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San Francisco Chronicle
a day ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Review: Kendrick Lamar and SZA deliver a West Coast spectacle at Oracle Park
Surveying a sea of 40,000 people gathered at Oracle Park, rap bellwether Kendrick Lamar felt right at home. 'We're back on the West Coast, my home,' Lamar proclaimed. 'We came to the bay to turn this motherf—er all the way up.' By the end of the nearly three-hour show on Thursday, May 29, he and his tour mates SZA and DJ Mustard made good on the proclamation through a multisensory concert that demonstrated the power of Black creativity, perseverance, beauty and love through art, choreography, music and message. Like the Pacific Ocean that served as a natural backdrop, it was an evening of contrasts that came in waves, at times churning and relentless, and other times peaceful and restorative. A vintage Buick Grand National car served as a symbol of West Coast car culture that would anchor the show. DJ Mustard warmed up a crowd with a fun set that mixed regional rap bangers with Bay Area classics by E-40, Mac Dre and Too Short. He even dropped 2010s-era pop like 'Party in the U.S.A.' and 'We Are Young,' which were met with lusty sing-alongs. Lamar and SZA split their stage time into separate and collaborative mini sets. The tag-team format allowed for a musical and aesthetic reset where Lamar's prowling alpha would give way to SZA's divine feminine omega and vice versa. It was a sumptuous 10-course meal that, with their deep pantry of hits, whetted the appetite for what came next. When the two joined forces on duets '30 for 30,' 'Doves in the Wind,' they evoked the soulful intimate chemistry of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell for this generation. During their collaborative hit 'All the Stars' from the 'Black Panther' soundtrack, phone lights radiated around the stadium, a spontaneous moment that combined with the audience singing along raised goose bumps. SZA's set was visually and emotionally compelling, with her exploration and embodiment of the Black female experience through a metaphor of Mother Earth. During 'Garden (Say It Like Dat),' SZA traded in the Buick ride for a giant ant. Dancers dressed as praying mantises clicked across the stage like Cirque du SZA. For 'Kill Bill,' she executed (heh) the hit while footage of a mantis mating ritual where the female devours the male played on the big screen. If SZA's goal was to shake the 'just an R&B singer' tag, she accomplished that. She showed her vocal versatility and command of hard rock, indie folk and pop. On 'F2F,' she was accompanied by a guitarist and bassist to head bang and shred alongside her. 'Scorsese Baby Daddy' gave off 'Til Tuesday vibes. A metamorphosis took place, literally, when she strapped on butterfly wings to perform the folk-inflected 'Nobody Gets Me.' Given the state of the world, where atrocities and outrage keeps building, Lamar's sets served as a much-needed release valve. Energy levels spiked during songs like 'Alright' and 'DNA,' which took on fresh meanings in the current political climate. So many rappers have diluted the art of MCing by letting a prerecorded vocal track do the heavy lifting in a live setting. Not in Lamar's case, whose genuine voice boomed out the speaker for the entire show. 'Dodger Blue' combined pinpoint choreography in a setting that, to this reviewer, reframed 'The Last Supper' as a Compton high school cafeteria table. Lamar glided across it and rapped while seated dancers performed mesmerizing handwork. Songs from Lamar's 2012 breakout 'Good Kid, M.A.A.D City' were given makeovers. 'M.A.A.D City' was remade into a quiet storm track complete with Anita Baker 'Sweet Love' backdrop. 'Poetic Justice' was accentuated with hard snares and was conspicuously missing the Drake verse. So let's talk about Drake, the Canadian elephant not in the room. Between songs, deposition-style videos played on the big screen of Lamar and SZA in the hot seat, enduring a battery of questions from a hidden interrogator. The prosecution's identity wasn't revealed, but fans knew. When the lawyer asked if allusions to violence in his songs should be taken as a threat, Lamar shot back, 'Whatever you want to take it.' While Lamar, SZA and DJ Mustard were on the marquee, Drake's aura hung in the stadium air like a pretty piñata waiting to get crushed. The most bloodthirsty pops of the night came during Lamar's performances of feud tracks 'Euphoria' and 'Not Like Us,' the latter which morphed from a Drake exposé to a West Coast anthem to a worldwide dance challenge. At Oracle, fans extended the 'A minorrrrr' line into next week, letting the candies rain. Though they shared the spotlight, Lamar and SZA traveled distinct pathways across 53 songs. After putting the show to bed with the calming 'Luther' and 'Gloria,' from Lamar's latest album 'GNX,' the duo climbed into the Buick and disappeared under Oracle Park, on to the next episode. Act I: Kendrick Lamar Act II: SZA '30 for 30' (with Kendrick Lamar) 'What Do I Do' 'Love Galore' 'Broken Clocks' 'The Weekend' Act III: Kendrick Lamar 'Euphoria' 'Hey Now' 'Reincarnated' 'Humble' 'Backseat Freestyle' 'Family Ties' 'Swimming Pools (Drank)' (shortened, a cappella) 'M.A.A.D City' (shortened) 'Alright' 'Man at the Garden' Act IV: SZA 'Scorsese Baby Daddy' 'F2F' 'Garden (Say It Like Dat)' 'Kitchen' 'Blind' 'Consideration' (Rihanna cover) 'Low' Act V: Kendrick Lamar & SZA 'Doves in the Wind' 'All the Stars' 'Love' Act VI: Kendrick Lamar 'Dodger Blue' 'Peekaboo' 'Like That' 'DNA' 'Good Credit' 'Count Me Out'/'Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe' 'Money Trees' 'Poetic Justice' Act VII: SZA 'I Hate U' 'Shirt' 'Kill Bill' 'Snooze' 'Crybaby' 'Nobody Gets Me' 'Good Days' 'Rich Baby Daddy' 'BMF' 'Kiss Me More' Act VIII: Kendrick Lamar 'N95' 'TV Off' (Part II) 'Not Like Us' Act IX: Kendrick Lamar & SZA 'Luther' 'Gloria' Todd Inoue is a freelance writer.
