Big Sean Says He Wasn’t Dissing Kendrick Lamar on ‘Me, Myself & I (Freestyle)’

With Big Sean's third studio album, Dark Sky Paradise, hitting shelves this week, the Detroit rapper has found himself the topic of much chatter on the rap internet. Yet, while the album is expected to make a strong commercial showing in its first week, just as with 2013's Hall Of Fame, Sean's record is once again overshadowed by a song that isn't on the final tracklist. And just as it was when "Control" became the most bandied-about song in the hip-hop world, at the center of the discussion is Kendrick Lamar. Sitting down with MTV, the "Clique" rapper promised that his barbs on his "Me, Myself & I" freestyle weren't aimed at anyone in particular--and certainly not Lamar.

"It ain't even a diss to no rapper," Sean said, "it's a diss to how people think, and they perception." Lamenting that fans often focus on the non-musical minutiae and identity politics of hip-hop, he says he meant to pose a general question: can these guys rap? The bars in question, of course, include the question, "Well, can he really spit? Or do he just hide behind these skits like half of these rappers do?" Some interpreted this as a shot at Lamar, who's major label debut, 2012's good kid, m.A.A.d. city, employed the device to an extent uncommon for modern commercial releases. good kid was a critical darling, hailed as a classic by huge factions of rap fans immediately after its release. Sean and Lamar have worked together on the aforementioned "Control."

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