Kendrick Lamar at the Apollo

Kendrick Lamar must have heard about the sun rearing its head in Manchester again, as he’s returning to the city in July as part of a mini UK tour. The rapper, who released the phenomenally well received Good Kid, m.A.A.d City at the tail end of 2012, will hit Manchester just prior to appearing at Wireless in London alongside the likes of the reunited A Tribe Called Quest. There aren’t many MCs who can rub shoulders with the likes of Lady Gaga (on a non-LP version of Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe) and still garner the respect of underground hip hop heads but Lamar’s talent and lyricism shine through all the typical big name hip hop nonsense, letting his work speak for itself. The Apollo’s the perfect venue to see him before he inevitably hits arenas next time around. If you didn’t catch him last time, don’t make the same mistake twice.

Tue 9 Jul, O2 Apollo, Stockport Road, Ardwick Green, M12 6AP. Tel: 0161 273 6921, 7pm, £28.95 www.ticketmaster.co.uk