The Weeknd Spotted at Kendrick Lamar's 'Pop Out' Concert in Los Angeles
Unlike former Toronto Raptor DeMar DeRozan, the Scarborough-born artist never got onstage, but he was in the audience of the show that featured Drake diss tracks 'Not Like Us' and 'Euphoria.'
The Weeknd with Metro Boomin and Future
Kendrick Lamar took over the internet last night (June. 19) with his "Pop Out" concert live-streamed on Prime Video from the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. If it wasn't clear Kendrick had won public opinion in his beef with Drake, it was when the stage united cultural figures from L.A. — from up-and-comers to legends like Dr. Dre, basketball stars like Russell Westbrook, even someone Drake name-dropped in one of his diss tracks, DJ Mustard — to dance along to the scathing "Not Like Us."
DeMar DeRozan, the beloved former Toronto Raptor who was once close enough to Drake that he spilled the beans on an upcoming mixtape joined fellow L.A.-born NBA player Westbrook onstage at the Forum during "Not Like Us."
But it wasn't only Californians getting noticed. One Toronto native was there too, and it was someone Drake has had a complicated history with: Abel Tesfaye a.k.a. The Weeknd. Clips have surfaced today of of the Scarborough, Ontario singer having a good time in the audience. He was there with rapper Big Hit, the father of Hit-Boy, a producer with major credits including Drake's hit "Trophies."
Drake and The Weeknd have had an on-again off-again relationship as friends and collaborators, but have had a slow-simmering beef that's hid in the cracks of the beef with Kendrick Lamar.
In "All to Myself," a collaboration with Future and Metro Boomin on their We Still Don't Trust You album, The Weeknd sings “They could never diss my brothers, baby/ When they got leaks in they operation/ I thank God that I never signed my life away" — a line many interpret as a reference to Tesfaye turning down a deal with OVO Records to sign with Republic and launch his own XO Records in 2012.
Drake hit back with a line for Tesfaye on "Family Matters": I know you like to keep it short, so let me paraphrase/ Knew it was smoke when Abel hit us with the serenade." There was also speculation Drake threw shots at The Weeknd manager Cash XO on "Push Ups."
The Weeknd kept a relatively low profile, staying off the stage at Kendrick Lamar's "Pop Out" show, but he was there in the crowd amongst others including LeBron James and SZA. That's more than enough to keep the conversation going today.
