Kendrick Lamar, SZA go full speed at the Linc for the ‘Grand National Tour’

The victory lap continues for Kendrick Lamar. The Compton rap star has journeyed a path few have blazed in hip-hop history.

He sparred with global phenom Drake and came out with a slew of No. 1 hits, five Grammy wins in 2025, and a record-setting Super Bowl halftime performance that will be dissected by hip-hop scholars for years to come.

But Lamar’s behemoth, “Not Like Us,” is only a glimpse into his true musical powers.

Aside from his 22 Grammys and a Pulitzer, the 37-year-old artist has drawn tens of thousands of concertgoers for an already record-breaking stadium tour.

Lamar and R&B supernova SZA generated $9 million for the opening concert of their "Grand National Tour” last month in Minneapolis, making it the highest grossing hip-hop show in music history.

The tour’s momentum remained immaculate at Lincoln Financial Field for Lamar and SZA’s stop in Philly on Monday night.

As DJ Mustard played a a 30-minute set by DJ Mustard, who played classics like “Swag Surfin’” by Fast Life Yungstaz and “We Are Young” by fun., thousands of fans slowly trickled into the stadium.

As the stadium lights flickered, Lamar rose onto the stage. He kicked off the show inside his now-trademarked Buick GNX, rapping the GNX album opener “wacced out murals,” embraced in smoke.

The show featured short skits of Lamar arguing with a lawyer-like disposition, mocking Drake’s recent attempts to take legal action following last year’s grudge match.

Even SZA, born Solána Rowe, gets in on the action. She’s seen correcting the off-camera lawyer’s pronunciation of her stage name in one video, then countering accusations that she has sought dysfunctional relationships for creative purposes.

That fiery intro set the tone for the show, which was adorned with hits from his platinum-selling GNX and SZA’s repackaged deluxe album, Lana.

Once Lamar closed out the first of eight acts with “tv off,” SZA rose to the stage with the same GNX, but perched on top of its moss-covered hood. While Lamar’s “squabble up” and “m.A.A.d city” reflected his rugged Compton roots, SZA basked in sultry tunes like “Love Galore” and “Broken Clocks” as a labyrinth of vines, praying mantises, butterflies, and other bugs flashed across the background screen.

The five-time Grammy winner was in full bloom, showcasing both her roaring vocals and sleek dance routines. While there were moments that seemed off pitch, she recovered as smoothly as her outfit changes.

Decked in knee pads and low-rise safari shorts, the “Scorcese Baby Daddy” singer serenaded the crowd with dazzling slow jams like “Kitchen” and hard-hitting tracks like “Low.” She took her bug fascination to new heights during “Garden (Say It Like Dat),” hopping on a giant mechanical ant she affectionately named “Anthony.”

Lamar’s performance remained sharp, calculated, and grounded. He attacked songs like “Like That” and the showstopper “Not Like Us” with unnerving intensity, while balancing the cunning bars with party records like “peekaboo” and SZA-assisted duets like “All the Stars.”

While the artistic contrasts between Lamar and SZA could alienate crowds, the pair found the perfect equilibrium throughout the nearly three-hour concert.

Lamar’s lyrical performance was impressive throughout the show, but moments like the Playboi Carti cover “Good Credit” and the sequencing of “Count Me Out” did stifle a bit of the momentum. But with over 50 songs shared between the two artists, most performed in full, there was bound to be a break in the action.

As the stadium tour journeys across North America and Europe, their Philly stop proved to be a balancing act with an Olympic-level landing. The concert was a melding of two performers, who are as electric together as they are on their own stages.

Act I: Kendrick Lamar

Act II: SZA

Act III: Kendrick Lamar

Act IV: SZA

Act V: Kendrick & SZA

Act VI: Kendrick Lamar

Act VII: SZA

Act VIII: Kendrick Lamar

Encore