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Kendrick Lamar was deemed the rap MVP for 2024 by popular media outlet, NFR Podcast, during their recap of hip-hop's greatest accomplishments last year. The Compton native dominated Billboard charts, beating chart-toppers like Taylor Swift.
From multiple scathing diss tracks to iconic hip-hop highlights, Kendrick left a massive impact on the pop culture and the music soundscape, creating memorable moments that inspired highly viral talking points throughout 2024.
From 'Not Like Us' to Grammy nominations: Recapping Kendrick Lamar's 2024 achievements
While the first two months of the year found Kendrick staying relatively lowkey, maintaining a low profile on social media, many fans and internet personalities were anticipating major moves for 2024, following the success of his "Mr. Morales & The Big Steppers Tour" in 2023.
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The following feature will recap some of the biggest moments from Kendrick Lamar's 2024 campaign, from breaking long-standing records to multiple Grammy nominations, the Compton native dominated the music charts throughout last year.
Disclaimer: Lyrics referenced in this feature are rated explicit. Reader discretion is advised.
1) Kendrick features on 'Like That' (March)
Kendrick Lamar made his first official return to hip-hop with a highly publicized feature on Metro Boomin and Future's first collaborative album, We Don't Trust You, released to streaming platforms on March 22, 2024.
Opening on the sixth track, Kendrick took charge on Like That's second verse delivering an aggressive performance that attempts to assert himself as hip-hop's greatest artist. The track topped Billboard's Hot 100, marking his third chart-topping career single.
The lyrical disses on this record also appeared to be targeted at Drake and J. Cole, for suggesting all three of them were part of rap's "Big 3" on 2023's First Person Shooter. The most discussed bar on Like That, finds Kendrick delivering lines like:
"Fu*k sneak dissin', first-person shooter, I hope they came with three switches / I crash out like, "Fu*k rap," diss Melle Mel if I had to / Got 2TEEZ with me, I'm snatchin' chains and burnin' tattoos, it's up / Lost too many soldiers not to play it safe / If he walk around with that stick, it ain't André 3K / Think I won't drop the location? I still got PTSD / Motherfu*k the big three, n***a, it's just big me"
2) Kendrick drops his first official diss track 'Euphoria' (April)
Not long after Kendrick's performance on Like That caught attention online, creating mass hysteria amongst the hip-hop community, the rapper went silent for two weeks.
During this period many believed that a response to Drake's official diss track, Push Ups, was on its way. Many fans claimed the Compton native would also respond to Drizzy's second diss track, Taylor Made Freestyle, which found the OVO CEO using AI to emulate the voices of Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur.
Without any prior announcement, Kendrick Lamar unveiled his first official diss track, aimed and targeted at both of Drake's records, titled Euphoria. The record was released on April 30, and immediately shot up the charts, peaking at No.3 on Billboard's Hot 100.
Marking his second hit for the year, Euphoria garnered massive attention online, with a 6-minute diss track that attempts to dismantle Drake's legacy in hip-hop.
"I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk, I hate the way that you dress / I hate the way that you sneak diss, if I catch flight, it's gon' be direct / We hate the b***hes you fu*k 'cause they confuse themself with real women / And notice, I said "we," it's not just me, I'm what the culture feelin," Kendrick rapped on 'Euphoria'.
3) Kendrick Lamar vs Drake (May)
Their rivalry seemingly boiled over following the release of Euphoria, with both rappers dropping multiple diss tracks against each other, with fans receiving a total of five records in the span of a week.
Below are the complete timelines of diss tracks from the Drake vs Kendrick Lamar beef, dropped in the first week of May 2024 (in order):
- Kendrick Lamar's 6:16 in LA - released on May 3, 2024
- Drake's Family Matters - released on May 3, 2024
- Kendrick Lamar's Meet The Grahams - released on May 3, 2024
- Kendrick Lamar's Not Like Us - released on May 5, 2024
- Drake's The Heart Part 6 - released on May 6, 2024
The most iconic moment of this beef was the back-to-back diss tracks Kendrick released between May 3 and May 5, with Not Like Us becoming an international sensation. The record blew up on social media, debuting at No.1, marking his third chart-topping single for the year, and fourth overall.
Kendrick's Not Like Us is currently one of the highest-streamed singles for 2024, generating close to a billion streams on Spotify since its release.
4) Kendrick's Pop Out Concert (June)
Following the massive commercial success of Not Like Us and the internet dubbing Kendrick Lamar the winner of 2024's Rap Beef, the Compton native announced that he would perform a one-off concert on June 20, 2024, at Inglewood, California.
The Juneteenth concert, "Ken & Friends: The Pop Out Concert," found Kendrick putting on a massive setlist featuring some of the West Coast's biggest hip-hop stars.
During his concert at the Kia Forum, Kendrick performed Not Like Us over five times, where thousands of attendees and millions of fans watching on live-stream witnessed the first official performance of his No.1 diss track.
5) Kendrick releases the 'Not Like Us' music video (July)
Following his highly publicized Pop Out concert, Kendrick Lamar finally released the official music video for Not Like Us, uploaded to his YouTube channel on July 5, 2024, reigniting what is considered one of the biggest rap beefs of the 21st Century.
