Photos: Fans in parking lot for Kendrick Lamar's Forum show

Thousands of Kendrick Lamar fans from across the country gathered Wednesday afternoon at the Forum in Inglewood for the local rapper's newly announced show “The Pop Out — Ken & Friends,” which took place about a month after his epic rap fight with Drake.

The concert, held on Juneteenth (an annual commemoration of the day in 1865 when enslaved African Americans in Texas were told they were free), featured lively performances from dozens of Los Angeles artists, including DJ Mustard , Ty Dolla Sign, Blxst, Steve Lacy, Westside Boogie, Dom Kennedy, RJMrLA, Tommy the Clown (along with his talented group of krumper kids), and Tyler, the Creator. Lamar also surprised fans with a Black Hippy reunion by bringing Jay Rock, Ab-Soul and Schoolboy Q on stage.

While many of Lamar's fans came to experience his Drake albums – “Not Like Us” and “Euphoria” – performed live for the first time, others thought the concert was the best way to celebrate Juneteenth, given the themes which Lamar discusses regularly. in his music.

Before the event, we spoke to fans in the parking lot about why they wanted to attend the show, how Lamar's music embodies the spirit of Juneteenth, and why the event was an important cultural moment in hip-hop history. Their answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Thousands of Kendrick Lamar fans gathered at The Forum in Inglewood for “The Pop Out – Ken & Friends” show on June 16, and many told The Times that the concert was the best way to celebrate the holiday.

Daja Heard, Omarri Beck, Christian Johnson, Parlet Cooper Los Angeles

From left to right: Parlet Cooper of Compton Wit and Los Angeles residents Daja Herad, Omarri Beck and Christian Johnson.

“Honestly, there is no one better than Lamar to bring out the community that really knows the history and purpose of Juneteenth and to make people more aware of Juneteenth and its importance.” — Omarri Veck, 24, from Los Angeles

“There has been representation from the community, but the hip-hop icon took Juneteenth as a celebration date and used it for something that speaks for the community. “It’s not for a tour or anything like that, this is for the city.” — Christian Johnson, 35, from Los Angeles

Robert Harris of Anaheim

“Kendrick has been a very inspiring person in my life. Since I came to this area, I have been listening to his music and it has been really moving. He always talks to people and for people, so at the end of the day, it's great to see him always show love. I've been to practically every single one of his concerts. This show is impacting people. It's bringing people together who were normally at odds. It's bringing good energy. It's not even about hate and love, it's really just about good vibes. And for Kendrick to do that, I celebrate it because he's the man: he runs hip-hop. We all know that.” — Robert Harris, 34, of Anaheim

Porsche Johnson of Compton

Porsche Johnson, 38, of Compton, said she was excited to attend. "The pop-up exit" with his family.

“It's a moment because I mean, it's Kendrick and 'Not Like Us' is definitely an anthem right now. Even with other races here, they recognize us like we do Cinco de Mayo: we celebrate everyone. Now everyone celebrates us, and the fact that so many people joined him to do this is what made it great.” —Porsche Johnson, 38, Compton

Penélope González and Johnny “Raydeoworld” Feliz from New York

Couple Penélope González, 21 years old, and Johnny "Raydeomundo" Feliz, 26, traveled from New York to attend the show.

“We wanted to be here because he knows it is the embodiment of culture. We feel like he understands what we go through…he's the best person to express that and lead it, and I feel like we need a leader in hip-hop that stands up for the right thing that we should all follow and do. I felt good celebrating June 16 with him. It just made sense because it's about culture. “We had to come here.” — Johnny “Raydeoworld” Feliz, 26 years old from New York

“For me, I love Kendrick for what I feel he represents. [Feliz] inspired me to put up Compton Cowboys and pgLang [on my fit]. I personally like Kendrick in this photo. [from his ‘Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers’ album]. He had never seen him so relaxed, but so elegant at the same time, so he wanted a photo that specifically represented this holiday. “It took me two days to do it.” — Penelope Gonzalez, 21

Stacy Aneke from Ontario, California.

Stacy Aneke, 25, said she wanted to attend the show to support the "Winning team" following the rap feud between Kendrick and Drake.

“With this being Kendrick's first performance in a long time, being able to experience 'Not Like Us' in person, he had to be here. … Obviously I think he won the fight, so it's a cultural moment. Simply being able to be part of the “winning team.” — Stacy Aneke, 25, from Ontario

Drew Bosompem from New Jersey and Chioma Nwana from New York

Couple Drew Bosompem, left, and Chioma Nwana, right, from New York, in "The pop out — Ken and his friends" show.

“It's the two biggest rappers doing this,” said Drew Bosompem, 29, of New Jersey. “I feel like it's something people have been waiting for.”

Lauren and Lawrence Wolfeland from Los Angeles

Couple Lauren Wolfeland, 40, and Lawrence Wolfeland, 43, went to see Kendrick Lamar for the first time on June 16.

“We've always been fans of Kendrick, but with all this that happened last month, I feel like he literally He spoke for the culture and pointed at things and said, 'Look, everyone.' Look.' We all know the whole story where we were always taken advantage of and someone said, 'I want some of that,' and here you have someone who looks like us doing the same thing, and we have to say, 'Hey! Hey.' And right before we have our big celebration, it's perfect, let's not only celebrate someone who we're a fan of, but also what he just talked about. Let us come together and recognize that about ourselves and be attentive to what is to come.” —Lauren Wolfeland, 40 years old

“He unified Los Angeles, the coast, hip-hop, and then having it on Juneteenth, our Freedom Day, is a big deal. — Lawrence Wolfeland, 43 years old from Los Angeles

See more K.Dot fan photos from the Forum parking lot below: