Forget Kendrick Lamar’s Platinum Discs, Grammy Awards and being included as one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World; his greatest award is the love of the people. Wednesday night's concert at a throbbing Rogers Arena proved that Vancouver, like a significant chunk of much of the planet, cannot get enough Kendrick Lamar.

The crowd was in Lamar’s pocket before he even stood on stage, the rapper patiently crouching behind a wall of smoke before exploding upright and launching into “DNA.” Before the song’s end he’d been accompanied by a masked ninja. The two of them sparred through the final verse, Lamar’s lyrics the parries to the ninja’s sword thrusts. This is not exaggeration. This actually happened.

The inspired eccentricity of this opening wasn’t a hint of what was to come. Instead, Lamar’s lyrics and music took centre stage in repeatedly bringing the crowd to new levels of excitement. There were exceptions. “Lust” and “Money Trees” were delivered respectively in and on top of a cage in a satellite stage in the middle of the floor. “Pride” was performed perpendicular to the floor, Lamar and a dancer suspended horizontally from a presumably sturdy pole.

But aside from these occasional production flourishes, the Vancouver stop of Lamar’s DAMN Tour was all about the rapper and his music. Performing the vast majority of the show alone on an empty stage, Lamar remained unhindered by dancers, hype men or even a DJ. Instead, the show was built on the twin pillars of his confidence and intensity. It’s a role he was seemingly born to play.

“Are you alive tonight, Vancouver… Please believe me that this will be the livest experience you’ve felt your entire life.”

The crowd were ready to seize the day, on their feet and bouncing through favourites “King Kunta,” “Swimming Pools” and “Loyalty.” That fervour reached new heights as the show veered towards its climax, “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe” finishing with an expected delay as the crowd chanted the star’s name in an outbreak of uncontrollable enthusiasm. Breaking from his script for the first time with a gentlemanly bow of gratitude, there was little need for Lamar to turn into his own hype man to fan the flames.

“I already know what the energy is in the building. I ain’t even gonna ask.”

Instead, he launched into “Alright” and “Humble,” the latter needing two attempts – the first rendition delivered word for word by the crowd, completely a cappella. The second version, with beats added, sent roughly 18,000 rappers into delirium.

The night may have been Lamar’s, but kudos must be given to support act Travis Scott, whose set of heavy-lidded beats was performed almost entirely on the back of a giant mechanical bird of prey flapping its wings above the stage.

And they say there’s no out-of-the-box thinking in rap these days.