Allegations suggesting that Kendrick Lamar used a ghostwriter for his track “N95” have been refuted by the rapper himself amidst a recent controversy. Over the weekend, a demo performed by CJ Francis for the song surfaced online, leading to speculation that Francis was uncredited for his contributions to Kendrick’s work.
However, a user on X claimed this connection, stating, “Quentin Miller associate CJ Francis IV ghostwriting for Kendrick Lamar.” The user shared a snippet of Francis rapping over the “N95” beat, which resembled Kendrick’s version in cadence and lyrics.
In response, Francis denied any involvement with the song, clarifying on his Instagram Stories that he had nothing to do with its creation or its online leak. The original social media post promoting Francis’s alleged involvement was flagged with a community note. It highlighted that Francis was known for rapping over instrumental remakes. Meaning he was falsely claiming to have made demos for popular songs.
Further debunking the claims, a Reddit thread pointed out that “N95” originated in 2019 as a collaboration between Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem, although the project was later scrapped. Kendrick reportedly combined elements of two different songs to develop “N95” into its final version by 2022.
Amid renewed tension between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, sparked by Kendrick’s diss on Future and Metro Boomin’s track “Like That,” Drake responded with his own track titled “Push Ups.” In “Push Ups,” Drake taunts Kendrick over his career and claims extortion by TDE founder Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith.
Kendrick’s initial diss highlighted his assertiveness in the rap scene, emphasizing his prowess and disregard for competitors. The ongoing Kendrick Lamar and Drake feud has sparked interest and debate in the hip-hop community, with both artists asserting dominance through their music and lyrics.