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Kendrick Lamar @ Sweetlife Festival

Posted on June 11, 2015
Kendrick Lamar Performs at the 2015 Sweetlife Festival

 

The last time I shot Kendrick Lamar was at the Sweetlife Festival back in 2013. He was still on the come up back then, a mid-day, middle of the bill act. Honestly he was OK but I didn’t get what all the fuss was about at the time. So I’m happy to report his show is much improved, even if he strangely is doing pretty much the same set from 2013 after releasing the presumptive album of the year in March. Unsurprisingly, this has caused a lot of consternation on the interwebs.

COLUMBIA, MD - May 30, 2015 - Kendrick Lamar performs at the 2015 Sweetlife Festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD. Lamar's sophomore album, released in March, debuted atop the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart. (Photo by Kyle Gustafson / For The Washington Post) (Kyle Gustafson/For The Washington Post)

COLUMBIA, MD - May 30, 2015 - Kendrick Lamar performs at the 2015 Sweetlife Festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD. Lamar's sophomore album, released in March, debuted atop the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart. (Photo by Kyle Gustafson / For The Washington Post) (Kyle Gustafson/For The Washington Post)

COLUMBIA, MD - May 30, 2015 - Kendrick Lamar performs at the 2015 Sweetlife Festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD. Lamar's sophomore album, released in March, debuted atop the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart. (Photo by Kyle Gustafson / For The Washington Post) (Kyle Gustafson/For The Washington Post)

COLUMBIA, MD - May 30, 2015 - Kendrick Lamar performs at the 2015 Sweetlife Festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD. Lamar's sophomore album, released in March, debuted atop the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart. (Photo by Kyle Gustafson / For The Washington Post) (Kyle Gustafson/For The Washington Post)

I didn’t stick around for the full set (it was a looong day) so what he didn’t play didn’t bother me. He did play “Money Trees” and “Backseat Freestyle” while we were shooting so I was a happy camper. In 2013 his show was basically walking back and forth across the stage. These days he has much better command of the stage and he’s definitely more comfortable in front of big crowds. Plus, no hat this year!

I’ll have more photos from Sweetlife up soon!

COLUMBIA, MD - May 30, 2015 - Kendrick Lamar performs at the 2015 Sweetlife Festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD. Lamar's sophomore album, released in March, debuted atop the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart. (Photo by Kyle Gustafson / For The Washington Post) (Kyle Gustafson/For The Washington Post)

COLUMBIA, MD - May 30, 2015 - Kendrick Lamar performs at the 2015 Sweetlife Festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD. Lamar's sophomore album, released in March, debuted atop the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart. (Photo by Kyle Gustafson / For The Washington Post) (Kyle Gustafson/For The Washington Post)

COLUMBIA, MD - May 30, 2015 - Kendrick Lamar performs at the 2015 Sweetlife Festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD. Lamar's sophomore album, released in March, debuted atop the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart. (Photo by Kyle Gustafson / For The Washington Post) (Kyle Gustafson/For The Washington Post)

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Kyle Gustafson is a freelance photographer based in Washington, D.C. His work appears weekly in The Washington Post. Complex Magazine named him one of the 50 Greatest Concert Photographers Right Now.

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