Kendrick Lamar is enough. One-third of “the big three,” as J. Cole dubbed it in his feature on Drake‘s “First Person Shooter,” headlined the 2023 ONE Music Festival in Atlanta on Oct. 29, a day after Cole came out as a surprise guest on fellow headliner Janet Jackson’s set.
The performance came at a unique time in Lamar’s career. He has left Top Dawg Entertainment, the label that features star acts like SZA, Jay Rock, ScHoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, Doechii, started his own creative company, pgLang, and has collaborated heavily with his 23-year-old cousin, Baby Keem. The collaborations with Keem have become so frequent that the duo, now calling themselves “The Hillbillies,” have gone on a world tour together and are set to headline Tyler, The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw Festival on Nov. 11-12.
The collaborations and long-standing relationship with Cole, who once promised a joint album and had a secret feature on Cole’s “Under The Sun,” with Cole in town, raised the question of whether the fellow superstar would appear during his set in Atlanta. There was also the natural curiosity of whether or not Keem would show up, as his family member has performed with him so many times since 2022.
Lamar’s special guest for the night was no one, but that was OK.
The Compton, California native reminded fans of why his resume is strong enough to hold down a festival-headlining stage by himself as a solo act. He ran down the list of his hits from 2012’s “good kid, m.A.A.d city” to 2022’s “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.” Fans sang some of his biggest hit singles like 2017’s “Loyalty” and 2012’s “B—, Don’t Kill My Vibe,” as well as some of his recent tracks that leaned more experimental. He performed every word of each rap verse, which had the audience completely tuned in.
While Lamar’s choreography was limited, and he had no wardrobe changes, he did have a group of backup dancers who encapsulated the vibe of his Southern California community. The stage lighting changed throughout the night and provided different themes to accent the performance.
All in all, Lamar’s headlining set was an excellent way to close this year’s ONE Music Festival in Atlanta. It was a good time with a mixture of hype sounds, thought-provoking content, and a reminder of who Lamar is, all by himself.
