Photo: Richard Gray
Few rappers have made an impact quite like Kendrick Lamar over the last 12 months. Whether it’s through his early mixtapes, critically acclaimed (and long overdue) debut album from late last year, or his hype/beef igniting verse on Big Sean’s ‘Control’ just last month, there’s no denying this particular 26 year old is the most talked about man in hip hop right now (and justifiably so).
Taking to the stage at Camden’s Roundhouse, it is clear that Kendrick remains unchanged by the buzz, his stage show understated and essential, just him and a DJ, no hype-man or entourage necessary. However that doesn’t stop him playing off the crowd, sending them into a frenzy from the offset by transitioning from the G-Funk recognizing bars of ‘M.A.A.D City’s second chapter into the visceral ‘Backstreet Freestyle’.
Seeing an audience so responsive has been somewhat rare for the iTunes Festival thus far, with all tickets given away to competition winners, yet the slick changeover between tracks and Kendrick’s infectious energy has the 3000 Camden faithful shouting “Martin had a dream… Kendrick had a dream” without any encouragement, a frantic atmosphere that carries through the set. Reeling through subdued hits like ‘Money Trees’, ‘Bitch Dant Kill My Vibe’ and ‘Poetic Justice’ Kendrick’s flow is relaxed but calculated, complimenting the atmospheric nature of the backing track whilst keeping the crowd stimulated.
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Repeatedly referring to the “day-one Kendrick Lamar fans”, a performance of his verse from A$AP Rocky’s ‘Fucking Problems’ bleeds into ten minutes of older mixtape material and an acapella freestyle, harking back to his West Coast roots and further providing context for those who weren’t there from the beginning.
The performance of breakthrough hit ‘Swimming Pools’ proves to be the most poignant moment of the night, the crowd seemingly rapping their way through the whole track in unison (well, the “drank” bits at least from the people dragged along as plus ones), whilst the preceding part 1 of ‘M.A.A.D City’ acts as an energetic climax through its repeated restarts, unrelenting bass and passionate flow. Much like his entrance, Kendrick leaves the stage after 50 minutes to little fanfare, simply promising fans he’ll back soon whilst leaving the majority bemused, checking their watches and questioning the prospect of an encore (which never came).
Despite the somewhat premature set-time, the lack of theatrics allowed us to focus purely on Lamar as a rapper and gave him nowhere to hide on stage, an environment in which he thrived under and further proved how he is a megastar in waiting, much more than “Compton’s human sacrifice”.
Below - Photos: Kendrick takes 'Control' at iTunes Festival, 2013
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