IN CONCERT: KENDRICK LAMAR & SZA AT METLIFE STADIUM - MAY 8th 2025
Intro, retrospective and show review written by Beau Croxton
Kendrick Lamar at MetLife Stadium on May 8th by @ whois.mike
Thursday May 8th, 2025. As I walk up to MetLife Stadium, the excitement is palpable; seeing Kendrick Lamar is one thing, but seeing him on The Grand National Tour in 2025 is totally monumental.
We are exactly 1 year and 4 days from the day the bombshell dropped - “Not Like Us”; by Kendrick Lamar was an explosive phenomenon of a diss-track that upped the score for his big win in the 2024 rap-beef against Drake. Now, a year later, Kendrick is dominating the globe one stadium at a time, on his first-ever headlining stadium tour with SZA. With this tour, Kendrick & SZA have already joined Beyonce and The Weekend in holding the record as the only black artists to ever gross over 10$ million in a single show; his popularity has shot into the stratosphere.
Personally, I don’t associate Kendrick Lamar with “Not Like Us” as much as his brand new fans do. The diss track is undoubtedly a masterclass, but his long-time listeners were already well aware of his capabilities…I mean, he is the only rapper to win the Pulitzer Prize for his work and impact. In 2015, To Pimp A Butterfly was a benchmark for music; it combined incredible songwriting and storytelling with a wild fusion of hip hop and jazz, while being thematically rooted in the black experience in America. The scope and ambition of this project alone is absolutely tremendous and executed perfectly. Simply put, Kendrick has always been on an artistic level that most popular artists can’t ever attain. Even if you listen to his earliest material, his technical ability is unparalleled and he has always been hungry to be the greatest rapper.
Even if you are familiar with Kendrick’s game, his past year was remarkable to watch and it should be studied. Seeing Kendrick Lamar live in this moment of time absolutely needs some context, so let's take a brief look at his last year..
Poetic Justice
Kendrick’s “Pop-Out” concert on Juneteenth, 2024 was the first big victory lap after winning his 2024 rap battle. The Pop Out livestream broke Amazon Music’s streaming records with the most minutes watched of any Amazon Music production across both Prime Video and Twitch. His “Not Like Us” music video dominated the summer, and the song broke the record for the most streamed rap song ever in one single day at 12.8 million. It is now the most streamed rap song in one year at 1.4 billion. Last but not least, it just broke the record for most streamed diss-track of all time, despite only existing for 1 year. Lamar dropped his new album GNX to significant critical acclaim in November 2024, resulting in two #1 hits on Billboard (“squabble up” and “luther”with SZA). In December 2024, he announced his stadium tour with SZA, but the next two events were his crowning achievements of the era.
He won 5 Grammys in one night alone for “Not Like Us” including for “Song of the Year” and “Record of the Year”. The song is now tied as the most awarded rap song in Grammy history. It is now the most awarded diss-track of all time. The following week, Kendrick headlined the Super Bowl as the first solo male rap artist to do so. Lamar’s Super Bowl was the most viewed halftime show of all time at 133.5 million views. Long story short, holy shit.
His accolades are off the charts , but the largest reason to celebrate Kendrick’s win in his rap battle is that he got mainstream audiences focusing on lyrics again, and not just listening to rap for the “vibes”. There is a larger theme at play here; the value of artistic integrity prevailed in this battle, and it's a great thing that talent won.
SZA has also been a major trailblazer in her Pop/R&B field as well. Her album “SOS” just surpassed Michael Jackson’s Thriller to become the longest running top 10 album by a black artist in Billboard 200 history, surpassing 80 weeks on the chart. DAMN.
So…I think we get the picture on the momentum of this tour right?
Occult is here with the live show review of Kendrick Lamar & SZA’s Grand National Tour at Metlife Stadium.
THE SHOW
Opener DJ Mustard properly got the place jumping with classics like Juvenile’s “Back That Azz Up” and his own “Rack City”. It’s standard fare; the DJ at the Hip Hop show gets the place hyped and rowdy for the headliner…but Mustard is a total veteran, so it was far more seamless than the average DJ set. A downpour started towards the end of his set and got people’s worries up, but the rain dissipated just in time for the main event.
