Joe Budden thinks Kendrick Lamar performing at the biggest venue in Drake’s hometown of Toronto is the ultimate “flex.” On Wednesday (Dec. 4), during an episode of his eponymous podcast, the “Pump It Up” rapper weighed in on the upcoming “Grand National Tour” and speculated why fans have yet to see the Canadian artist embark on a stadium run.
“He hasn’t done one yet. If the n**ga did six shows straight at Madison Square Garden, I don’t know what it [would] look like if he tries to do a stadium tour,” Budden said on the latest episode, presumably referencing Drake’s “It's All A Blur Tour,” which saw him doing three back-to-back shows in MSG, preceded by four consecutive Barclays Center stops. The rapper-turned-podcaster continued, “I don’t know if he’s just trying to circumvent the fees that come with stadium tours.”
“It is a flex that Kendrick is doing stadium tours and doing the stadium in Toronto,” Budden further noted. Lamar and SZA will be at the Rogers Centre on June 12, 2025, as a part of their “Grand National Tour,” which also includes shows across Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Detroit.
The announcement, as with anything the Compton emcee does these days, prompted social media to poke fun at Drake and imagine the inevitable impact of Lamar performing tracks like “Not Like Us” live for tens of thousands of people. We got a smaller taste of that energy during Lamar’s “The Pop Out — Ken and Friends” concert in June.
All that being said, Budden explained, “I’m sick of it. I want to go back to talking about Kendrick with Kendrick and Drake with Drake. I’m tired of the conversations intermingling.” He did, however, issue a caveat: “If it’s going to stay like that, then I’m down.”
It’s still too early to know what Lamar’s “Grand National Tour” setlist will be, but it’s almost certain he’ll be performing records from November’s GNX.