Kendrick Lamar Approved AZ Chike on 'GNX' Tour Stage After Heavy Dedication

Kendrick Lamar brought his "Peekaboo" costar AZ Chike onstage during his "GNX" tour run -- a cameo that came with a ton of elbow grease ... and even a bit of badgering!!!

The blockbuster "GNX" album gave several upstart L.A. rappers their first big breaks, and AZ Chike explained in a nearly 20-minute spill how his big moment inside SoFi Stadium last Friday happened.

If you remember, TMZ Hip Hop spoke to AZ Chike a few weeks ago, where he told us he'd make a play for the "GNX" stage at all costs -- and that's exactly what he did when he sent Kendrick a voice memo early last week "joking" he was ready to crash out.

Kendrick opted to save the voice memo, giving AZ hope the performance was possible -- and after connecting with K. Dot's assistant and their mutual friend J Real, AZ was summoned to rehearsals ahead of the final night in L.A.

AZ rocked the stage and called performing in front of his hometown crowd a monumental achievement ... but told his TikTok followers it was no cakewalk being part of the production.

He and Kendrick also maximized their "Peekaboo" collab's potential -- it's featured in a Gatorade commercial!!!