Then, around 8:18PM, the lights went out..The uproar of insane excitement from the crowd was wild. On opening track “Wacced Out Murals”, Kendrick Lamar rapped from the driver's seat of a GNX car as it emerged onstage. As Lamar launched into GNX’s electro-club banger “squabble up”, the energy was off the charts from that moment forward. It’s an undeniably groovy and fun song and the ultimate party starter. The track moved directly into a medley with To Pimp A Butterfly’s “King Kunta”, and DAMN.’s “Element” before closing his first segment with an abbreviated but hype rendition of “tv off” from GNX.
Kendrick Lamar at MetLife Stadium by @ whois.mike
In a highly unique maneuver, both Kendrick and SZA managed to expertly interweave their setlists together as one giant set for this tour. The duo would trade-off smaller sets into a gigantic 2 hour and 45 minute show complete with blockbuster visuals, killer choreography and dancers, pyrotechnics, fireworks and highly elaborate set designs.
SZA started her first set by joining Kendrick with SOS: LANA’s “30 for 30”; the chemistry between the two performers was incredible and the stadium was roaring. SZA then performed "What Do I Do", “Love Galore” “Broken Clocks” and “The Weekend” for her first batch of tunes accompanied by nature and insect themed visuals in line with the aesthetic of her recent deluxe album. The juxtaposition of these sets were a well balanced Yin and Yang, with Lamar’s set being full of adrenaline, aggression, and bravado with bold, artsy yet minimalistic visuals; while SZA’s set was purely dreamy and surreal with bright visuals.
Back to the bravado. Kendrick opened his second stretch of songs with the 6 minute diss “Euphoria”, which was a showstopper of tough bars. “WHAT IS IT THE BRAIDS?!” could be heard all the way in the Bronx from this stadium in New Jersey. Lamar’s clubby banger “Hey Now” carried the best and heaviest choreography of the night, while “Reincarnated” showcased Lamar at the utmost peak of his rapping and storytelling; many diehard Lamar fans will tell you it’s the most impressive GNX song and they are right on the money, as it carries layers and skill that puts Lamar in a league of his own.
Kendrick Lamar at MetLife Stadium by @ whois.mike
Kendrick took the crowd on a trip down memory lane with an acapella version of “Swimming Pools” and more favorites from his early work. Shortly after that, he launched a creative mash-up of 2012’s “m.A.A.d. City” over the instrumental of Anita Baker's “Sweet Love”. The highlight of Lamar’s second set was 2015’s “Alright”, which has been a significant protest anthem over the past decade. The song has never sounded more anthemic than it did with the ten of thousands of people singing along in the sold-out Metlife Stadium.
SZA followed with some of her best material in her second block, highlighted heavily by “Kitchen”, a vibey 60’s-tinged song. The kicker was she performed the song riding a massive ant that she nicknamed “Anthony’; leaning heavily into the odd insect themes of her deluxe record. There were dancers in praying mantis outfits, and she wore butterfly-like wings…She was buggin’ out! Her second batch peaked with the sassy “Low” from SOS.
SZA at MetLife Stadium by @ whois.mike
One of the largest highlights of the evening followed with “All The Stars.” One of the brightest lights you could imagine was beamed up directly in the sky from the stage, shining onto the clouds above MetLife stadium like a giant, epic batman signal. Lamar and SZA performed the song from two elevated platforms that had both artists suspended around 25 feet up in the air. Kendrick encouraged fans to “keep their lights up” on their phones and the whole stadium lit up like the Milky Way.
Kendrick’s track “Peekaboo” got the place buzzing and had excellent choreography that was expanded from his Superbowl performance. The whole evening felt like Kendrick’s Super Bowl performance on steroids; usually the quality of a tour vs a bombastic Super Bowl performance is the other way around. He fired into his notorious “Like That” verse that kick-started his rap 2024 beef, exclaiming “motherfuck ‘The Big Three’, It’s just big ME!” backed by some killer pyro. The stadium crowd grew rabid with adrenaline. This particular stretch peaked in its last 4 songs, where Lamar mashed up 2022’s “Count Me Out” with his 2012 hit “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe”. Adding to the throwbacks from his first classic album, he topped it off with fan-favorite “Money Trees” and a rarity of “Poetic Justice”.
