DJ Dahi Slams Kendrick Lamar Leakers

BYGabriel Bras Nevares5.6K Views
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The award-winning producer said that the leaked tracks are much older than fans expected.

One of Kendrick Lamar's most frequent collaborators, DJ Dahi, recently slammed leakers who put some of his demos on Spotify. The "Morale Pack," as it's titled on the platform, is a set of three new leaks from the Compton MC. Moreover, many thought that they were leftovers from his fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. However, the legendary producer set some things straight on his Instagram story.

MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - JULY 24: Rapper Kendrick Lamar performs onstage during day thre of Rolling Loud Miami 2022 at Hard Rock Stadium on July 24, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Jason Koerner/Getty Images)

"“Why are y’all leaking s**t from 4 years ago???” he wrote on Thursday (January 19). “We didn’t even bounce those records out. These kdot records are strictly demos. Y’all are really dying of thirst out here lol." Maybe they should ask Kendrick to sing about them.

Jokes aside, leak culture caused a lot of discourse in the 2010s, and continues to hamper projects and releases today. Readers may remember the highly-anticipated state of Whole Lotta Red, when many of Playboi Carti's songs leaked before he could drop the album. However, this is a pretty different case, as the leaked material is about four years old according to Dahi.

Still, for being four-year-old leaks, these new Kendrick tracks aren't half bad. Moreover, they contain some interesting overlap with a few Mr. Morale cuts. When it comes to flows, certain lyrics and verses, themes, instrumental choices, and delivery, it appears to be in a similar headspace. In fact, completed tracks like "Purple Hearts," "Silent Hill," "Count Me Out," and Baby Keem's "vent" are the end results of many of these leaks' ideas.

Even then, that's just a theory or small observation, because who knows what else Dahi and Kendrick have in the vault. Mr. Morale was Spotify's most successful rap album of 2022, so it wouldn't be surprising to see more great material from these sessions. Despite our highest hopes, K-Dot is likely in another phase of his legendary career, but here's hoping for some more untitled unmastered. tracks in the future.

Regardless, what do you think of DJ Dahi cracking down on leakers who put unreleased Kendrick tracks on Spotify? Whatever the case, let us know in the comments down below. Also, as always, come back to HNHH for the latest news regarding hip-hop's greatest talents.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
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