Diss tracks have been leaking left and right. A demo version of Drake's single "Push Ups" leaked the same day the official version was released. A few hours later, Rick Ross' diss, "Champagne Moments," was previewed on a DJ Akademiks live stream. The trend continued on April 15, as a leaked snippet of a Kendrick Lamar diss surfaced online. The snippet was only a minute and a half long, but Drake was not impressed with what he heard.
The leak was met with skepticism, as many theorized that the bars on the diss were not up to Lamar's standard, and therefore generated by AI. Some, however, pushed against this notion and put forth the idea that Lamar's response was simply bad. OVO Hush was one of these people. OVO Hush, a trusted member of Drake's entourage, posted the alleged Lamar diss on Instagram with a brutal caption. "When you find out this is real," he warned. "Don't forget how trash it was as an AI." Drake then commented on Hush's post with a single crying emoji. Check out the DJ Akademiks screenshot below.
Drake Laughed At K. Dot's Leaked Response
Despite widespread attempts to determine the authenticity of the leak, there remains no clear answer. OVO Hush suggested that fans got to hear the first part of an otherwise underwhelming (and real) diss. The same goes for Mal of the New Rory And Mal Podcast, who tweeted: "And that's definitely not AI." Others, like Mickey Factz and DJ Dahi, are convinced that the world has not heard a real Kendrick Lamar response. Dahi, who has collaborated with Lamar multiple times, went as far as to say that artists need Google authenticators to validate their involvement.
The untitled leak features a booming instrumental and bars aimed at both Drake and J. Cole. Lamar's flow is less catchy than it was on "Like That," and the recurring flatline sound integrated into the beat gives the whole song a melodramatic, "I Need A Doctor" energy. Lamar's camp has not issued any statements regarding the leak. Until they do, fans will have to continue to speculate regarding its authenticity.