Kendrick Lamar will call out names. In 2013, when he joined Big Sean and Jay Electronica on “Control,” Kendrick Lamar left the rap world rattled after listing off his contemporaries, including the two other MCs on the song, in an attempt to assert his dominance. A decade later, the tension still stands between Kendrick and some of the artists he mentioned. Big Sean’s been accused of subliminally taking shots at K. Dot while Jay Electronica has been a bit more forthcoming.
We can count on Kendrick to throw subs back whenever he decides to release but apparently, his vault stores a few records where he’s calling people out by name. Per Hip-Hop-N-More, the “OG” version of “ELEMENT.” allegedly leaked this morning, containing direct shots at Jay Electronica, Big Sean, and French Montana. K. Dot’s issues with the latter appear to stem from a 2016 Breakfast Club interview (not his 2020 Verzuz comments) where he suggested the Compton rapper was positioned to win at the Grammys.
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Kendrick Lamar “ELEMENT.” Leak
The leaked version, which began circulating on X (Twitter), includes some of the original lyrics that we hear on DAMN. Meanwhile, the production choice actually comes from “Paramedic!” by SOBxRBE from Black Panther: The Album. “French Montana speaking on me in interviews/ Very cynical, dry hating something I don’t approve,” he raps. “Jay Electronica threw silencers on my GRAMMY night/ Another dead Prophet hoping the God’ll give ’em life.”
Then, the verse shifts focus to Big Sean, acknowledging the apparent issues between them. Given that DAMN. came out in 2017, and French and Jay Electronica’s comments emerged 2016, it seems like this could’ve been a direct response to Big Sean’s “No More Interviews.” Additionally, many of the references, including the Drake vs. Meek Mill feud, indicate that this was recorded during that time.
Big Sean keep sneak dissing, I let it slide
I think his false confidence got him inspired
I can’t make ’em respect you, baby, it’s not my job
You’re finally famous for who you date, not how you rhyme (boy)
Cute a*s raps, get your puberty up
Make you a classic album before you come at us
Drake and Meek Mill beef might got you gassed up
But I’m a whole ‘nother beast, I’ll really f**k you up
Many have already expressed concerns surrounding whether the verse was AI-generated. However, there have been several versions of this song circulating since 2019. One of them included a response to Jay Electronica. Check out the snippet above.
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