WATCH: Kendrick Lamar Performs “Rich Spirit,” “N95” & “Father Time” On SNL Season Premiere

Saturday Night (October 1) the fall weather began to roll through New York City as residents took shelter from the cold rain as the remnants of Hurricane Ian strolled through the North East. With the temperatures dropping and more people taking shelter in their apartments two things are obvious; summer has officially ended and a new season of Saturday Night Live has premiered with more musical guests. For the premiere of its 48th season, the sketch show recruited Pulitzer Prize-winner Kendrick Lamar who put on two cinematic performances. Lamar picked three songs from his latest critically acclaimed album, 2022’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, to perform on the cult-classic comedy show.

He kicked things off with a minimalistic performance of “Rich Spirit”, which solely featured Lamar and an oscillating floor fan surrounded by walls painted with an odd hue of blue. A singular spotlight illuminates Lamar which casts a shadow of the performer on the back wall, but about halfway through the performance, an optical illusion occurred. The aforementioned shadow took on a life of its own, revealing the shadow was never Lamar’s in the first place. This masterwork of stage design quickly transitioned from “Rich Spirit” to a fan favorite from the album, the high-octane “N95”. As Lamar tears through the fast-paced flows of the record, those walls become even more lively as cryptic messages flash on the sides and the back wall becomes home to a busy street with multiple bodies walking to and fro. 

For his second time on stage, Lamar pulled out a fan favorite with the song “Father Time”. The most shocking aspect of this performance was the rare appearance of the illusive singer/songwriter Sampha, who performs the chorus of the song. The two artists are seen in a run-down room with minimal furniture as Sampha sits with his back to the audience in a raggedy chair. As the song rolls on the walls begin to play another significant role in the stage design, and they begin to close in on the two artists. That chair is moved a little closer to center stage as Lamar and Sampha finish out an unforgettable performance. 

Check out both of the performances below: 

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