Kendrick Lamar and Imagine Dragons steal the show with MAAD City/Radioactive Grammys 2014 performance

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Eric Garcia

Washington Bureau Chief

What with all the headline-stealing mass marriages and Taylor Swift generally breathing and saying things, it was hard to keep attention on the performances at the 2014 Grammys last night, but Kendrick Lamar managed to blow the audience away with an explosive collaboration with Imagine Dragons.

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LL Cool J introduced the mash-up performance at the ceremony, with Imagine Dragons singer Dan Reynolds offering up a verse of the band's hit single on a gently smoking stage, before Kendrick arrived to the 'YAK YAK YAK YAK' of MAAD City.

The Las Vegas-based band assumed percussion duty as Kendrick tore through the track, pounding an array of drums as powder bombs exploded.

The performance seemed to go down well with the audience, with Lorde, Swift, Beyonce, Jay Z and rap rock forefather Steven Styler all seen dancing or dumbstruck.

Kendrick Lamar missed out on an award for best rap album at the bash, which went to an apologetic Macklemore.

Posting a grab of the message on Instagram, the rapper text Lamar after the show to tell him he wished he had won.

"You got robbed. I wanted you to win," Macklemore wrote. "You should have.

"It's weird and sucks that I robbed you. I was gonna say that during the speech. Then the music started playing during my speech and I froze."

Other performances during the ceremony came from Daft Punk, Katy Perry, Madonna and more.