Kendrick Lamar Returns to SXSW as Headliner

14 Mar, 2013

The last time Kendrick Lamar played Austin’s 1100 Warehouse at South By Southwest in 2012, he was an opener.

But Wednesday night he was the main attraction at Spotify Live, with a packed house chanting along to every word of fan favorites as well as his biggest hits. He was joined by Black Hippy buddies Ab-Soul, Jay Rock and Schoolboy Q at various points, having just made a surprise appearance across the street at Fader Fort during the latter’s own headlining set.

Taking inventory of 1100 Warehouse’s runway-like stage, Schoolboy Q quipped “Rappers shouldn’t be onstage with models,” making an apparent jab at MCs like Kanye West who’ve appeared on the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in the past.

He then did his own mock runway strut to the delight of many fans.

But the night really belonged to Lamar, who played a rousing 45-minute set that spanned a good chunk of his breakthrough debut “good kid, m.A.A.d. city,” from “Backseat Freestyle” (“Kendrick had a dream!” became a fan chant) and “Money Trees” to hits “Poetic Justice,” “Swimmin’ Pools (Drank),” and “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe,” the latter of which has a forthcoming Jay-Z remix that Hov’s personal engineer Young Guru previewed during a SXSW DJ set Wednesday night.

Billboard

Mentioned In This Post: