SZA Reveals Kendrick Lamar’s Game-Changing Advice About Performing

BY Caroline Fisher 1.7K Views
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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - FEBRUARY 9: Kendrick Lamar performs with SZA during Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show at Caesars Superdome on February 09, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Kendrick Lamar and SZA are scheduled to kick off their "Grand National" tour next month with a performance in Minneapolis.

SZA and Kendrick Lamar are currently preparing to embark on their "Grand National" tour, and according to the songstress, she's learned a lot in the process. During a recent appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show, she revealed some of the valuable advice she's gotten from the Compton MC in the past. “I get to pick different tips and watch how he carries himself, how he emotes,” she explained. “To watch him perform is to witness something magical.”

“One time he gave me the pointer of pretending to watch myself from above,” SZA added. “He sees himself while he’s performing, and it actually changed a lot for me. It was weird, when I was watching myself from afar, I was like, ‘This not what I want to see, I want to see something different. I want to turn up.’ Then I just started, like, invoking a completely different energy and spirit within myself.”

Kendrick Lamar & SZA's Tour

2018 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival - Weekend 1 - Day 1
Rappers SZA (L) and Kendrick Lamar (R) perform on the Coachella stage during week 1, day 1 of the Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival on April 13, 2018 in Indio, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images for Coachella )

The "Grand National" tour is scheduled to begin in April with shows in cities like Minneapolis, Atlanta, Charlotte, and more. After wrapping up the North American leg of the tour in June, the duo will kick off the European leg in July. They'll perform in Germany, the Netherlands, France, Portugal, Italy, and more. As for what fans can expect, SZA set the bar high during her chat with Jimmy Kimmel a few weeks back.

"Oh, we’re doing a new thing,” she revealed at the time. “We’re both just kind of throwing all the paint at the wall… This is our first stadium show for both of us, so we pretty much have to go insane.” Kendrick Lamar and SZA also teamed up last month for the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show. According to the NFL, it racked up a staggering 3.65 billion total global views.

About The Author
Caroline Fisher is a News Writer at HotNewHipHop from Chicago, Illinois. She started at HNHH this year, and has since spent her time writing about all that is newsworthy in the world of hip-hop. With a drive for hunting down the hottest stories, she enjoys documenting new developments in culture and entertainment. She also has an appreciation for hip-hop and seeks to cover the most important trends and shifts. She has a Bachelor of Arts which she received at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Having graduated in 2022, she majored in English with a concentration in Media, Rhetoric and Cultural Studies. Specializing all things music, pop culture and entertainment, some of her favorite musical artists include Snoop Dogg, OutKast, and Nicki Minaj. When she’s not writing about music she’s also a fan of attending shows, watching the latest movies, staying up-to-date with current events, photography, and poetry.