After months of excitement, Kendrick Lamar and SZA's Grand National Tour is finally making its way to London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday, July 22 and Wednesday, July 23. Their first all-stadium tour together comes in support of hip-hop icon Lamar's sixth studio album GNX, and R&B singer SZA's album SOS Deluxe: Lana, which feature collaborations from both performers.
Starry-eyed fans will be keen to hear the duo's hits together "Luther" and most famously "All The Stars" which earned an Academy Award nomination for best song as the lead track of the film Black Panther (2018). Lamar and SZA announced the joint tour in February, just a day after whipping fans into a frenzy with their critically-acclaimed performance of "All The Stars" at the Super Bowl.
Kendrick Lamar and SZA will treat fans to a long set list featuring solo hits from both performers, including Lamar's "Money Trees", "Not Like Us" and "Humble", and SZA's "Snooze", "Kiss Me More" and "Good Days". Here, we lay out everything you need to know about the duo's concerts on Tuesday and Wednesday.
New King of the West Coast
Kendrick Lamar was born in Compton, California, in June 1987, in Section 8 housing to a family reliant upon food stamps and welfare. At just five, he witnessed the murder of a teenage drug-dealer in a drive-by shooting and the 1992 LA race riots over police brutality, which stirred up his social consciousness from a young age. Lamar excelled academically at school and overcame a childhood stutter, becoming interested in rap after hearing a recording of his own voice.
From the age of 16, Lamar recorded mixtapes, and spent eight years trying to break into the music industry, with several knock-backs - including being dropped from Jay-Z's Def Jam label - until signing a record deal with Top Dawg, and releasing his debut album "Section 80" in 2011, which yielded his first single "Hiiii Power". The record's blend of hip-hop, social commentary and a jazz backdrop took critics by surprise, and he was lauded as 'New King of the West Coast' by Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre and the Game.
Kendrick Lamar released his sophomore album "Good Kid, M.A.A.D City" just one year later, and earned seven Grammy nominations. He has gone on to become one of the most lauded rappers of all time, with 22 Grammy Awards to his name, six consecutive number one albums and he was the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2018. Lamar has been described as one of the three greatest rappers of his generation, alongside Drake and J. Cole, and his recent feud with Drake has ignited fans and yielded the diss singles "Euphoria", "6:16 in LA", "Meet the Grahams" and "Not Like Us".
Ethereal vocalist 'with a jazz-like lilt'
Solána Imani Rowe was born in St Louise, Missouri, in 1989 to a Christian mother and Muslim father, and wore a hijab for much of her early adolescence, until the September 11 attacks made her fearful of Islamophobic backlash. After dropping out of her marine biology course in college, she worked as a bartender and dancer in New Jersey and New York City before taking on the stage name SZA, ('Sovereign', Zig-zag' and 'Allah') inspired by the acronyms used by members of the Wu Tang Clan.
From the beginning, SZA has experimented with music and fused multiple styles such as soul, funk, hard rock and melodic pop, rejecting the label of "R&B singer" as restrictive. She met members of Top Dawg Entertainment, including Kendrick Lamar in 2011, and herself signed up to the label as its first female artist in 2013. Her debut album "CTrl" earned critical acclaim with the hits "Drew Barrymore", "Love Galore", "The Weekend", "Broken Clocks", and "Garden (Say It like Dat)".
Like Lamar, SZA frequently works with collaborators, co-writing her duet "Consideration" with Rihanna, "Ok Alright" with Travis Scott and "Kiss Me More" with Doja Cat, which won the pair their first Grammy Award in 2021. Her second studio album "SOS" in 2022 brought her further recognition from critics and yielded the singles "Kill Bill" and "Snooze", which ranked among the best-selling songs of 2023.
Stage times
Based on their shows so far, Kendrick Lamar and SZA are understood to take to the stage between 7.45pm and 8pm, allowing time for their opening act to complete a set. It is thought Lamar will appear first and perform five tracks, before SZA follows him with four songs - alternating between the two after that,
Opening Act
The duo will be supported on tour by Mustard, the California DJ and producer who worked with Lamar on his major hit "Not Like Us". Across his career, Mustard has frequently collaborated with West Coast rappers YG and Ty Dolla Sign, producing albums for both of them. He produced Tyga's single "Rack City" in 2011 at the age of just 21.
As a solo artist, his hits include "Ballin" with Roddy Rich and "Pure Water" with Migos. Mustard's brand of hip-hop which he calls "ratchet music" has been described by critics as "radio-friendly" and "catchy".
Last minute tickets
For fans who fear they've missed the bus, there are a small number of verified resale tickets available for Kendrick Lamar and SZA's two night stint at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with prices starting at £97.25. Here are the links you need to buy Kendrick Lamar and SZA tickets:
TICKETMASTER - Buy Kendrick Lamar and SZA tickets here.
LIVE NATION - Buy Kendrick Lamar and SZA tickets here.
SEAT UNIQUE - Buy VIP and hospitality Kendrick Lamar and SZA tickets here - these are less likely to sell out first.
Set List
Based on previous set list's of the pair's Grand National Tour collected at setlist.fm, the running order at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is expected to be as follows:
Wacced out murals
Squabble up
King Kunta
ELEMENT.
TV off
What Do I Do
Love Galore
Broken Clocks
Euphoria
The Weekend
Hey now
Reincarnated
HUMBLE.
Backseat Freestyle
Family ties
Swimming Pools (Drank)
m.A.A.d city
Alright
Man at the garden
Scorsese Baby Daddy
F2F
Garden (Say It Like Dat)
Kitchen
Blind
Consideration
Low
Doves in the Wind
All the Stars
LOVE.
Dodger blue
Peekaboo
Like That
DNA.
GOOD CREDIT
Count Me Out
Count Me Out / Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe
Money Trees
Poetic Justice
I Hate U
Shirt
Kill Bill
Snooze
Nobody Gets Me
Good Days
Rich Baby Daddy
BMF
Kiss Me More
N95
Not Like Us
Luther
Gloria
Merchandise
Merchandise for Kendrick Lamar and SZA's shows at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is available on the official website for their Grand National Tour and features items such as a Kendrick Lamar Gloria Hoodie for £110, SZA SOS Hi-Vis Vest for £90, and an 'I Love SZA' T-Shirt for £45.
Travel advice
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is served by four stations providing rail services. They are:
White Hart Lane (London Overground)
Northumberland Park (Abellio Greater Anglia services)
Tottenham Hale (Victoria line and Abellio Greater Anglia services)
Seven Sisters (Victoria line and London Overground)
Tube passengers are advised to use the Victoria Line, which is not anticipated to undergo any changes on either night of the concerts. To check your journey in advance, visit TfL's website.
Kendrick Lamar and SZA play at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday, July 22, and Wednesday, July 23.
