The Detroit rapper released the song yesterday and because of Kendrick Lamar’s vicious verse, the record is the most talked-about thing in music right now.
Big Sean sat down with Vibe magazine to discuss how the record came about, and its importance to hip-hop.
“I knew what it was for the culture of hip-hop,” says Big Sean. “You see how excited people are, and I wanted to do that for music — make that play happen. It gave me like the feeling of how hip-hop was. How it used to be.”
To say people are excited is also most an understatement. Kendrick Lamar and his verse on “Control” simultaneously has a younger generation buzzing about the new rappers emerging now, and the older generation feeling that the genre is back.
Kendrick’s verse that has received the most attention has him calling out certain rappers to friendly competition on the track saying:
“I’m usually homeboys with the same n*ggas as I’m rhymin’ wit/But this is hip-hop and them n*ggas should know what time it is/And that goes for Jermaine Cole, Big KRIT, Wale Pusha T, Meek Millz, A$AP Rocky, Drake, Big Sean, Jay Electron’, Tyler, Mac Miller/I got love for you all but I’m tryna murder you n*ggas/Tryna make sure your core fans never heard of you n*ggas/They don’t wanna hear not one more noun or verb from you n*ggas.”
In the interview Big Sean describes the process of completing “Control.”
He says he composed his verse first and sent the record out to Kendrick and Jay Electronica to complete their verses.
After hearing Kendrick’s verse, he knew it would be the stand-out, but felt no need to go back and change his verse as rappers often do when they feel outshone on their own songs.
B“It’s hip-hop. It’s a sport. It should get back to being competitive if that’s what people want to do,” he said.
“I ain’t no h*e ass n*gga like that to hear a verse like that and be like ‘I gotta go back and [rewrite] my sh**, I gotta go protect myself.’ Nah, it is what it is. I’m a good a** rapper,” says Sean. “I knew what [the song] was going to do for hip-hop. I knew what it was going to do for the culture. This is the most exciting rap song to drop this year this year. Period. ”
“Most exciting song of the year” is a pretty bold statement from Big Sean, but based in the current buzz the song is receiving, he might just be right.
“Control” was unable to make the final cut of Big Sean’s upcoming album Hall Of Fame, which is due out Aug. 27, because of sample clearance issues.
However, if this song is an indication of what is to come from the rest the album, fans will have another great rap record.
