Today, somebody chose violence.
The vegan beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake turned into a huge roast with the leak of a diss track from Drake. I was trying to enjoy my life and realized that I simply would not be party to their shenanigans this time. However, I am back, because of the person that has leaked some new audio.
Kendrick Lamar stands accused of using a ghostwriter for his song “N95” from his 2022 album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. Claims on Twitter, notably by @certifiedjared, have suggested that a a relatively obscure person named CJ Francis IV wrote parts of the track. Evidence purportedly from 2019…but things started to fall to pieces. A deep dive into the creation process of “N95” tells a different story.
Back in 2019, the beginnings of what would eventually become “N95” was a feature on the track “vent” with Baby Keem, Dot’s cousin. Kendrick Lamar ultimately decided not to use it. Instead, Kendrick channeled his energy into two different songs – “Outta Pocket” and “Take Off.” This was the real beginning “N95” and metadata from the session confirms CJ Francis IV had nothing to do with it.
In 2020, Kendrick merges parts of “Outta Pocket” and “Take Off” into a new track called “Pocket Off.” This version was mixed and mastered on May 5, 2020. Kendrick re-recorded some parts just before the official music video shoot. No sign of CJ. The final version of “N95” came out between late 2021 and early 2022, with Kendrick putting the final touches on the track in March 2022. Again, no trace of CJ.
Apparently, CJ has been known to create “demos” or songs of others in the studio. Apparently, that is what hit social media. Nothing about it fits in the timeline of the instrumental’s creation and Kendrick’s development of the track. This isn’t the first time CJ Francis IV has been embroiled in such claims, but he has backed off completely.
Stop believing these people. Just read the rumors!
Enjoy the music.