It’s been 10 days since Kendrick Lamar’s “The Pop Out: Ken and Friends” concert, and the landmark celebration of West Coast artists continues to bear fruit. Now, Lamar, his pgLang company, Tim Hinshaw’s Free Lunch, and participating artists have announced a donation of $200,000 to charities and community initiatives in the greater Los Angeles area.
News of the donation comes from a Billboard report, which has a list of the 20 organizations that received funds, including Boys & Girls Clubs, Compton G.irls Club, Tommy the Clown Foundation, and many more. “We would like to thank pgLang and Free Lunch for recognizing their roots and supporting g.irls from the hood,” Compton G.irls Club founder Chrystani Heinrich said. “It’s refreshing to know that Kendrick always comes back to the community to support the next generation.”
Among the artists who joined Lamar for the Juneteenth concert were Dr. Dre, Tyler the Creator, Ty Dolla $ign, Steve Lacy, Mustard, ScHoolboy Q, Roddy Ricch, YG, Jay Rock, and many more. The night was closed with Lamar’s recent masterpiece “Not Like Us,” which was astonishingly performed six consecutive times.
All of this arrives after Lamar’s highly-publicized rap feud with Drake, and comes as a sign of the unity the Compton-born rapper strives to foster. “This moment was bigger than a back and forth; it was about supporting each other and showing the world that we could come together for a greater cause,” Free Lunch’s Tim Hinshaw told Billboard. “All of these organizations play a pivotal role in the development of our community and the hope is that we all continue to support them moving forward.”
Days prior to the concert, Lamar voiced shared wisdom and voiced his hope for Compton at a surprise commencement speech at Compton College’s 2024 graduation ceremony.