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Seeing Kendrick Lamar and SZA live is something everyone should do at least once in their lifetime. LOS40 finally got to see them up close during this Grand National Tour, their joint stadium tour announced by PgLang and Live Nation, specifically at the Estadi Olímpic in Barcelona.

A concert worthy of two of the biggest artists in the world. Without a doubt, Lamar is currently the most influential rapper worldwide, especially after his explosive Super Bowl performance. But what truly defines both of them is their ability to culturally transcend on multiple levels and convey messages in a very unique way.

Kendrick and SZA deliver a vibrant (literally—the stadium vibrates during the show) and overwhelming spectacle, packed with symbols and messages. Here’s what they mean.

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What does Kendrick Lamar’s car symbolize in reference to GNX?

At the start of the show, a car appears center stage. It’s a 1987 Buick GNX (Grand National Experimental), the car that gives its name to Kendrick’s sixth studio album, GNX, released in November 2024 (and from there also comes the big ‘X’ on his chain).

Although you might immediately recall his spectacular Super Bowl entrance (where dozens of dancers step out of the same car), here Kendrick emerges alone, wrapped in a cloud of smoke. It’s hard to describe, but his presence on stage is somewhere between calm and sudden explosiveness; he seems totally unbothered, aware of what he represents but without wanting to play the role of the star he is.

This is a key link in bringing GNX to life live. The entire album’s symbolism revolves around personal introspection, West Coast urban culture, and African American identity. On stage, Kendrick Lamar ceases to be just Kendrick Lamar; he’s a West Coast kid from Compton, California—a city that, when he was born, was devastated by the crack epidemic, poverty, and street violence.

The essence of the Grand National Tour is precisely to reference this reality. In fact, the tour’s name comes from the car model mentioned, which itself is a symbol of the West Coast rap tradition with classic vehicles—like the ’64 Chevy Impala immortalized by Eazy-E in his line “Cruisin’ down the street in my ‘64” from Boyz-N-The Hood, and featured in Ice Cube’s It Was a Good Day video, as well as the ’63 Impala SS in Dr. Dre’s Still D.R.E. video. Also, it’s worth noting that the specific model that gives the album its name is from 1987, the year Lamar was born.

Everything behind ‘Not Like Us’: more than just a personal conflict with Drake

One of the most notable ideas is that Lamar brings shine back to the West Coast, reuniting it. Proof of this is his beef against Drake in Not Like Us, which goes far beyond a personal conflict. It builds a clear “them” versus “us,” a key element in hip hop and rap battles in the US.

In the song, Lamar fiercely criticizes the Canadian rapper (as well as other industry figures), accusing him of appropriating and fetishizing African American culture for personal gain, without respecting its depth, history, or community. Lamar denounces how outsiders adopt the aesthetics, sounds, and gestures of Black rappers as a trend, while remaining detached from the social realities that culture represents.

Additionally, Kendrick highlights a serious issue: the sexualization of minors. This accusation coincides with scandals involving Diddy, a then “referential” figure in the industry. Lamar calls out Drake with the viral line “A minor,” referencing media controversies like the alleged friendship between the Canadian artist and Stranger Things actress Millie Bobby Brown.

‘Not Like Us’ is a track produced by DJ Mustard, who is well known for other huge hits like Big Sean’s ‘I Don’t Fk With You,’ Rihanna’s ‘Needed Me,’ Tyga’s ‘Rack City,’ and Mustard & Roddy Ricch’s ‘Ballin’. Mustard appears at a moment in the concert, specifically during «tv off» when he says «mustaaaaard.» He also performs the opening act before the show.

Kendrick and SZA’s show also features interludes projected on the large central screen. They appear in what looks like an interrogation or therapy session. “Should these lyrics be taken as metaphor or threat?” a voice off-camera asks Lamar in one projection. “Take them however you want,” he replies. Thus, the acts in the show feel like a journey into each artist’s psyche.

The rapper delivers a setlist up to expectations, featuring GNX tracks like Squabble Up, TV Off, Reincarnated, alongside iconic hits like HUMBLE, DNA, Euphoria, and the explosive m.A.A.d city—albeit in a more restrained version, despite the song’s raw reflection of racial violence in the US.

The symbols in SZA’s performance

SZA’s entrance is also in a GNX that rises and falls on stage. The production level of this mega-show is remarkable—you leave wondering if you’ll ever see anything like it again, because nothing else will compare. The performances are interspersed with pillars of fire—not mild flames, but actual towering fire columns rising above the venue.

The singer positions herself above the iconic car, now wrapped in ivy leaves, referencing the cover of her latest album SOS Deluxe: Lana. The title comes from a personal nickname of SZA’s, linked to her first tattoo at age 13, when she had only $40 and could afford just four letters.

@solanainfo “30 for 30” in Barcelona, Spain. #sza #grandnationaltour ♬ som original – SZA

The project is a B-side to SOS, but also a more introspective space where SZA explores emotions with more subtlety and less explosiveness than her debut release. By using this name tied to her adolescence, she suggests a return to her roots, to the most authentic and visceral part of herself—connecting with nostalgia, identity, and the emotional evolution portrayed in the record.

If you’ve ever wondered why SZA is called SZA, she explained it comes from Sovereign Zig-Zag-Zig Allah, reflecting a philosophy of self-knowledge, spiritual sovereignty, and connection to the divine—based on the Supreme Alphabet of the Nation of Gods and Earths. This system of symbol interpretation, rooted in African American Islam, has also been used by artists like RZA of Wu-Tang Clan.

The artist, who rose to international fame with hits like Kill Bill, performed several iconic tracks from her catalog such as Scorsese Baby Daddy, F2F, Kitchen, Consideration, Snooze, and Kiss Me More.

Why are Kendrick Lamar and SZA touring together?

Besides their solo hits, the artists delivered performances full of chemistry with their hit luther, which topped charts for several weeks.

The title theoretically refers to Luther Vandross, as it samples his iconic song with Cheryl Lynn, If This World Were Mine, expressing deep love where Kendrick promises to do everything to please his partner, idealizing a perfect world for her. Many fans also interpret it as a nod to Martin Luther King Jr., linking the idea of dreaming of a better world for the loved one.

@goddamnbrz the eye contact omggg #sza #grandnationaltour #gnx #barcelona #luther ♬ sonido original – ‍Bryann

The duo also performed other hits like 30 for 30, Doves in the Wind, All the Stars, and Love. Instead of closing with their most viral song at the moment, Not Like Us, they chose another track—revealing again that their artistic decisions come before outside validation: they ended gloriously with a song that, while starting as a story of a toxic relationship, is actually an internal battle with success, fame, and creative block.

The entire show helps explain why Kendrick and SZA are touring together. The Grand National Tour represents an innovative artistic vision that goes beyond the typical superstar tour, uniting two leading figures in their genres in a collaborative project prioritizing connection and community. With 39 joint stadium dates across Europe and North America, plus Kendrick’s solo shows, this tour breaks the mold by moving away from the usual individualism in the industry and striving to create collective culture—giving rightful visibility and significance to African American culture and its essential traits.