Baby Keem brings out Kendrick Lamar at debut London show
Keem headlined Electric Brixton last night (June 27)
By Joe Goggins
Baby Keem marked his debut London show in style by bringing out his cousin, Kendrick Lamar.
As he played a headline show in the capital for the first time last night (June 27) at Electric Brixton, he ran through a 15-song set that lent heavily on last year’s ‘The Melodic Blue’ album. He also had Don Toliver join him onstage at the midpoint for a two-song turn; you can see the full setlist below, as well as fan-shot footage from the show.
Most thrillingly for the sell-out crowd of just 1500, though, was the appearance of Lamar, just 24 hours on from an epic Glastonbury headline set that closed with him dropping the mic at the end of an intense take on ‘Savior’, on which he rapped “godspeed for women’s rights.” For the final three tracks of Keem‘s set, Lamar appeared to play their huge collaboration ‘Family Ties’, as well as ‘Vent’, before closing with a brand new song, the name of which has yet to be revealed.
With Toliver, meanwhile, Keem dropped two of their own team-ups ‘Cocoa’ and ‘OUTERSPACE’. Even at the tender age of 21, Keem has already won a Grammy, for Best Rap Performance for ‘Family Ties’ and worked with the likes of Lamar, Toliver, Kanye West, Travis Scott and Migos. He features on ‘Savior’, on the album version taken from Lamar’s rave-reviewed fifth full-length, ‘Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers’, although he was not present at Glastonbury.
‘The Melodic Blue’ dropped last October to strong critical notices of its own, and has been certified gold in Keem’s native United States. He will return to the UK in November to support Lamar on his Big Steppers tour, the dates for which you can see below. It promises to be a scintillating affair on the basis of Sunday’s Glastonbury show.
Baby Keem, Electric Brixton, June 27:
‘Trademark USA’
‘Hooligan’
‘Pink Panties’
‘Scapegoats’
‘Booman’
‘Orange Soda’
‘Cocoa’ [with Don Toliver]
‘OUTERSPACE’ [with Don Toliver]
‘Range Brothers’
‘Issues’
‘Scars’
‘Lost Souls’
‘Family Ties’ [with Kendrick Lamar]
‘Vent’ [with Kendrick Lamar]
Untitled new song [with Kendrick Lamar]
Baby Keem, November 2022:
2 – Glasgow, OVO Hydro
3 – Leeds, First Direct Arena
4 – Newcastle, Utilita Arena
5 – Birmingham, Utilita Arena
7 – London, O2 Arena
8 – London, O2 Arena
16 – Manchester, AO Arena