Did Kendrick Lamar’s First “Element” Demo Throw Shade At Big Sean, French Montana + More?

Even though Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN. album was released well over five years ago, artists such as Big Sean, French Montana and Jay Electronica might take offense to newly leaked demos from the project.

An unknown source has apparently leaked an early version of “Element” in which K. Dot takes aim at Sean Don and French Montana, among others, seemingly with the intent of landing headshots on the rappers.

The not-so-subtle sneak disses start off with Kendrick addressing French, who spoke negatively about the TDE artist’s 2014 Grammy Awards saga during an interview with The Breakfast Club in 2016.

“French Montana speaking on me in interviews,” Kendrick Lamar raps. “Very cynical, dry hating something I don’t approve.”

Maybe French somehow caught wind of this because he did mess around and make that super bold claim he has more hits than Kendrick a few years back.

Kendrick also appeared to dish out some of his pen’s venom in an attack targeting Jay Electronica, who was also critical of the LA lyricist’s Grammy Awards campaign. “Jay Electronica threw silencers on my Grammy night,” Kendrick said. “Another dead Prophet hoping the God’ll give ’em life.”

There’s also a history of beef between Jay Electronica and Kendrick, considering Jay Electronica also once verbally lashed K. Dot in an archived Twitter live stream.

But the most disrespectful and intricate of all the disses embedded in the hypothetical version of “Element” are easily Kendrick’s bars about Big Sean.

“Big Sean keep sneak dissing, I let it slide/I think his false confidence got him inspired,” Kendrick Lamar raps. “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 ass raps, get your puberty up.”

It’s kind of insane to believe Kendrick would even author lyrics like this aimed at Sean, given the fact the pair swear up and down they have a healthy relationship—but maybe in all reality, they are actually frenemies.

Truth be told, there are various red flags complicating the validity of this leak—with the main issue with the snippet being that a similar version featuring some of the same lyrics was released over a different instrumental in 2019. Whether or not the record is AI-generated or not, these bars are certainly ruthless!

Check out the full leaked clip below.

🔉 What yall think about these disses by Kendrick Lamar & Why wasn’t it in the released version 🤔❓️❓️ pic.twitter.com/Jw6ZQTce1l

— 🎙 HiphopSessions (@AllHHSessions) September 7, 2023