Kendrick Lamar's new diss track at Drake also namedrops Florida rapper. Who is YNW Melly?

In the midst of tearing into Drake, Kendrick Lamar's newest diss track also highlights a Florida rapper.

On his new song "Euphoria," Lamar escalates of his ongoing feud with the Canadian rapper, responding to Drake's prior song saying they are on the same level.

USA Today detailed the hardest hits within the diss track, pointing out that Lamar calls Drake a "pathetic master manipulator" and a "habitual liar" who is "not a rap artist" but "a scam artist. But how did South Florida's YNW Melly get dragged into it?

Listen to Kendrick Lamar's 'Euphoria' track below:

Who is YNW Melly?

YNW Melly, born Jamell Maurice Demons, is a 25-year-old rapper and singer from Gifford, Florida.  Demons collaborated with controversial rapper Kanye West, as well as late rapper Juice WRLD, Lil Uzi Vert, Kodak Black, and Lil Baby

Demons rose to fame under the pseudonym YNW Melly, breaking out on the rap scene with his song titled "Murder on my Mind" on his 2018 tape "I Am You."

The song was originally uploaded onto SoundCloud on March 4, 2017, and later released as a single by 300 Entertainment on June 1 of the next year. According to reports, the rapper thought up the chorus of "Murder on My Mind" when he was first incarcerated at the age of 16.

Despite all the theories, the hit song at its core is about an intense and emotional account of someone's struggle with their conscience after committing a murder. The lyrics depict a graphic story of Demons shooting a close friend and holding him in his arms as he slowly lost consciousness and died.

Since his arrest for the double homicide of his friends, the song peaked within the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached number one on the US Apple Music chart.

Why was YNW Melly arrested in October 2018?

YNW Melly is facing two first-degree murder charges in the Oct. 26, 2018 killings of his friends, 21-year-old Anthony Williams — known as YNW Sackchaser — and 19-year-old Christopher Phillips — known as YNW Juvi — in Miramar.

Demons and friend Cortlen "YNW Bortlen" Henry were both 19 when Thomas, 19, of Gifford, and Williams, 21, of Fort Pierce, were shot and killed on Oct. 26, 2018, in South Florida. The homicides occurred during what the Miramar Police Department later called a staged drive-by shooting.

At about 4:35 a.m., Henry pulled into Memorial Hospital Miramar with the bodies of Williams and Thomas in the passenger seats of a bullet-riddled Jeep Compass.

The rapper originally told police the two were killed by unknown assailants in a drive-by shooting. Police later said Henry and Demons orchestrated the killings, with Demons pulling the trigger and Henry assisting in a cover-up

Miramar police arrested Demons months later and he was charged with two counts of premeditated first-degree murder and faces life imprisonment without the possibility of parole or the death penalty if convicted.

Is YNW Melly in jail?

Since 2019, YNW Melly has been held at the Broward County jail.

What is Kendrick Lamar's line about YNW Melly? What does it mean?

Towards the end of a verse, Kendrick raps, "Yeah, Cole and Aubrey know I’m selfish/ The crown is heavy, I pray they my real friends/ But if not, I’m YNW Melly."

Kendrick could be referencing the Florida rapper's legal troubles and 2023 trial which was broadcast on the Law&Crime Network's YouTube page.

Has YNW Melly reacted to Kendrick Lamar's verse?

The Florida rapper told TMZ that he considers the line a backhanded compliment.

"Kendrick Lamar is one of my favorite rappers so I feel honored and appalled," he said to TMZ Hip Hop. "I'm a household name — just for the wrong s—t."

What happened during YNW Melly's 2023 trial?

After his trial over the summer, a 12-person jury could not unanimously decide on a final verdict. This resulted in Demons neither being convicted nor acquitted, meaning he is still facing these charges against him−including the death penalty.

The death penalty is still on the table for Demons once a retrial happens in the double homicide case.

A retrial was supposed to happen after Jan. 1, but a judge ruled to suppress evidence, including a documentary about Demons' life. This ruling sparked the state to file an appeal, which could take months to sort out.

The Florida rapper is still awaiting a retrial date.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: YNW Melly name dropped in new Kendrick Lamar song