Directed by his manager Dave Free, the visuals and symbolism showcased in the music video build on the lyrical direction of his hit record, featuring cameo appearances from Kendrick's fianceé Whitney Alford, NBA player DeMar DeRozan, producer DJ Mustard, and more.
6) Rumors surrounding Kendrick's new album spread online (August)
Following the release of the Not Like Us' music video, popular media outlets like NFR Podcast and began reposting fan rumors surrounding the release of an upcoming album.
Fans began speculating that a new project was in the works, officially following up on 2022's Mr. Morales & The Big Steppers, after several artists posted to social media alluding to a new Kendrick Lamar album.
7) Kendrick announced as headliner for the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show (September)
September was a major month for Kendrick Lamar after The NFL, Apple Music, and Roc Nation, announced him as the official headliner for the New Orleans Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show, with an official trailer uploaded to YouTube.
"What the deal everybody? My name Kendrick Lamar and I'll be performing at Super Bowl 59. Will you be pullin' up? I hope so... You know there's only one opportunity to win the championship. No round 2's." - Kendrick Lamar stated in his announcement video.
8) Kendrick's BET win and multiple Grammy nominations (October)
Kendrick Lamar had a record-breaking night at the 2024 BET Award Ceremony, taking home eight individual awards, resulting in him setting a new career milestone as his total number of wins amounted to 37.
The list of awards K-Dot took home at last year's BET Awards has been provided below:
- Hip Hop Artist of the Year
- Lyricist of the Year
- Song of the Year - For Not Like Us
- Best Hip Hop Video - For Not Like Us
- Impact Track - For Not Like Us
- Best Collaboration - For Like That with Future and Metro Boomin
- (Sweet 16) Best Featured Verse - For Like That with Future and Metro Boomin
- Video Director of the Year - With Dave Free
Following his historic night at the BET Award Ceremony, the official nominations for the 67th Annual Grammy Awards were announced, with Kendrick Lamar being revealed as one of the most nominated artists for the year.
The 2025 Grammys will be held next month, with Kendrick looking to take home multiple awards, on February 5, 2025. The following is the list of Grammys K-Dot has been nominated for:
- Song of the Year - Not Like Us
- Record of the Year - Not Like Us
- Best Rap Song - Like That (with Metro Boomin and Future)
- Best Rap Song - Not Like Us
- Best Rap Performance - Not Like Us
- Best Rap Performance - Like That
- Best Music Video - Not Like Us
9) Kendrick drops sixth studio album 'GNX' (November)
Kendrick Lamar finally returned with his first full-length album in two years, titled GNX, which was surprise-dropped to all major streaming platforms on November 22, 2024.
The 12-record LP features frequent collaborators like SZA, DJ Mustard, Jack Antonoff, Sounwave, and more. Kendrick's GNX topped the Billboard 200, marking the largest hip-hop album debut for 2024.
"Used to bump Tha Carter III, I held my Rollie chain proud / Irony, I think my hard work let Lil Wayne down... Won the Super Bowl and Nas the only one congratulate me / All these n----s agitated, I'm just glad they showin' they faces / Quite frankly, plenty artists, but they outdated / Old a-- flows, tryna convince me that you they favorite," Kendrick Lamar rapped on 'wacced out murals'.
The complete set of records included on Kendrick Lamar's sixth studio album have been listed below:
- wacced out murals
- squabble up
- luther (feat. SZA)
- man at the garden
- hey now (feat. Dody6)
- reincarnated
- tv off (feat. Lefty Gunplay)
- dodge blue (feat. wallie the sensei, siete7x, and Roddy Ricch)
- peekaboo (feat. Azchike)
- heart pt. 6
- gnx (feat. Hitta J3, YoungThreat, and Peysoh)
- gloria (feat. SZA)
10) Kendrick announces "Grand National Tour" with SZA (December)
Kendrick closes out 2024 with the announcement of his Grand National Tour, where he intends to perform in major stadiums across North America alongside TDE signee SZA.
With multiple shows at MetLife this coming May, the duo are set to kick off their stadium tour run in April before wrapping up festivities in June. The following are the official dates and venues for Kendrick and SZA's Grand National Tour:
- April 19, 2025 @ U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota
- April 23, 2025 @ NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas
- April 26, 2025 @ AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas
- April 29, 2025 @ Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta
- May 3, 2025 @ Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.
- May 5, 2025 @ Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- May 8, 2025 @ MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
- May 9, 2025 @ MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
- May 12, 2025 @ Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts
- May 17, 2025 @ Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington
- May 21, 2025 @ SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California
- May 23, 2025 @ SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California
- May 27, 2025 @ State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona
- May 29, 2025 @ Oracle Park in San Francisco, California
- May 31, 2025 @ Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas
- June 4, 2025 @ The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, Missouri
- June 6, 2025 @ Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois
- June 10, 2025 @ Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan
- June 12, 2025 @ Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- June 16, 2025 @ Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, Pennsylvania
- June 18, 2025 @ Northwest Stadium in Washington, D.C.
Additionally, Kendrick Lamar was revealed as Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of 2024, placing higher than Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift, with the publication recognizing his contributions to the cultural influence throughout the year.
