Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s style, stage presence and sonic expression complement each other perfectly. The two have collaborated for much of their careers, and their working relationship was evident at their sold-out show on Wednesday at the Dome at America’s Center.
After a DJ set by music producer Mustard, Lamar, born Kendrick Duckworth, kicked off the main event with “wacced out murals,” a song off of his latest album “GNX.” The highly decorated rapper emerged from a Buick Grand National — picking up exactly where he left off from the Super Bowl LIX halftime show.
After a medley of songs from “GNX,” 2015’s “To Pimp A Butterfly,” and 2017’s “DAMN,” he was joined on stage by honorary St. Louisan SZA, born Solána Rowe, for “30 for 30,” from SZA’s album “SOS.”
SZA then took the stage for herself and made it her own. The transition between Lamar’s graffiti-and-stone backdrop to SZA’s bohemian and nature-centric aesthetic was seamless. She started her own medley of hits from her 2017 album, “Ctrl” including “Love Galore,” “Broken Clocks” and “The Weekend.”
The duo poked fun at the yearlong rap beef between Lamar and musician Drake with interlude skits of them sitting in deposition interviews. Each was interrogated by an off-camera voice about their role in the escalating feud between the rap superstars — a conflict that culminated in Drake filing a lawsuit against Universal Music Group, the record label that represents all three artists.
The beef between Lamar and Drake exploded when Lamar made a surprise appearance on St. Louis-born music producer Metro Boomin and Atlanta rapper Future’s album, “We Don’t Trust You,” which effectively was a huge diss to Drake and anyone who associates with him. While there was some anticipation that Metro Boomin would make a special appearance at the St. Louis tour stop, there were no extra guests.
When SZA was onstage, she made sure to express her love for the city and residents of St. Louis. In between songs she shouted out her family in St. Louis, the city’s north and west sides and name-dropped Soldan and Gateway high schools — each reference drawing raucous cheers from the crowd.
SZA then shifted gears from her alternative-R&B sound to her alternative-rock songs, many of which were met with mixed reviews when her album “SOS” was first released in 2022. Those tunes eventually won the hearts of fans well before the Grand National Tour kicked off. The sold-out arena never lulled in energy as she sang “Scorsese Baby Daddy,” “F2F” and “Kitchen.”
For nearly three hours, Lamar and SZA put on a marathon performance that delivered the best of hip-hop, soul, pop and rock music. The two shined brightly together, all while sharing how special St. Louis is to both of them.
For a recap of Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s Grand National Tour stop in St. Louis with host Elaine Cha and producer Miya Norfleet, listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or click the play button below.
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Darrious Varner is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
