Kendrick Lamar performs Virgil Abloh tribute while wearing crown of thorns during Louis Vuitton show

Rapper’s performance comes before his Glastonbury headlining slot on Sunday

Kendrick Lamar has paid tribute to Virgil Abloh, while sitting in the front row at the Louis Vuitton Men’s show in Paris today (23 June).

Abloh was the brand’s creative director and died in November 2021 of cancer. He was 41.

Wearing a crown of thorns – similar to the one he wears on the cover of his latest album Mr Morale & The Big Steppers – the rapper performed a medley of songs from the newly released record.

Read The Independent’s five-star review of Mr Morale here.

Positioned between model Naomi Campbell and his collaborator Dave Free, Lamar rapped lyrics from “N95”, “Savior”, “Rich Spirit”, and “Count Me Out”, ending with a repeated mantra of “Long live Virgil”.

The fashion show featured models carrying a giant rainbow banner down the yellow runway, as a nod to Abloh’s earliest Louis Vuitton collection, which paid homage to musicals The Wizard of Oz and The Wiz.

This event marks Lamar’s second tribute to the late fashion designer. During his February Super Bowl halftime performance, he donned a custom Louis Vuitton suit designed by Abloh.

His recent gig comes before his Sunday (26 June) headlining slot at the Glastonbury festival.

Additional headliners include pop star Billie Eilish and former Beatle Paul McCartney, with Diana Ross taking on the traditional Sunday afternoon “legends” slot. You can check out the full lineup and set times here.

Follow along with the live updates from Glastonbury here.