Kendropout! Kendrick Lamar pulls out of Parklife

A$AP Rocky has snagged the headline spot after the shock announcement that Kendrick Lamar will no longer be playing Parklife this year. 

What could’ve been…

It was announced today through the official Parklife Facebook page that Kendrick Lamar, the popular Compton rapper who would’ve been headlining the Now Wave arena, will not be performing due to a schedule clash with his own tour.

The last minute line-up swap will now see A$AP take to the stage instead on Saturday 7th June.

With just seventeen days to go until Parklife kicks off it comes as a massive surprise that Lamar, such a high profile act, has cancelled at such short notice. Instead of headlining the Manchester festival, he’ll now be performing at the Gorge Amphitheatre in Washington, America.

The announcement was met with utter disbelieve from many fans who were excited to see Kendrick perform on the Saturday. When the news was broken to Harry Brock, a first year Geology student, his reaction couldn’t have been more genuine: “Are you serious?! What the fuck!”

And once again it’s not only Manchester students who are being affected by the change. Hannah Bussell, an English student from Birmingham University also reacted to the heartbreaking news this morning. “Words can not describe how devastated and let down I feel.”

#bringbackkendrick

Confusingly, some websites such as Ticketmaster are still offering up Parklife tickets which advertise Lamar as the headline act.

However, not everyone is disappointed with the stand-in. News of the replacement was a godsend for A$AP Rocky enthusiast Hani Legris, who told us:  “I live for ASAP so this really is a dream come true.”

Hani Legris: a true fan

The high profile muck-up has left a lot of questions. Is A$AP Rocky a like-for-like replacement for the much anticipated Kendrick Lamar? And what about those who were set on seeing Lamar, paying good money for the festival ticket? Lydia Morton, a second year Linguistics student, is outraged. She told The Tab: “I’d paid good money in the hope of seeing my ‘one true love’ Kendrick Lamar and won’t settle for any less.”

But it’s not the first time Parklife has caused a stir this year – less than a week ago the team sent a text to festival-goers on behalf of their mum.

Mum?

What are your thoughts and reaction to the replacement of Kendrick Lamar by A$AP Rocky?