Does Kendrick mention XXXTentacion’s alleged murder in “Not Like Us”?

Some Reddit users believe that lyrics from Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” suggest Drake's involvement in XXXTentacion’s murder.

XXXTentacion, born Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy, was shot and killed in Florida in June 2018. Despite three men being charged with his murder, speculation about Drake’s involvement has circulated widely since XXX’s death.

Months before XXXTentacion’s passing, a post appeared on the Florida rapper’s Instagram implicating Drake: “If anyone tries to kill me it was @champagnepapi [Drake]. I’m snitching RN.” However, XXXTentacion claimed his account had been hacked, and the post was swiftly deleted.

(Image: XXXTentacion on Instagram via Rap-Up)

The feud between XXXTentacion and Drake was one-sided, with XXXTentacion accusing Drake of stealing his rapping style in 2017, a claim Drake denied.

TMZ reported that Drake managed to avoid giving a deposition at Onfroy’s murder trial, a deposition initially pushed by defense attorney Mauricio Padilla due to the ongoing feud between Drake and XXXTentacion.

Kendrick’s lyrics

In the song “Not Like Us,” the rapper includes the lines:

“How many stocks do I really have in stock? Ayy/ One, two, three, four, five, plus five, ayy”

According to a theory posted by Reddit user devymo, the “five plus five” lyrics could be referencing X’s name, as the Roman numeral for ten is “X.”

(Image: devymo via Reddit)

Similarly, the Reddit user also suggests that the line “how many stocks do I really have in stock” could mean "how much more should I say?" in other words. 

Drake’s lyrics

Kendrick is not the first artist to reference the number 10 in lyrics. Drake himself rapped something similar on the track “On BS” from his album “Her Loss:”

“Maybe I should break that ten, do a five, then if it gets live, do a five again/ If he held his tongue on that live, he'd be alive again, damn”

Similarly, Drake's lyrics in his song “I’m Upset” from “Scorpion” have frequently been associated with XXXTentacion’s murder:

“SMS, triple X/ That's the only time I ever shoot below the neck (Skrr)/ Why you keep on shootin' if you know that n**** dead? (Skrr)/ That's the only kind of shit that gets you some respect”