Back in January, Kendrick Lamar took the stage for a mind-blowing performance with Imagine Dragons at the Grammy's. Now he's torn down the house again, this time in Vegas at the iHeartRadio Music Awards. With an introduction by Imagine Dragons' Dan Reynolds, Lamar paid tribute to a fellow Compton legend by performing Tupac's classic "California Love" before segueing into his hit "m.A.A.d city" with his TDE backing band.
Before he hit the stage, he recounted a tale, which he originally told back in September on the Arsenio Hall Show, about seeing Tupac and Dr Dre filming the "California Love" video in his neighborhood.
"I want to say it was summertime. Right around this area. My pops he was out, and he'd seen Pac and Dre shooting a video right here. ...I was at the house a few blocks down. I'm a kid, like eight years old. He pulled up and said, 'Pac and Dre, they shootin' a video. Wanna come? Ride wit me.'
"So by the time we pulled up, it was just like a sea of people — kids, grandmas, dogs, cats, you feel what I'm saying. He just put me on his shoulders...legendary. They were right there doing their thing. It just inspired me, man.
"That's a moment I'll never forget. I didn't know at eight years old, that 15 or 20 years later I'm doing the same they was doing. Going out here and making music people can live to. Since we right here in my town, my city, my swap meet, you should know that it began with 'California Love.'"
The awards show also featured performances from Pharrell Williams and Arcade Fire, among others.
Watch the replay below, and let us know what you think in the comments section!
Kendrick Lamar performs ~ iHeartRadio Music Awards by HumanSlinky
