It’s hard to contain an intensely talented MC like Kendrick Lamar, but that kind of raw power thrives in a closed environment — a controlled space — without fear of distraction.
Take, for example, the contrast of Lamar’s 2015 stop of his Kunta Groove Sessions at the Civic Theatre to his stop at Essence Fest in 2016. Both were amazing performances, but there’s an urgency you get in a tight space. In the first one, you could feel Lamar’s raw skill in your chest, but that got lost in the echo chamber that can become the Mercedes-Benz Superdome when it’s arranged for the festival.
So, consider me pleasantly surprised by Lamar’s Voodoo Music and Arts Experience headlining gig Friday (Oct. 27).
The rapper, who released his fourth studio album, “Damn,” in April. He was surrounded by nothing by space, but he filled the void by playing it as a strength. At City Park’s festival grounds, less was more. Appearing onstage in the smoke of a fiery bang, Lamar stood silent under an X-marks-the-spot of white spotlights until he exploded himself, jumping immediately into “DNA” from that latest work. Wearing a high-water grey Nike jumpsuit, unzipped and exposed on one shoulder, and chunky athletic kicks, Lamar was alone onstage. He wasn’t surrounded by any band, nor were there additional video boards or gimmicks save for the occasional flash of fire or a “Kung Fu Kenny” scene playing overhead as he caught his breath.
Playing tracks from his work throughout the years — he spun through “King Kunta,” “Swimming Pools (Drank),” “Collard Greens” and “Money Trees” — Lamar turned to the slow burning “Pride.”
“I think I got some of the most dedicated fans in the building right now,” he said. “Scratch that. I got a better word.”
His fans predicted his punchline — “Loyalty” — beating him to it as he tore at the track that, in its recorded version, features Rihanna.
“Let me check the temperature real quick,” Lamar said at its close, urging fans on either side of his crowd to yell loudest, his head nodding in quiet approval as one side began chanting his name.
“I think we got the perfect energy right now,” he said, even as the crowd in front of him had thinned out throughout the 80 minutes or so of his set. A quick breeze beckoned the cooler air expected overnight, and a small handful of fans could be seen peeking over the Voodoo Fest fences from the Wisner overpass.
Despite how quickly the rhymes escape him, Lamar maintains a stoic expression, even if he’s stomping across his stage or leading fans as they jump to his beats.
The anthem “Alright” gave way to “Humble,” and the remaining crowd took advantage of the space as fans fell into rhythm for Lamar’s final notes.
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