Kendrick Lamar’s Reference Track For Baby Keem Spurs Ghostwriting Claims
Speculation regarding Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem‘s collaborative chemistry have heightened after a reference track Lamar seemingly created for Keem surfaced online.
On Sunday (June 2), a reference track for “Bullies,” a popular song released by Keem as part of his 2019 album, DIE FOR MY B**CH, appeared on social media, with Lamar’s vocals in place of Keem’s. According to the file’s name, the reference was recorded in February 2019, with Keem’s version of “Bullies” dropping months later in July.
One fan noted that the emergence of Kendrick’s “Bullies” reference indirectly invalidates rival rap star Drake‘s allusion to Baby Keem secretly ghostwriting for Lamar on his diss track “Family Matters.”
Baby Keem attends the 2021 BET Hip Hop Awards at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre on October 01, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia.
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On the song, which was released in May during the Toronto native’s back-and-forth with Kendrick, Drake claims, “K Dot sh*t is only hittin’ hard when Baby Keem put his pen to it,” a line which some took as a suggestion that Lamar’s creative process has been bolstered with the assistance of Keem’s lyrical talents.
Others interpreted the jab as Drake attributing Lamar’s best musical moments being reliant on his “Family Ties” collaborator’s presence on the record, as the pair have quickly become one of the more touted tandems in the genre.
The “Bullies” reference track also led some fans to contrast Lamar’s track record in relation to ghostwriting with Drake’s, as the latter has been plagued with questions surrounding the creation of his music and hands involved dating back to the mid ’10s.
Kendrick Lamar poses backstage as Spotify hosts an evening of music with star-studded performances with DJ Pee .Wee aka Anderson .Paak and Kendrick Lamar, during Cannes Lions 2022, at Spotify Beach on June 20, 2022 in Cannes, France.
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In 2017, Kendrick shared his thoughts on rap artists receiving assistance with writing their rhymes while speaking with Rolling Stone. “It depends on what arena you’re putting yourself in,” he said in regards to ghostwriters damaging an artist’s credibility.
“I called myself the best rapper. I cannot call myself the best rapper if I have a ghostwriter,” he said in the cover interview. “If you’re saying you’re a different type of artist and you don’t really care about the art form of being the best rapper, then so be it. Make great music. But the title, it won’t be there.”
Listen to Kendrick Lamar’s “Bullies” reference below.