Kendrick Lamar remains a hometown hero in the city of Los Angeles, and night one of his co-headlining “Grand National Tour” alongside former label mate SZA is proof.

The pair kicked off a three-city stop in Inglewood California, just miles away from the Compton neighborhood that raised Lamar, at SoFi Stadium where the aura of hometown pride filled the venue with fans of all ages adorned in LA paraphernalia, personifying the love that they have for one of their very own, who has never shied away from his roots, but brought them full circle in his latest studio album, “GNX,” a regional tape infused with west coast culture from its opening track “wacced out murals,” to the closer, “gloria.”

Mustard, who fulfilled a personal dream of collaborating with his fellow LA native and musician after fervently sending him beats for six months before they landed on “Not Like Us,” warmed the crowd up playing anthems helmed by west coast legends like Too Short, Roddy Ricch, Tupac, and countless others, before the man of the hour, Kung Fu Kenny himself, rose to the stage atop the black Buick GNX model that was the inspiration for his titular sixth studio album.

Never one to shy away from using music to express his feelings, the “Grand National Tour” took the range of emotions shared throughout the 12-track album and personified them. Lamar kicked off with “GNX’s” opener, “wacced out murals,” a track that expresses his frustration (and disappointment) with the backlash faced by certain rappers when he was named the first rap headlining act in Super Bowl history for this year’s event held in New Orleans in February, with fans going bar for bar, reciting every word of the song, but interwoven between the three-hour show, co-headlined between him and SZA, were songs about a man who loves himself, his city, and his culture, so much so that if he has to be the villain to protect it, it will be done – no questions asked.

If you take a peek, however, beyond Lamar’s love letter to his culture embedded throughout “GNX,” the “Grand National Tour” is almost a reminder to us, and perhaps to himself, of why he sought out this dream of becoming a rapper in the first place.

His rap influences take center stage during the “Grand National Tour.”

Following the release of his critically acclaimed major label debut, “good kid, m.A.A.d city,” in 2012, Lamar revealed that DMX’s debut album, “It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot,” is the project that helped him to put action behind his curiosity to rap.

“That’s the first album that got me writing. I wrote my first lyrics to that album actually, about 13-14,” Lamar told Complex at the time. “I was going into eighth grade, seventh grade going into eighth grade maybe. I just got inspired and I started writing, so that will always be one of my favorite albums. And the fact that I just met DMX for the first time last week—I got to actually tell him that for the first time. That album inspired me to be a rapper.”

He added, “It was just the raw and realness. Tupac was gone, there was a void, [something] was missing in the game, and he came through to fill that void. Now that I think about it, that was the reason why.”

The irony in this statement made by the pgLang founder nearly a decade ago is the way that both Tupac and DMX seemingly show up with him on stage during the “Grand National Tour.”

 

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Although no one has confirmed it, the ‘X’ chain Lamar wears could pay homage to the late rapper. As Complex EIC Aria Hughes pointed out via IG Stories, DMX’s influence clearly shows up in Lamar’s stage costumes—from his black long-sleeved shirt to the camouflage hat and pants. Hip-hop acts like DMX, Master P, the Hot Boyz, and others popularized that style in the late ’90s and 2000s.

Lamar’s visuals, where he appears to be in an interrogation room, also seem to be a nod to Tupac, a rapper whom he’s flat out named as a direct influence over the years. The layout displayed in the graphics between him and SZA’s sets is a one-frame shot of Lamar almost identical to Tupac Shakur’s infamous 1995 interview with Frank Cooley at Clinton Correctional Facility.

SZA reminds us of the power of vulnerability.

What makes the “Grand National Tour” so refreshing is the balance between the artistry that is Kendrick Lamar and SZA.

During the show, they first join each other in a duet for “30 for 30” featured on SZA’s latest album, “SOS Deluxe:  Lana”, released roughly one month after Lamar’s “GNX”. SZA’s entrance is much like Kendrick’s, using the Buick GNX (this time covered in vines) to join her co-headliner on stage.

In her true SZA fashion, the singer gushed over gracing the stage with Lamar in his city, before taking over to plow through her vulnerable hits like “The Weekend” and “Love Galore.” Throughout 52 tracks, both of their former and current hits, both stars showcase the delicate balance between love and hate, with love being the emotion that overpowers in the end.

SZA and Lamar may have headlined the show, but the Buick GNX commanded just as much attention. When the duo reunited at the end of the night to close out the show with “luther”—Lamar’s reimagining of the Luther Vandross classic—the car appeared enlarged, draped in a red cover, and glowing with its headlights on as it helped bid farewell to the crowd of roughly 70,000 fans.

With cars, fairies, human preying mantis’, and everything in between (including a surprise pop up from SZA’s bestie and fellow musician Lizzo), the “Grand National Tour” stop in Los Angeles was nothing short of a magical night filled with celebration of culture, art, and the power of expression through music.

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