Kendrick Lamar caused a firestorm with his verse on Big Sean’s “Control,” but he hasn’t been heard from until now. In an interview with “Big Boy’s Neighborhood” on Power 106, the Compton rapper finally addressed the explosive track.

Kendrick called out his peers including J. Cole, Wale, Drake, Meek Mill, and Mac Miller on the Hall of Fame leftover. The song spawned several fiery responses from MCs including Joell Ortiz, Papoose, B.o.B, and Cassidy.

But he was surprised by the reaction. “Honestly I didn’t know there would be so much speculation behind it,” said Kendrick. “I just wanted to rap. Anybody that knows me doing music, I wanna just rap.”

He also proclaimed himself the “king of New York,” which rubbed some rappers the wrong way. “I think that’s the case right there of maybe I just dumbed down my lyrics just a little bit,” he said.

But he didn’t mean it literally. He had a conversation with some of hip-hop’s elite, who weren’t offended by his verse. “The irony of that line is the people that actually understood it and got it, was the actual kings of New York,” explained K-Dot. “You know, me sitting down with them this past week and them understanding that it’s not about actually being the king of whatever coast. It’s about leaving a mark as great as Biggie, as great as ‘Pac.”

Listen to what he had to say.