BATON ROUGE, LA — The “Kendrick Effect” has officially reached the world of competitive dance. Over the weekend, the LSU Tiger Girls broke the internet with a high-octane hip-hop routine set to a medley of Kendrick Lamar’s greatest hits at the 2026 UDA College and Dance Team National Championships.
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The performance, a masterclass in precision and swag, secured the team a second-place finish in Division 1A Hip Hop. They also made program history by taking home silver in the Jazz category, marking their highest-ever placement in that discipline.
A Super Bowl Inspired Statement
The routine drew heavy inspiration from Kendrick’s record-breaking 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show. From the choreography to the wardrobe, the Tiger Girls paid homage to the West Coast king, even incorporating his signature “be humble” branding on their uniforms.
Social media reactions were swift, with fans calling the routine “bold” and a “cultural statement.”
“LSU using the Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl for their routine this year was BOLD,” one user wrote on X. “Definitely making a statement, stand on it!”
Despite falling just short of the top spot to UNLV, the Tiger Girls have solidified their reputation as the “People’s Champions,” with clips of the performance garnering millions of views within hours.
Kendrick Lamar: The Gold Standard of 2026
While LSU celebrates their silver, Kendrick himself is gearing up for a potential sweep of the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards this March. Earlier this month, it was revealed that Dot is nominated for five major awards, including:
- Artist of the Year
- Hip-Hop Artist of the Year
- Song of the Year (for the SZA-assisted “luther”)
- Best Collaboration
- Hip-Hop Song of the Year
This news follows a historic 2025 for the Compton native. His latest album, GNX, was recently crowned Spotify’s most-streamed rap album of 2025, racking up a staggering 2.98 billion streams. It outperformed major releases like Playboi Carti’s MUSIC and Tyler, The Creator’s CHROMAKOPIA.
The $360M Victory Lap
Kendrick’s dominance isn’t just digital; it’s global. The “Grand National” Tour with SZA officially closed out as the highest-grossing rap tour of 2025, raking in $369.6 million worldwide. By surpassing the numbers of legacy acts and contemporary heavy hitters alike, Kendrick and SZA have redefined the financial ceiling for hip-hop on the global stage.
Watch the video: https://youtu.be/ifABIj3KAIk?si=z43ByRLz6HdtLCRq
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