Kendrick Lamar's VMA Performance Was Scrapped From "DAMN." Tour

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Kendrick Lamar attends the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 27, 2017 in Inglewood, California.
Kendrick's electrifying VMA performance was initially meant for his "DAMN." Tour.

The VMA's this year was a very special and talked about night for a lot of artists. Kendrick Lamar opened up the VMA's with a fiery performance of his hit songs "DNA." and "HUMBLE." off of his multi-platinum album DAMN. While it was an impressive performance to accomplish, it turns out that the idea was initially meant for his tour. However, the costs of the performance was limited by the tour insurers.

The interviewer initially asked Kendrick how much insurance was needed for the firewall, Kendrick said "Maaaan, c'mon now. They had my insurance policy ready. We had everybody ready."

"It was something we wanted to do for the tour but the insurance policy didn't cover it, so VMA's came through for the insurance policy. Everything worked out so we're just blessed to be a part of it here tonight," Kendrick's long-time friend and collaborator, Dave Free, revealed MTV backstage.

It ultimately makes sense considering one of the first thing most people are taught as a child is to not play with fire but MTV was clearly down to drop some dollars to ensure that this would happen on their network.

The interviewer caught Kendrick, Dave Meyers and Dave Free backstage after they won Video of the Year. While spirits were running high, they also talked about the big win. Kendrick revealed that while himself and Free have gone back since 9th grade, they've been fans of Meyers work for the same amount of time.

"We've been watching [Dave Meyers] since the 9th grade, doing his thing." Kendrick continued to say, "So to be on this stage, on this platform, in this moment, is a surreal moment for sure."

The interviewer later asked Meyers how he felt. While by no means is he new to the award, he won it 6 years prior for Katy Perry's "Fireworks." However, he did say that this one was special.

"This one meant something. You know, it's nice to have artistry be recognized. Sometimes it's the popular vote, this time it feels like the creative vote," Meyers told MTV.

It was surely a big night for Kendrick Lamar, Dave Meyers, Dave Free and the rest of the TDE Camp.

Watch the full interview below:


About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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