Kendrick Lamar has shattered a major touring milestone on the first night of his and SZA’s Grand National Tour, becoming the first rapper in history to gross over $9 million from a single show, surpassing Eminem’s previous record set in 2019.
The opening concert, held at Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, brought in an astonishing $9,124,989 (£7.3 million), with 47,354 tickets sold at an average price of $192.70.
This achievement pushes Kendrick Lamar past Eminem’s long-standing record. In 2019, Eminem grossed $8,708,390 from a single concert in Melbourne until now, the highest-grossing solo rap show on record.
Lamar now takes that crown with ease, setting a new standard for live hip hop performances.
The Minneapolis concert also marks the most-attended show in both Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s careers, further solidifying their status as top-tier live performers.
The Grand National Tour will travel across North America until June, followed by performances in Europe and the UK throughout the summer.
Eminem, a titan of rap and live performance, held the record for five years before Kendrick Lamar’s historic night.
This new benchmark underscores Kendrick Lamar’s growing legacy, as he continues to reach new heights in both critical acclaim and commercial success.
Eminem’s name may still dominate the conversation, but Kendrick Lamar is proving to be a record-breaker in his own right.
Read More: Kendrick Lamar knocks Drake off again
Earlier, Kendrick overtook Drake in the latest Billboard chart battle. The two rappers, who famously clashed in early 2024 with diss tracks aimed at each other, are not in a feud right now.
However, Kendrick managed to outshine his Canadian rival in a new way this week.
Kendrick Lamar has replaced Drake at No 1 on the Billboard chart, despite neither rapper releasing anything new.
Lamar’s album, GNX, has been performing strongly ever since its release, and now it has climbed back to the top of the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
This marked Lamar’s sixth time taking the No 1 spot on this prestigious chart, which tracks the most consumed R&B, hip-hop, and rap albums based on sales and streaming activity.
