Kendrick Lamar Pauses Show to Sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to 9-Year-Old Fan

The rapper stopped his Spilt Milk Festival set to lead thousands in singing to the young girl.

Kendrick Lamar at the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show press event, wearing glasses and a black jacket, with Apple Music logos behind.
Michael Owens via Getty

Kendrick Lamar gave a young fan a special treat on her birthday.

On Dec. 13, at the Spilt Milk Festival in Canberra, Australia, the GNX rapper abruptly stopped his show to sing happy birthday to 9-year-old Kalina Fowler.

"I was yelling out, it's my birthday, it's my birthday, and then Kendrick saw me yelling, so he stopped in the middle of the song," Kalina told ABC Canberra. "It was the funnest time ever—my first ever concert."

Instead of continuing the performance, Lamar led thousands of fans in a heartfelt rendition of "Happy Birthday," and signed and gifted Kalina a pgLang hat. She was visibly overwhelmed, wiping away tears as the crowd erupted in applause.

According to the outlet, Kalina is part of the Yukkumbruk Dancers and performed at a Welcome to Country ceremony earlier that day at the festival. Her hope was that she'd meet Dot backstage; instead, she joined the audience and watched his set from her grandfather's shoulders.

"I think Kendrick was a bit surprised at the lyrics a nine-year-old was singing," her grandfather, Robert Palm, told the outlet. "She knew every word."

"People want my hat so bad, they tried to give money to me," Kalina said. "I said this hat is really priceless, so I'm going to keep it for the rest of my life. I won't let nobody touch it."

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