Big Sean Discusses Cruel Summer, His ‘Mercy’ Verse, His Next Album, ‘Swerve’ & More

But for some of his big time features, Big Sean has been pretty quiet this year. In an interview with Complex, the Detroit MC discusses the much anticipated Cruel Summer album, his crazy ‘Mercy‘ verse that was originally a freestyle, and his popular new ad-lib ‘Swerve’. He also spoke on his sophomore album and recalled reactions when he played it for J. Cole, Common & others. Hit the jump for some quotes.

Read the FULL Interview here.

Which rapper from G.O.O.D. is killing the raps on Cruel Summer the most?

I’m giving them bars for sure. Pusha is like that beast that you let off the leash and he just tear everything up. CyHi. Common. Of course ‘Ye always bring that fresh, new stuff to the game. The whole fam. True albums should be the soundtrack to your life and fit different moods.

What can people expect from your upcoming sophomore album?

Well, we just got the first single. I’m not going to tell you who’s all on it. Dope ass artists on it, though, for sure. It’s great. It’s something that connects. When I was playing it for Common, he was losing his mind. J. Cole was blown away. It really is elevating, taking it to a different level. I don’t even want to hype it up or talk too much like, “Yeah, my album is the shit!” I just can’t wait for everyone to hear what I’ve been doing, what I’ve been cooking up. We’re figuring it all out. I don’t know the title of the album. I know it’s coming out this year.

Is it true that your “Mercy” verse started out as a random freestyle for Kanye?

Yeah, I was really freestyling with Kanye backstage at the Watch the Throne tour and he was like, “Man, you got to say this on the record.” I was like, “Man, I ain’t about to say that. I just put out ‘A$$.’ I don’t need to be talking about no ‘ass-quake, ass-tate.’” But I just laid it to see how it sounded and then for a while, there were no other verses on “Mercy.”

It was just my verse and we were vibing to it, so it naturally fit on there. I don’t really write any of my raps down. The same, Kanye don’t write any of his raps down. Common. It’s easy that way. For me, personally, I figure I will lose some of the inspiration in the time of me writing it down or I’ll say it a certain way because I wrote it a certain way. When I go in there and do it, it’s easier for me.

Where did you “Swerve” ad-lib come from? That’s a fan favorite now.

I just feel like that’s what I’m doing. I’m swerving around. Especially in the D-Town with whips everywhere in the city. That’s something my crew was saying a long time ago. I guess it’s something I brought to the forefront to where everybody can hear it. That’s what it’s all about, making new stuff up, making this elevated.

A lot of people criticize me because I be making up my own words sometimes in raps to rhyme, but I don’t understand how you can criticize someone trying to bring originality to the game. I think that’s really bitch-made to hate on somebody who rose up out their city and had a dream and made it happen and made their parents proud and supporting their family off of it too. You can hate, but I’m going to keep making this paper, though.