The closing track off Kendrick Lamar’s Damn album wasn’t always called “Duckworth.” As pointed out by 2DopeBoyz, 9th Wonder recently revealed the song’s original title was “Life Is Like a Box of Chicken”—a more obvious reference to the near-fatal run-in between K-Dot’s father and TDE founder Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith.
As the story goes, Kendrick’s dad, Ducky, was working at a Los Angeles KFC about 20 years ago when Tiffith decided to rob the joint for a second time. Tiffith ultimately sparred Ducky’s life, thus securing Kendrick’s fate.
“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,” he raps in the track.
Kendrick die-hards may also recognize “Life Is Like a Box of Chicken” from his 2015 short film, God is Gangsta. The title was one of many subliminal messages included in the project.
9th Wonder casually revealed the original title during a recent interview on the Rap Radar podcast. There, the producer retold his story about meeting Kendrick and how “Duckworth” came together.
“It was a crazy day in Los Angeles,” 9th recalled at near the six-minute mark. “At 1 o’clock that day we went to see Snoop [Dogg]. At 6 o’clock that day we went to [Dr.] Dre’s studio […] We saw Kendrick at like 11 o’clock, and I’m like, ‘That’s the West Coast.’”
After providing Kendrick with 20 beats that day, 9th kept in contact with TDE executive Dave Free.
“[Free] hit me like, ‘Hey man, I need the samples for these two songs,’” 9th said. “I’m like thinking, ‘Oh I got two beats that made it. Then he hit me back and said, ‘There’s a third beat I need the sample information on.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh, OK, I got three.’”
9th said he assumed the beats were for three separate cuts. Free clarified: “He’s like, ‘Nah, it’s one song,’” 9th recalled. “He’s like, ‘Yeah, man, it’s the greatest story Kendrick has ever told.’”
You can watch the full Rap Radar interview above.
