Jay Rock has weighed in on the alleged leaked Kendrick Lamar verse. On the demo version of “Element,” which appeared on Lamar’s 2017 album DAMN., the rapper’s verse targeted “Control” collaborators Big Sean and Jay Electronica, also taking shots at Drake, Meek Mill, and French Montana. The beat was later given to SOB x RBE for “Paramedic!” on the Lamar-curated 2018 Black Panther soundtrack.
“French Montana speaking on me in interviews, very cynical, dry hating something I don’t approve,” Lamar rapped on the snippet, referencing Montana’s 2016 appearance on The Breakfast Club. “Jay Electronica threw silencers on my GRAMMY night, another dead prophet hoping the God’ll give ’em life,” the rapper continues. The verse ends with a Big Sean reference (“I think his false confidence got him inspired, I can’t make ’em respect you, baby, it’s not my job,”) while pitting Drake and Meek Mill against each other during their previous beef (“Drake and Meek Mill beef might got you gassed up / But I’m a whole ‘nother beast, I really f*** you up”).
While some on social media guessed that Lamar’s verse was the work of A.I., as many “leaked” verses have been, Jay Rock recently went to The Cruz Show and said otherwise. “I think it’s real, bro,” the “Too Fast (Pull Over)” rapper said at the seven-minute mark. “Who knows, man?”
Jay Rock talks new Music, SZA, Kendrick & Touring with Nipsey Hussleyoutu.be
Clearly, the snippet was never meant to see the light of day, as it was taken down from social media shortly after its leak. Despite the shade, Sean and Lamar apparently patched things up following Nipsey Hussle’s death in 2019, which the Detroit rapper tackled on his 2020 single “Deep Reverence.”
“After what happened to Nipsey, I reached out to Kendrick / It wasn’t even no real issues there to begin with / Lack of communication and wrong information from people fueled by their ego,” he rapped.