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Melding physical and mental readiness, Pembroke's Luke Lamar wins 400 hurdles at Division 4 track championship
Ludlow's Logan Walsh wins the boys' 800 in front of Melrose's Adam Caldwell. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff As soon as the gun went off, Lamar went all out. He barely broke stride as he raced toward the second-fastest time in Massachusetts this season. The No. 1 spot Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up '[Kyle] kind of whooped me by two seconds, and ever since then, I saw him run a 53 and I thought, why not me?' said Lamar. 'If there's any race I'm built for, it's this one.' Related : Advertisement Lamar's first-place finish, along with his brother, Gabe, finishing second and teammate Jayden Leonard taking fourth in the boys' 200, propelled the Titans (29 points) to a tie for first with Wakefield after the first day of competition. Ludlow (26) sits close behind in third place thanks to a first-place finish from senior Logan Walsh in the 800 with a season-best time of 1 minute, 55.62 seconds. Advertisement Chicopee's Sophia Guzman (center) won the 200 in 25.29 seconds. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Chicopee earned back-to-back wins in the 200 as senior Sophia Guzman (25.29 seconds) followed teammate Rayzaiah Ocasio's win (22.11) in the boys' race. 'Today we were doing a ceremony at our school gym and I saw that we had a banner,' Guzman said, referring to Chicopee's track records. 'I was like 'How do I get my name up there?' If you win today you get your name up there so that was great motivation.' Rayzaiah Ocasio (left) made it a Chicopee sweep in the 200, edging out Pembroke's Gabe Lamar (center) and Jayden Leonard I. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Guzman and Ocasio grew up together and are running buddies. 'It's crazy that now we've come here and finished first in our last year,' said Guzman, who is committed to run at Saint Anselm. 'It's nice to see how far we've come.' Related : Canton junior Chloe Dubuisson won the 400 hurdles in (1:02.95), the third-fastest time in the state this season. 'I wanted it more,' Dubuisson said. 'I've been working hard for this and this is where I can show I did that.' Chloe Dubiusson's win in the 400 hurdles helped the Canton girls finish the first day in fourth place. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Dubuisson's performance lifted the Canton girls to fourth place after day one of competition with 21 points. Amherst Pelham (26), Holliston (24), and Melrose (23) fill the top three spots. Related : Burlington swept the pentathlon with Ryan Brooks (3,223 points) winning on the boys' side and Leila Gilligan (2,562) taking the girls' competition. The Division 4 meet continues Sunday at Merrimack College. Bedford's Zadie Buckley strides to the finish line to win the 800. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Dracut's Zoe Clarke won the discus with a throw of 127 feet, 6 inches. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Holliston's Connor Teague won the boys' triple jump. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Aiden Barker can be reached at
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Kendrick Lamar Replaces Drake At No. 1 On A Billboard Chart
For the past year, Kendrick Lamar has been beating Drake left and right. He first ended a rap feud between the two with "Not Like Us," which has become perhaps the biggest hit of his career and was easily declared the top tune among all the diss tracks the two aimed at one another over a short span of time. Lamar's album GNX and its singles have kept many of Drake's releases at bay for the past several months. This week, Lamar scores another win on a Billboard ranking, stopping Drake in his tracks yet again. Lamar is in charge of the Rhythmic Airplay chart this week, as he rises to the summit with "Peekaboo," his collaboration with AZChike. Last frame, the tune sat at No. 4, and now it jumps to first place, becoming another champion for Lamar in its fourteenth frame on the tally. Lamar collects his eleventh No. 1 on the Rhythmic Airplay tally as "Peekaboo" climbs. Over the course of his career, he has landed 20 top 10s and 35 total appearances on the radio list. "Peekaboo" is another huge single taken from GNX, one of several that have hit No. 1 on the Rhythmic Airplay radio tally. Previous focus tracks from the project like "Squabble Up," "Luther" with SZA and "TV Off' with Lefty Gunplay have all spent time in first place. Lamar has been on quite the winning streak lately, as he's also added new No. 1s with "30 for 30" alongside SZA, and "Not Like Us," his longest-running ruler. All six of his tunes have dominated the ranking over the past year or so. Last week, Drake's "Nokia" was in charge of the Rhythmic Airplay tally, and now it dips to the runner-up rung. The Canadian hip-hop superstar made history just a few days ago when "Nokia" ruled, as it became his milestone fortieth No. 1 on the list. That's a landmark no other artist has come even close to. Amazingly, Drake claims more No. 1s than Lamar has total appearances on the Rhythmic Airplay chart. So while Lamar may be winning at the moment, Drake may be the true champion here.
