Big Sean wasn’t “trying to sound like Baby Keem” on ‘Better Me Than You’

On Friday (Sept. 6), XXL unveiled a digital cover story with Big Sean, who is fresh off the release of his sixth studio LP, Better Me Than You. In the interview, the Detroit rhymer explained the overall meaning behind his latest body of work.

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“The message that I want to be received is that I know everyone’s going through something,” he stated. “I know it’s not easy at times. Sometimes it is, right? Sometimes it’s beautiful. Sometimes it can be a lot. And to me, this project represents when you are going through those times to remember that the reason you’re going through them is because you’re the one that can get through it, you know what I’m saying?"

The 2010 XXL Freshman alum continued, "You’re the one who was chosen to even be in that situation. So, you accept it with a sense of pride. Better me than you. And really, it’s like, I’m a better me than you could ever be. Embrace yourself as an individual as well. So, to me, that’s the whole point of the album. It’s like, go out here wholeheartedly and rise above it all."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K0F7BMPzII

In another part of the feature, Sean addressed rumors that he was stealing flows on Better Me Than You. Specifically, his lyrical approach to the hard-hitting "Yes" drew references to a certain pgLang signee and his larger-than-life Compton, CA cousin.

"I saw a little bit of the conversation when the 'Yes' video dropped... 'He’s trying to sound like [Kendrick Lamar],' or ‘He’s trying to sound like Baby Keem,'" Sean recalled. “I’ve been doing that since 2014, you know what I’m saying? Even on a Drake clip [of me rapping], ‘H*, shut the f**k up,’ it’s really them flows or that ‘Paradise (Extended)’ that I literally listened to when I was making that stuff." The Detroit native also expressed how he doesn't over-indulge in internet discourse because "that s**t’ll have you f**ked up."

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