By Marcus Norris
On Juneteenth of this year (2024), rapper Kendrick Lamar hosted a concert called “The Pop Out: Ken and Friends.” This concert came in the wake of one of the biggest rap beefs of all time—and the biggest of this generation—Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake. This beef was predicated on the fact that Kendrick saw Drake as a person who continuously steals from other cultures, or a “culture vulture.” Drake is Canadian, but he has an album where he’s Jamaican, an album where he’s British, and another album where he’s acting like he’s from the hood in Atlanta! This all led to Kendrick calling him out in several songs, with the biggest being “Not Like Us.”
For some context, this was a celebration of the West Coast. It was also a way to let Drake know that Kendrick was good out in the West and still invests in his community. The concert started with DJ Hed and rappers Remble, Ray Vaughn, Jay Worthy, and more! The middle featured DJ Mustard, who brought out Tyler, the Creator, and YG, and the main event was, of course, Kendrick himself. The celebration that ensued reminded me of a very Black event…
It’s A Family Reunion!
If you are Black, you know about the emphasis we put on family and family reunions. Family reunions in the Black community have ties to unifying after slavery ended, and they have become gigantic events
