KENDRICK LAMAR, SZA, & TDE:
CHAMPIONSHIP TOUR
Studio: Vita Motus
Client: TDE
Site: [The Forum, LA + Tour Locations]
SCOPE:
stage design
graphic design
vinyl wrap & decal design
prop & merch design
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Under Vita Motus creative direction, HNZLR developed stage architecture and branded scenic elements for the 2018 Championship Tour, uniting the full Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) roster: Kendrick Lamar, SZA, ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock, Ab-Soul, SiR, Lance Skiiiwalker, with guest appearances by Isaiah Rashad and Zacari.
CONTEXT
The tour followed a major milestone for TDE: DAMN. achieved double platinum and earned Kendrick Lamar a Pulitzer Prize; SZA’s CTRL topped charts; the wider roster received multiple industry awards. The production was positioned as a moment of cultural dominance.
STAGE EXECUTION
The creative combined sports iconography with contemporary stage design. We developed a double-tiered video wall riser allowing performers to emerge directly from the LED surface. A series of large-scale championship banners extended the theme across the stage environment, integrating graphic and structural elements.
GRAPHIC & BRAND APPLICATION
In addition to stage work, HNZLR contributed promotional and performance-adjacent elements, including printed collateral, custom vehicle graphics, and prop design—reinforcing TDE’s identity across both physical space and media execution.
CINEMATIC CONCEPT RENDERING
TECHNICAL DRAWINGS
TDE CHAMPION BANNERS
Evoking the reverence of a stadium hall of fame, the championship banners celebrated TDE’s roster and milestones with monumental presence. Positioned upstage and downstage along the proscenium, the banners were revealed through dramatic kabuki drops, concealing and revealing in sync with the stage narrative. The selected fabric gray harmonized with TDE’s iconic monochrome-and-red palette while maintaining visibility in low-light conditions.
TDE OFFICIAL TRADING CARDS
In parallel with stage design development, HNZLR applied fluency in layout and print media to craft a collectible trading card set. Collaborating with both an illustrator and the TDE roster, he developed retro-styled layouts that merged clean typographic structure with mock stats, playful caricatures, and tongue-in-cheek bios—bridging hip-hop mythology with sports iconography. The cards were designed at high resolution for both physical print and digital media use. Full packaging layouts were also developed and printed as collectible relics.
KENDRICK LAMAR FORMULA-M CAR
Kendrick’s chosen sport motif for the tour was Formula Racing. To bring this concept to life, HNZLR sourced a functional Formula-M [Mazda] car and developed multiple vinyl wrap concepts to align with TDE’s visual identity. The final design was realized in bold, graphic detailing and debuted on stage as a striking set piece, fusing speed, power, and prestige. The car remains a prized artifact in the TDE collection, a symbol of the tour’s kinetic energy and cultural ambition.
[All photos taken and edited by HNZLR directly after vinyl application]
TDE FLAGS + EMBLEMS
PHOTOGRAPHY
