The last time Kendrick Lamar stepped foot on a St. Louis stage was in April of 2013. He was one of three acts to play The Verge College Tour at SLU’s Chaifetz Arena. Steve Aoki, a popular internationally known electronic dance music DJ, was the headliner.

He returns next week as the other half of the biggest concert for “the culture” since Beyonce’s Renaissance Tour painted The Dome at America’s Center silver in 2023. Lamar and SZA’s co-headlining Grand National Tour will play The Dome on June 4th.

Though it was a dozen years ago, it would be misleading to imply Lamar took the Chaifetz stage as an unknown show opener. In 2011, he was included in XXL Magazine’s Freshman Class – which is essentially hip hop’s equivalent to being named “most likely to succeed” in one’s high school yearbook.

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