Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd headline Power 106 FM’s Christmas show

This year’s installment of Power 106 FM’s annual Cali Christmas upends many of its recent traditions. The hip-hop and R&B; round-table usually gets a few titans from its upper airplay ranks, some singles-toting newbies and an L.A. legend or two.

But this year’s lineup is a study in contrasts and shows how quickly generation gaps can emerge in the young and fast-moving Power 106 audience. Rick Ross, the rotund and resilient Miami kingpin, tops the bill with guest-verse staples Meek Mill and 2 Chainz in tow.

But the most exciting acts include Compton’s Kendrick Lamar, whose lauded major-label debut, “good kid, m.A.A.d. city,” has absolutely dominated music-media coverage all week. Lamar has been on a live blitz lately, playing two release shows in the same night at Club Nokia and popping onstage during ScHoolboy Q’s opening set with A$AP Rocky over the weekend.

More curious is the inclusion of Toronto R&B; group the Weeknd, which until now has generally shunned hip-hop and R&B; showcases and festivals for more hipster-adjacent sets (like opening for Florence & the Machine at the Hollywood Bowl and playing Hollywood Forever Cemetery). Perhaps this signals a new interest for the band in wooing a mainstream audience, and a connection to previous Cali Christmas headliner Drake certainly won’t hurt in that respect.

Either way, a radio station showcase that in the past has been a victory lap for its main artists just became a lot more interesting.

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Kendrick Lamar roams Compton in ‘good kid’

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