Kendrick Lamar's "Duckworth" Was Originally Going to be Called Something Else
Something which referenced the rapper’s father and his fate.
The final track, “Duckworth” on Kendrick’s album DAMN., is one which tells a personal story. With lines like “Whoever thought the greatest rapper would be from coincidence? / Because if Anthony killed Ducky / Top Dawg could be servin’ life / While I grew up without a father and die in a gunfight,” the rapper recalls a real-life event which could’ve sealed his fate today.
The lines reference an instance where Lamar’s father, Ducky, was working the counter of a KFC, when TDE founder Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith attempted to rob the spot for a second time. By sparing his life in the confrontation, Kendrick would go on to see the success he may not have if things had turned out differently. With all that said, the original name for the track was supposed to be “Life is Like a Box of Chicken,” as revealed by producer, 9th Wonder on the latest episode of Tidal’s Rap Radar. For more about the story and the production of the track, check out the video clip above.