Will Kendrick Lamar have anything to say about Phoenix battle rap Tuesday?

Just over a year after lighting the globe ablaze with his massive word drop in what’s arguably the biggest battle in modern rap history, Kendrick Lamar graces the greater Phoenix area on the Grand National tour with co-headliner SZA on May 27 at State Farm Stadium.

GNX, Kendrick Lamar’s sixth studio album, arrived hot on the heels of his massive public feud with rap superstar Drake last year, which culminated in Lamar performing two of the diss tracks from the battle, “Euphoria” and “Not Like Us,” during his Super Bowl 59 halftime performance.

“Not Like Us,” a bombastic record with a distinct Bay Area influence thanks to production from Oakland-based DJ Mustard, has proven to wield staying power with audiences. It clings to the Billboard Hot 100 charts a full year after its internet-breaking debut, even as Lamar and SZA’s “Luther” holds the top spot.

Yet the most unsung part of Kendrick’s banner year in rap music comes from his acknowledgement of influences from the lesser-known realm of the battle rap scene. Ahead of his Super Bowl performance, Kendrick Lamar sat down for an interview with Apple Music, in which he mentioned still watching SMACK and Ultimate Rap League (URL) on YouTube, which highlight some of the scene’s most legendary names, including Murda Mook, Loaded Lux, Tay Roc, and Daylyt.

On this tour, Kendrick Lamar returns to the Valley to entertain, but it is also where one of battle rap’s brightest shining stars, Rum Nitty, resides. The locally based rapper won the Champion of the Year belt in 2023, as determined by Let’s Talk Battle Rap.

Lamar’s inspirations from SMACK/URL can be seen in the very structure of his massive battle with Drake. In the verbal sport of battle rap, emcees typically compete in 3 round battles, and Kendrick and Drake went round for round with three songs each (we don’t count Drake’s AI song around here). Battlers win their matches by predicting their opponent’s attacks, getting deeply personal to expose their opponent’s true character, and landing the big “haymaker” to secure victory in their final rounds. Kendrick showcased his knowledge of the art of war by predicting the angles Drake would take and getting deeply personal with attacks toward Drake’s family on the diss track “Meet the Grahams,” then delivering the death blow of the battle with “Not Like Us.”

While the noise of last year’s battle has quelled, the hunger for the golden era of rap dogfights like Biggie versus Pac and Nas versus Jay-Z still rumbles in the bellies of rap fans. Rum Nitty has made such a massive impact in battle rap that he has earned the nickname “The Alien” because of his seemingly extraterrestrial rap abilities. Will Kendrick give a shout-out to The Alien during his stop in the Valley?

We contacted Rum Nitty’s team for comment, but as of publication, we have not received a response.

Kendrick Lamar and SZA perform at 7 p.m. May 27 at State Farm Stadium.