Kendrick Lamar Surprises TDE Concert Crowd with SZA

Kendrick Lamar made a surprise appearance at Top Dawg Entertainment's annual Christmas Concert and Toy Drive in Los Angeles on December 18, 2025, joining collaborator SZA for performances of their recent hits and thrilling a crowd gathered for the charity event.

The concert, held at the Nickerson Gardens Housing Projects in Watts, marked the 12th year of the gathering, which benefits the local community through toy donations. Admission required attendees to bring an unwrapped toy, with the toy drive continuing the following day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at a nearby location on Compton Avenue. Lamar, who rose to prominence under the TDE label before leaving in recent years, took the stage unannounced to perform alongside SZA, his co-headliner on the 2025 Grand National Tour. The duo delivered "Luther," a track from Lamar's 2024 album GNX that topped charts worldwide and ranked among the year's most-streamed songs on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. They also performed "30 for 30," featured on the deluxe reissue of SZA's 2022 album SOS, titled LANA. Lamar capped his set with a solo rendition of "Squabble Up," another GNX single that debuted at the event the previous year.