Kendrick Lamar & SZA Preach Love Over Hate During 1st LA Stop of Grand National Tour: 5 Best Moments

“We’ve been all around the world and back, we was on the East Coast, we was in the South for a little bit, but you know I couldn’t motherf–king wait to make sure I came back home, you hear me!” he exclaimed at the base of the stage, homecoming hurrahs greeting him from every corner. “Is Long Beach in this motherf–ker tonight? Is South Central in this motherf–ker tonight? Better yet, is Watts in this motherf–ker tonight? Is Inglewood in this motherf–ker tonight? Is Compton in this motherf–ker tonight?”

After Lizzo caught a vibe at the after party for SZA’s Not Beauty brand in Brooklyn earlier this month, SZA brought out her “best friend for energy and positivity,” she announced before the pop star popped out for a precious performance of the “Special” remix. While the “Good as Hell” hitmaker was the only special guest for the first LA stop, her feelgood attitude and undeniable star power sufficiently filled up the stadium.

Even though he brought out his younger cousin Baby Keem to perform “Family Ties” during one of their MetLife Stadium stops earlier this month, Lamar held his own with a new verse. “Ay, you n—as will never compare to me/ F— poppin’ in, I’mma declare the streets/ My mama said ‘be scared of God’/ On God, they better be scared of me/ Beverly playing, I was making a right/ Pop punani ain’t making it right/ Told you, you would fight my fight/ I’m buckling up,” he rapped.

Following “Snooze,” SZA re-emerged onto the stage in a glimmering chrysalis gown with wings during “Crybaby” and caught flight mid-song. She eventually shed the long skirt and completed her metamorphosis into a beautiful butterfly before jumping into her Hot 100 top 10 hit “Nobody Gets Me.” “I wrote this about my ex-fiancé. He hates me,” she said matter-of-factly before encouraging her fans to sing along for him. When asked during one of the deposition video skits if she thought she would have hit songs without dysfunction in her relationships, SZA responded, “No, so grateful. I owe everything to those terrible… interactions.”

It’s a poignant reminder that personal growth and prosperity don’t come without its own set of challenges, but the end result make everything worth it.

SZA has certainly found her sweet spot in the buddy comedy world. After fighting with her bestie/roommate (played by Keke Palmer) while facing eviction in their critically acclaimed One of Them Days film earlier this year, she took on the role of Dot’s nagging little sister during one of the video sketches as the two pulled up to the gas station – in his GNX, no less – and bickered over which snacks he needs to pick up.

“What is it, chimmy chua?” he asked her, acting puzzled over the pronunciation of the sweet, salty and spicy Mexican delight.

“Chamoy,” she responds snootily. “Your fans are Mexican. How do you… Chamoy!”

As he walked away muttering his frustrations under his breath, his LA-based Mexican fanbase nearly lost theirs after having the spotlight on them. Lamar has long documented his appreciation for this demographic and recently featured mariachi singer Deyra Barrera on “Wacced Out Murals,” “Reincarnated” and “Gloria” on GNX, as well as Mexican rappers Peysoh and Lefty Gunplay on the title track and “TV Off,” respectively.