After a commanding slew of spring 2024 releases and a prolific hip-hop beef with Drake, Compton's Kendrick Lamar has solidified himself as the greatest rapper alive. If the sold-out Juneteenth concert at the Kia Forum was Kendrick's victory lap after Record Of The Year contender "Not Like Us" decidedly knocked Drake out of the competition, consider his sixth studio album Gnx – named after his beloved limited edition 1987 Buick Regal variant – his newly renovated trophy case. Kendrick is celebrated beyond his rap abilities as a poetic songwriter, an impactful community leader, and a distinctively rare generational voice who simultaneously reflects and defines culture.

Kendrick hopes to add to his long list of accolades – which includes 17 Grammy Awards, 5 Number-One songs on the Billboard Top 100, and a Pulitzer Prize – at the 2025 Grammys in February, which takes place one week before his highly-anticipated Super Bowl Lix Halftime Show. Kendrick first gained a fanbase as K.