Musique Kendrick Lamar Lights Up Osheaga
An Extraordinary Performance by Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar delivered an imperial performance that brought the 16th edition of the Osheaga festival to a captivating close. With a crowd of 155,000 people attending over three days at Montreal’s Jean-Drapeau Park, this year’s festival proved to be the biggest in its history. The award-winning MC from Compton, California, confidently drew from his extensive discography, delivering both his greatest hits and newer tracks with an electric energy that was already set in motion by the preceding performance of Fred again… on the neighboring stage.
Dressed in a black jacket, oversized pink shorts, and Nike Cortez sneakers, Kendrick Lamar donned a Los Angeles Dodgers cap adorned with the logo of his media company, pgLang. He hit hard right from the start with the extraordinary “N95” from his 2020 album “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers”. He then alternated between songs from this album, “DAMN.”, and “To Pimp a Butterfly”. The crowd, already won over, erupted when the opening notes of “Backseat Freestyle” reverberated through the air.
Notably, the sound quality was exceptional, with live musicians playing in the background, although they remained unseen. Throughout the performance, murals of naive art adorned vast drapes, continuously changing behind the stage. Seven dancer-actors dressed in the same attire as Kendrick Lamar and wearing masks depicting his face moved in various, sometimes strange, ways alongside the rapper.
After performing “Swimming Pools (Drank)” and “M.A.A.d city”, Kendrick revisited his album “DAMN.” to deliver powerful renditions of “Loyalty”, “DNA” – our personal favorite of the evening – and “Humble”. The hour-long performance by Mr. Duckworth concluded with fan-favorites “Money Trees”, “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe”, and “Alright”. The rapper, who spoke very little to the crowd, then signed autographs on sheets of paper and handed them to three lucky spectators. “These three people represented Montreal well tonight. They sang every word of every song,” Kendrick Lamar noted before closing with “Savior”. It was an impeccable, albeit minimalist, performance by an artist at the pinnacle of his craft.
“The Biggest Year”
According to Nick Farkas, Vice President of Programming, Concerts, and Events at evenko, the festival organizer, this edition of Osheaga boasted the strongest ticket sales since its inception. “It is incredible to see that after 16 years the brand remains so strong,” he stated during a press conference on Sunday. Farkas attributed the success to the incredible energy that pervaded the festival this year, an energy he hadn’t felt in a long time.
The organizers reported that Saturday and Sunday were sold-out days, with 54,000 attendees each. Friday saw 47,000 people in attendance. “Even though it wasn’t completely sold out, it was one of the biggest days we have ever had,” Farkas observed. “The headliners were a factor, as well as having Fred again.. and Cigarettes After Sex, who have exploded in popularity over the past six months, and Baby Keem, who had never performed in Montreal before. The full lineup on Saturday and Sunday was stronger. Additionally, people usually work on Fridays, so it is usually less crowded.”
Optimism for the Future
When asked about his personal highlights of the festival, Farkas mentioned Aysanabee, whose exceptional voice captivated a crowd of 2,000 people. He also noted the unexpected appearances of Nelly Furtado, who performed on various stages throughout the festival, and the viral performance by Armani White with Billie. Farkas expressed optimism about the future of Osheaga at Jean-Drapeau Park, stating that collaboration and finding solutions were key, and that this year’s cooperative effort was encouraging. “I am very confident [in the future of Osheaga]. I am encouraged by the cooperation we had this year. We have had some challenging years, but everyone wants to work together going forward.”
Central Cee:
A Talented Rapper, but Not Yet an MC
A Promising UK Drill Artist
Central Cee, a 25-year-old rapper from London, took to the stage at Osheaga to showcase his talent. However, with a relatively limited repertoire, a DJ warmed up the crowd for about fifteen minutes before his arrival. As soon as Central Cee stepped on stage, his incisive flow and piercing gaze immediately commanded the attention of the tightly packed crowd. Practicing the UK drill style, a fast-paced form of rap with powerful bass-driven beats, Central Cee made the grounds of Osheaga vibrate not only underfoot but also within our chests.
Already well-known in the UK thanks to his micro-albums “No Nore Leaks” and “Split Decision”, the London rapper gained more admirers after his recent freestyle collaboration with Drake. At the beginning of his set, Central Cee performed songs such as “Little Bit of This” and “Commitment Issues”. While his fans were thrilled, the majority of the audience, including ourselves, found the overall performance repetitive. However, with tracks like “Sprinter” and especially “Dojo”, Central Cee later managed to ignite the entire crowd, although the ending felt somewhat abrupt, leaving the energy at its peak.
Although the British rapper possesses undeniable charisma, he has not yet achieved the title of master of ceremonies. With time and an expanded repertoire, Central Cee has the potential to grow into a true MC.
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