Kendrick Lamar’s upcoming Grand National Tour will include tour dates alongside SZA through the US through spring of next year – with two LA shows just outside his hometown of Compton.
The surprise album he released last month, GNXdebuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, the rapper’s fifth chart-topper since 2012’s breakout success Good child, MAAD Cityand a release that follows his summer hit single ‘Not Like Us’. The Drake-centric diss track, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, pays tribute to Lamar’s roots, like much of his music, through its lyrics and a music video shot in the Watts and Compton communities in South LA.
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Within days of the video’s release, the owners of Tam’s Burgers, where much of it was shot, said had a mural of Lamar painted about the exterior of the restaurant on Rosecrans Avenue. “We’re thrilled to have Kendrick, one of Compton’s originals, here representing our store,” said a co-owner of Tam’s.
The rapper’s latest album features SZA on two songs, “Luther” and “Gloria,” and the pair previously toured together in 2018.
Tour tickets go on sale Friday, December 6 at 10 a.m. local time. But Cash App card users can purchase exclusive pre-sale tickets starting Wednesday, December 4 at 10 a.m. local time. The tour is presented by Top Dawg Entertainment, Live Nation and PGLang, with 21 shows from April 19 in Minneapolis to June 18 in Washington, D.C.
Houston, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Detroit, Las Vegas and Chicago are some of the cities the tour will travel through, with a single show outside the US in Toronto, Canada.
LA shows will take place on May 21 and 23 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, not far from the Compton community where Lamar grew up – a driving inspiration behind much of his music. The West Coast rapper, a protégé of Dr. Widely praised for his lyrical skills, Dre has woven themes of police brutality, poverty and gang culture into his songs, along with stories about culture and pride in his roots.
In 2018, Lamar received the Pulitzer Prize for Music, adding to a growing collection of accolades and critical acclaim – with 17 Grammy wins and Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for his work in songwriting.
GNX is his sixth album to date and his first release since the No. 1 Billboard debut of Mr. Morale and the big stepsanother studio album receiving widespread critical acclaim. Billboard reports that the newly released album’s successful opening week was largely due to streaming, with the third biggest streaming week for any album coming in 2024.
