Kendrick Lamar Accused Of Using Ghostwriter Amid Drake Beef, Reference Track Surfaces

BYGabriel Bras Nevares53.0K Views
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PARIS, FRANCE - JANUARY 23: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY - For Non-Editorial use please seek approval from Fashion House) Dave Free, Naomi Campbell and Kendrick Lamar attend the Chanel Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2024 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on January 23, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

As if this feud couldn't get any spicier...

As his war with Drake just escalated in a massive way today (Saturday, April 13) thanks to an alleged leaked diss track from Aubrey, Kendrick Lamar now has another big headline to worry about. Moreover, a Twitter user by the name of @certifiedjared and various other social media pages claimed that he used a ghostwriter on the track "N95" off of his 2022 album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. The presumed ghostwriter in question is CJ Francis IV, and a demo also surfaced that's supposedly from 2019 in which you can hear Francis use the flow and some of the lyrics that the Compton rapper included in his song. Jared and many others pointed out that Francis is not officially credited on "N95."

However, at press time, this all remains mostly speculative, and both Kendrick Lamar Stans and regular rap fans had a few counter-arguments or questions. First is their claim that "N95" had already leaked in 2019, so the veracity of this claim is more in question than folks assume. Still, either argument for it isn't really air-tight, and thus this is still part of the rumor mill. But one of the most interesting aspects of this whole debate is how CJ Francis IV is a Quentin Miller associate, the Drake ghostwriter whose name places a heavy cloud over "Prince" and "Mike Jack's" conflict.

Read More: Which Rappers Have Apologized To Kendrick Lamar?

Kendrick Lamar Hit With Ghostwriting Accusations: See Replies For Debate

While this is one accusation of ghostwriting against Kendrick Lamar, Drake has encountered many of these throughout his career, and was still able to overcome them. Having writers is by no means a bad thing... if they're credited... but even if not, it's too common of an industry trope to single out any one criminal. If it wasn't for this current beef, maybe this wouldn't have really drawn the fanfare that it's getting on some Internet corners right now. If you take one thing away from our article, let it be this: check out CJ Francis IV's music instead of dismissing him.

Meanwhile, what do you think about how this feud has evolved over the past three weeks or so? Who's "winning" right now, and do you even care about this back-and-forth or about ghostwriter accusations? However you may feel, let us know down in the comments section below. Also, stick around on HNHH for the latest news and more updates on Kendrick Lamar and Drake.

Read More: Vince Staples Explains To Joe Budden Why He Has No Interest In Drake, J. Cole & Kendrick Lamar Beef

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a music and pop culture news writer for HotNewHipHop. He started in 2022 as a weekend writer and, since joining the team full-time, has developed a strong knowledge in hip-hop news and releases. Whether it’s regular coverage or occasional interviews and album reviews, he continues to search for the most relevant news for his audience and find the best new releases in the genre. What excites him the most is finding pop culture stories of interest, as well as a deeper passion for the art form of hip-hop and its contemporary output. Specifically, Gabriel enjoys the fringes of rap music: the experimental, boundary-pushing, and raw alternatives to the mainstream sound. As a proud native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he also stays up-to-date with the archipelago’s local scene and its biggest musical exponents in reggaetón, salsa, indie, and beyond. Before working at HotNewHipHop, Gabriel produced multiple short documentaries, artist interviews, venue spotlights, and audio podcasts on a variety of genres and musical figures. Hardcore punk and Go-go music defined much of his coverage during his time at the George Washington University in D.C. His favorite hip-hop artists working today are Tyler, The Creator, Boldy James, JPEGMAFIA, and Earl Sweatshirt.