The Sun
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Gracie Abrams, SZA, Becky G win American Music Awards
LAS VEGAS: Folk-pop singer Gracie Abrams, Latin artist Becky G and R&B star SZA claimed some of the first awards on Monday at the fan-voted American Music Awards in Las Vegas. 'That's So True' singer Abrams, winner of new artist of the year, sent a recorded video from a location on tour to accept the honor. She thanked her fans, who she said 'I have been lucky enough to learn from.' 'They have reminded me of the light that exists out there,' Abrams said. SZA took home AMA accolades for female R&B artist and for R&B song for 'Saturn.' Becky G was named favorite female Latin artist. The festivities opened with host Jennifer Lopez singing and dancing to a six-minute medley of 23 hits by the nominees. The songs included Billie Eilish's 'Birds of a Feather,' Sabrina Carpenter's 'Espresso' and Beyonce's 'Texas Hold 'Em.' The show was broadcast live on CBS from the Fontainebleau Las Vegas hotel. Going into the ceremony, Super Bowl headliner and Grammy winner Kendrick Lamar led the field of contenders with 10 nominations. Winners of the AMAs were selected by fan votes. The top prize, artist of the year, pits Lamar against pop superstar Swift, who has earned more AMAs - 40 - over her career than any other musician. She also is coming off the highest-grossing concert tour in history. Others in the running for artist of the year are Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, Morgan Wallen, Billie Eilish, Zack Bryan and SZA. 'Not Like Us,' Lamar's ubiquitous diss track from his longstanding feud with Canadian rapper Drake, is contending for song of the year. Drake has sued Universal Music Group for defamation over its release. Lamar performed 'Not Like Us' at February's Super Bowl, and the song won five Grammys. Among other AMA nominees, Post Malone was vying for favorite male country artist and favorite country album for 'F-1 Trillion,' among other awards. He previously won AMAs in rap/hip hop and pop/rock categories. Beyonce's 'Cowboy Carter,' winner of the top award at this year's Grammys, was nominated for album of the year and favorite country album at the AMAs. She also is nominated for favorite female country artist. During the ceremony, Janet Jackson will be honored with the Icon award, an accolade for artists with global influence, and Rod Stewart will receive a lifetime achievement award.
The Sun
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Gracie Abrams, SZA, Becky G Win Early at 2025 AMAs
LAS VEGAS: Folk-pop singer Gracie Abrams, Latin artist Becky G and R&B star SZA claimed some of the first awards on Monday at the fan-voted American Music Awards in Las Vegas. 'That's So True' singer Abrams, winner of new artist of the year, sent a recorded video from a location on tour to accept the honor. She thanked her fans, who she said 'I have been lucky enough to learn from.' 'They have reminded me of the light that exists out there,' Abrams said. SZA took home AMA accolades for female R&B artist and for R&B song for 'Saturn.' Becky G was named favorite female Latin artist. The festivities opened with host Jennifer Lopez singing and dancing to a six-minute medley of 23 hits by the nominees. The songs included Billie Eilish's 'Birds of a Feather,' Sabrina Carpenter's 'Espresso' and Beyonce's 'Texas Hold 'Em.' The show was broadcast live on CBS from the Fontainebleau Las Vegas hotel. Going into the ceremony, Super Bowl headliner and Grammy winner Kendrick Lamar led the field of contenders with 10 nominations. Winners of the AMAs were selected by fan votes. The top prize, artist of the year, pits Lamar against pop superstar Swift, who has earned more AMAs - 40 - over her career than any other musician. She also is coming off the highest-grossing concert tour in history. Others in the running for artist of the year are Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, Morgan Wallen, Billie Eilish, Zack Bryan and SZA. 'Not Like Us,' Lamar's ubiquitous diss track from his longstanding feud with Canadian rapper Drake, is contending for song of the year. Drake has sued Universal Music Group for defamation over its release. Lamar performed 'Not Like Us' at February's Super Bowl, and the song won five Grammys. Among other AMA nominees, Post Malone was vying for favorite male country artist and favorite country album for 'F-1 Trillion,' among other awards. He previously won AMAs in rap/hip hop and pop/rock categories. Beyonce's 'Cowboy Carter,' winner of the top award at this year's Grammys, was nominated for album of the year and favorite country album at the AMAs. She also is nominated for favorite female country artist. During the ceremony, Janet Jackson will be honored with the Icon award, an accolade for artists with global influence, and Rod Stewart will receive a lifetime achievement award.