Kendrick Lamar at MetLife Stadium by @ whois.mike
SZA’s final stretch includes many of her biggest hits- with an iconic performance of “Kill Bill”, her immensely catchy song about maybe killing your ex. SZA’s voice is amazing- it's no wonder why so many people, including Chapell Roan, are interested in collaborating with her. The section of the arena where I was seated was definitely a huge SZA fan club, as the sing-alongs became almost deafening at times, especially during “Kill Bill” and “Snooze”.
Kendrick re-emerged on stage to perform a fantastic unreleased song dubbed “Bodies”, and 2022’s “N95.” Kendrick launched the 2nd half of “tv off” which has the notorious and viral “Mustaaaard!” shouting that many have heard across the world (willingly or not) and it was complete with massive fireworks exploding above the stage inside the stadium.
It's no secret Drake has launched a lawsuit against his own record label (that also represents Kendrick) for their affiliation with the release of the diss track “Not Like Us”. Alluding to this humorously, Kendrick had some deposition-themed footage throughout the entire show that peaked in its last segment where the interviewer asked Kendrick if he recalled the words “drop…drop..drop” referencing Drake’s taunt in the diss battle of 2024. Kendrick merely laughed after the question before launching into the track that won him the battle. The stadium went dark as the quote of “Pssst…. I see dead people!” from “Not Like Us” was played and the entire stadium shrieked in anticipation. There are videos from outside depicting how loud MetLife Stadium was singing this song, so best to check that out to understand this massive moment.. The infamous “ A Minooooor” lyric was thunderously recited by the crowd, syncing up to some of the heaviest pyrotechnics of the night. The volume of the crowd may have rivaled any NY Giants game that I have seen in the same stadium.
Kendrick Lamar at MetLife Stadium by @ whois.mike
The night closed with the duo’s two GNX collabs, the first being “luther” which is currently on track to spend a 12th week at number 1 on the Billboard chart. There's a reason the song is so popular; it's a great melodic R&B collaboration with gorgeous strings and very tasteful samples of Luther Vandross. The duo went out on “gloria” from GNX, which goes on to detail the relationship Lamar has had with writing since his early days; it is a fitting recap of his long journey that led to this sold-out stadium crowd.
Kendrick and SZA then got back in his GNX, which lowered slowly down into the stage. Just like that, after an overwhelming, unforgettable 2 hours and 45 minutes and a whopping 53 total songs, they disappeared. It was very sobering that such an incredible high had to ramp down after such an iconic set that delivered spectacularly. The crowd went somewhere unreal during those hours, perhaps we were hoping it would never end.
Kendrick Lamar live at MetLife Stadium by @ whois.mike
SETLIST
Act I: Kendrick Lamar
Wacced Out Murals
squabble up
King Kunta
Element.
tv off (Part 1)
Act 2: SZA
30 for 30 (featuring Kendrick Lamar)
What I Do
Love Galore
Broken Clocks
The Weekend
Act 3: Kendrick Lamar
Euphoria
Hey Now
Reincarnated
HUMBLE.
Backseat Freestyle
Family Ties
Swimming Pools (Drank)
m.A.A.D City
Alright
man at the garden
Act 3: SZA
Scorsese Baby Daddy
F2F
Garden (Say It Like Dat)
Kitchen
Blind
Consideration (Rihanna cover)
Low
Act 4: SZA and Kendrick Lamar
Doves in the Wind
All the Stars
LOVE.
Act 5: Kendrick Lamar
dodger blue
peekaboo
Like That
DNA.
Good Credit (Playboi Carti cover)
Count Me Out/(Bitch) Don't Kill My Vibe
Money Trees
Poetic Justice
Act 6: SZA
I Hate U
Shirt
Kill Bill
Snooze
Another Life
Nobody Gets Me
Good Days
Rich Baby Daddy
BMF
Kiss Me More
Act 7: Kendrick Lamar
Bodies aka Deets (unreleased)
N95
tv off (part 2)
Not Like Us
Act: 8 Kendrick Lamar and SZA
luther
gloria