Big Sean is clearing the air ahead of his forthcoming studio album, Better Me Than You, which drops on Aug. 9. The Detroit phenomenon sat down with Charlamagne Tha God for a one-on-one released on Friday (Aug. 2).
During their conversation, Sean discussed sorting out financial matters with Ye, the “big three,” and dodging a potential rap beef with Kendrick Lamar. More specifically, the musician shared details of a talk he had with the Pulitzer Prize winner when a premature version of “ELEMENT.” hit the internet.
Sean recalled running into TDE’s Terrence “Punch” Henderson on the way to J. Cole’s Dreamville Festival, where they agreed there were no lingering issues between him and Lamar. “Within that same time period, that leaked s**t happened. It was a leaked verse. I’m like, ‘Damn, y’all motherf**kers said it wasn’t s**t, and it was something. So you got me looking crazy,’” Sean recalled.
“That song came out, and he changed that bar, right?” he added, referencing the final cut on DAMN. being released with broader jabs. “I had to keep that in mind ‘cause I was pissed when I heard it.”
“He apologized, in a sense, for going that far [and] that s**t coming out,” the rapper later revealed. “I wasn’t being a b**ch n**ga or tucking my tail… If it was real smoke, I would be front and center for it. I would be prepared, but it’s not,” he added.
On the leaked rendition of “ELEMENT.,” Lamar spat, “Big Sean keep sneak dissin’, I’ll let it slide/ I think his false confidence got him inspired/ I can’t make them respect you, baby, it’s not my job/ You finally famous for who you date, not how you rhyme/ Cute a** raps, get your puberty up/ Then make you a classic album before you come at us.”
Luckily, Sean and Lamar were able to resolve their issues, thanks in part to the Detroit 2 artist’s “Deep Reverence.”