Riding high on a new #1 Billboard album this week with DAMN., Kendrick Lamar proved he deserved his spot atop the Coachella bill once again to close out the second Sunday (Apr. 23) -- and the final day -- of this year's huge music festival in Indio, California. Freed from last week's guest spots and often alone on the massive Coachella stage, Lamar delivered once again with a confidence and flow that most other rappers could only dream of, demanding the audience sing along to singles like "B-tch Don't Kill My Vibe" and new songs like "ELEMENT," which, clearly, his audience had spent some time with over the course of the week since its release.
Though his set was essentially a guest-less repeat of last week's (one notable exception: "i" replaced Future's "Mask Off"), Lamar was on even more sure footing onstage, prowling throughout and nailing a balancing-act magic trick during "Pride," his ninja-like delivery abetted by, well, actual ninjas. Despite a windy night, his production -- which includes a massive overhead screen -- was intact, and the only downside of the setup is that his band remains hidden; for an artist responsible for propelling the careers of instrumentalists like Kamasi Washington and Thundercat, it's a bummer that as he's become more famous his collaborators have become more faceless.