Not Like Usit’s like them — Kendrick Lamar and SZA will hit the road together in 2025.
On Tuesday morning, Lamar and SZA announced The Grand National Tourwill hit 19 stadiums in North America next spring and summer, making one Canadian stop in Toronto.
The news comes less than two weeks after Lamar released his latest album, GNXfeaturing SZA on two tracks: Luther and close Gloria. In a review, AP described the album as leaning on the same art-juicing pride, self-righteous anger and high self-confidence that inspired the Grammy nominees. Not Like Us and overcame his feud with Drake: “I kill them all before I let them kill my happiness.”
Lamar’s Not Like Usreleased on May 4, is a diss track against Drake, one of the rappers he exchanged earlier this year. In it, you question the authenticity of the Canadian rapper and claim that he is a sex offender. It proved to be a breakout hit, and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
While the controversy may be over, it seems the hatchet is not buried.
Last month, Drake filed two lawsuits against Universal Music Group, the distributor of Drake and Lamar’s labels, over rap music. The first claim alleged that UMG and streamer Spotify conspired to boost the popularity of Lamar’s song between the two hip-hop stars.
The second act accused the music giant of defamation and said it could stop the release of Kendrick Lamar’s song. Not Like Us “for falsely accusing him of being a sex offender.”
In addition to calling Drake a “certified rapist,” Lamar says in the song: “Say, Drake, I feel like you’re new, You better never go to Cell Block 1.”
The petitions, both written by Drake, come before the trial and are intended to preserve and obtain statistical information that could support Drake’s allegations in a future trial, according to Bryan Sullivan, co-founder of the Early law firm. Sullivan Wright Gizer & McRae specializes in risk management in the entertainment industry.
Experts have called these complaints unprecedented and say they will have not only legal, but significant cultural implications for Drake and the hip-hop world.
Spotify declined to comment to The Associated Press about the documents.
UMG told the AP in a statement that “the suggestion that UMG would do anything to disparage any of its artists is offensive and untrue.”
“We use the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotion campaigns. There are no subtle and absurd legal arguments in this previous post that can hide the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear.”
None of these allegations have been proven in court.
Lamar and SZA’s tour kicks off April 19 in Minneapolis, then hits Houston; Arlington, Texas; in Atlanta; Charlotte, NC; Philadelphia; East Rutherford, NJ; Foxborough, Massachusetts; Seattle; Los Angeles; Glendale, Ariz.; San Francisco; Las Vegas; Louis; Chicago; Detroit; Toronto; Hersey, Penn.; and Washington, DC
Tickets go on sale Friday. A pre-sale for Cash App Visa cardholders will be launched on the previous day.
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