, with a giant stage leading out toward three smaller bases. The design gave the two ample room to roam the stage and get decent face-time with fans in the lower levels, which they both took advantage of throughout the set (raising during). Behind them was a giant three-panel screen. From my stage right vantage point, I could see how the two used the stage’s angles to project a panoramic view of certain angles. The screen served different purposes at different junctures. For SZA, there were multiple serene landscapes aiding her dreamy catalog, while Kendrick used videos of himself in March ‘92 during DNA, and hammered home his attack on Drake’s identity with a collage of Black iconography during “Not Like Us.”
Kendrick came out first, rising from a black Grand National car below the stage and tearing into “Wacced Out Murals” (the Grand National SZA rose from was naturally covered with ivy). The two alternated between sets all night with a slick interplay. Kendrick turned the mood down with “Man At The Garden” into SZA’s “Scorsese Baby Daddy,” while she ended her solo set with “Kiss Me More” leading into Kendrick’s final tracks; they also had moments where they did collaborations such as “30 for 30” and “Luther.” Their switches also gave the two time to switch attire multiple times. While Kendrick mostly alternated from a mostly camo fit, putting his jacket on and off, SZA was in full starlet mode, with four different outfits. But no matter what they were wearing, they had the crowd captivated. SZA Stuck to lights and fireworks, whereas Kendrick had fireballs going off, especially during his Drake disses.
The mixed-aged crowd, seemingly mid-30s and down, likely discovered Kendrick and SZA at various points along their decades-plus journeys, and some may have just tapped in last year. It seems like Kendrick’s more recent output got the most recognition. He even noted the dynamic, jokingly telling fans to turn to their neighbors, church-style, and ask if they knew one of his earlier singles. I’ve seen Kendrick play arenas and festival stages multiple times, and he carried the same craft into his stadium show, delving into his rapid-fire rhymes without missing a beat. He also offered some new flourishes for his live show, performing a new verse on “Family Ties” and remixing songs like “mA.A.d city” over Anita Baker.
While the tour’s title and the moment at large belonged to Kendrick, the Jersey crowd loved SZA. They popped for SZA’s pop hits like “Kill Bill” and heartrenders like “Nobody Gets Me,” which were all sung solidly with no backing vocals. She had guitarists play during multiple songs, including “F2F.’ She acknowledged the magnitude of the moment by raving, “am I home or what?” and later declared alongside Kendrick that “the myth of New York having no energy is over.” And though she didn’t do her in-air routine because of the Northeast winds, she still gave a varied set, dancing all over the stage.
SZA during the Grand National Tour, April 19 in Minneapolis.
Cassidy Meyers*
Both artists took the elephant in the room head on. Kendrick performed his verse of “Poetic Justice,” while SZA recited her verse on “Rich Baby Daddy.” Curiously, Kendrick refrained from saying “Oakland” when he rhymed “that __ show gonna be your last stop” on “Not Like Us.” But that’s not to be confused with mercy. Kendrick performed “Euphoria,” and “Not Like Us,” with the former song inspiring his barest, most intentional usage of the giant screen behind him (placing “Lies About Me, Truth About You” in red font over a black background). And while the crowd went up for “A minor…,” and “we don’t wanna hear you say nigga no more,” it wasn’t a bash Drake event. They seemed just as excited to sing “Don’t Kill My Vibe’s” chorus and “I do,” during SZA’s rendition of “I Hate U.”
Both artists tore through their catalog standards, utilizing the full stage, as did dancers accompanying them in various fashions. When several women popped their ass out as Kendrick rapped “show me something natural” on “Humble” they were a visual adlib. Some of them picked up SZA during one track, and bolstered her choreography on many others. When a man did a solo dance routine at the end of “Squabble Up,” he felt like a co-star.
In between songs were humorous clips of the two being “deposed.” While the clip that played before “Not Like Us” has gone viral, the show displayed several other clips. In one, he chides the interviewer for nonsensically implying he disappears from the public yet seeks attention. In another clip, they struggle to pronounce SZA’s name, which may have something to do with her saging the room in another snippet. And toward the end of the set the two dig into their natural comedian bags during a clip of a gas station snack run. Their years of musical chemistry played out well onscreen and onstage.
Both artists tried their best to engage the hefty crowd, and mostly succeeded with movement, strong vocals, and a mesh of creative screen animations, pyrotechnics as well as lighting. While the set lasted two-and-a-half hours, it rarely lulled, with both doing a solid job of imbuing their set portions with energetic songs to keep the crowd into it. Both artists are seasoned veterans at this point in their respective careers, and that reflected even during their first stadium tour. They were strictly business – in a good way.
