Big Sean says he and Jhene Aiko aren’t quite ready for marriage and the two, who have been dating since 2016 and share one child, still need time to work through things. He discussed their relationship while speaking with Charlamagne Tha God for the premiere of his latest podcast, Out of Context, on Friday.
The conversation began with Charlamagne bringing up rumors that the two were secretly married. “No, no, there has not been a secret industry marriage,” Sean responded. “It’s a little personal, you know what I mean? But just like to be real with you, just like any people who have dealt with love, we’ve had our ups and downs, you know what I’m saying? And I think it’s still finding the right navigation through it all.” He added: “I feel like a lot of people get the idea of like, ‘Oh, you have to get married.’ But then it’s like, to me, that’s almost a fear-based way of thinking, too. Because then people be getting divorced. The divorce rate so f**king high.”
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 14: (L-R) Jhené Aiko and Big. Sean attend the 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards at the Los Angeles. Convention Center on March 14, 2021, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
From there, Sean explained that marriage is definitely still on the table at some point, but “there’s a lot of work that needs to be done.” He explained: “I can only speak for myself that there needs to be like more work done so we could keep going. Because there’s a lot of focus on our family. There’s a lot of focus on careers and everything. And that is something that I feel like has not been the main focus.”
Big Sean Speaks With Charlamagne Tha God
Elsewhere in the conversation, Sean discussed his relationship with Kendrick Lamar, fatherhood, mental health, and more. Check out the full interview above. Be on the lookout for further updates on Big Sean and Jhene Aiko on HotNewHipHop.
If this doesn’t make you tear up at least a little bit, then we don’t know what will. Big Sean’s “Out Of Context” interview with Charlamagne tha God has been making the rounds online thanks to a few viral soundbites from the Detroit artist. Out of all of the topics covered, his perspective on his rocky relationship with Kendrick Lamar and his exclusion in “Big Three” talks drew in a lot of ears. However, we feel that there is something that trumps all of that. At the 26:55 mark in their talk, Sean reflects with Charlamagne about the beginning stages of what has turned into be quite the successful career in music.
According to HipHopDX, he tears up remembering a point in which he was unsure about pursuing this dream of becoming a rapper. He starts off by going back to his high school days when he made a list that had the top five labels he would want to be on. “I had found this list before I rapped for Ye that I wrote down. I was lightweight into it, but I was just busy… [The] list said ‘G.O.O.D. Music, No.1. 2 Roc-A-Fella. No. 3 Shady Records. 4 Grand Hustle. No. 5 Interscope.’” Sean later added, “G.O.O.D. Music was number one, and I saw that, and I was on that path. It was one of them omens, it was just one little thing I needed to realize, ‘I can do this, bro. I met Ye and rapped for him. He said he wanted to sign me.’”
However, that is when things took a turn for the worse. Sean mentioned that depression began to settle in, causing him to rethink. “I just manifested and visualized the paperwork coming in. In that time, bro, in that one year, I was so depressed that I just wanted to give up bad”. Because of this, he even began to consider community college, and his grandma was in agreement. However, things changed in his head once his mom convinced him to keep pushing. “I just remember my mom being like, ‘What are you doing?’ It was a moment, dawg”. That’s when Sean began to tear up and thank her for being a believer. “I’m just thankful I had these guardian angels in my life, like my mom, just coming in the form of anything”.
What are your thoughts on Big Sean revealing that he was thinking about quitting rap early into his career? Looking at where he is now, how do you view his run in the industry? What was your favorite moment from his conversation with Charlamagne tha God? We would like to hear what you have to say, so leave your thoughts in the comments. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Big Sean. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.
Big Sean SZN is officially underway. The rapper’s unveiled a handful of singles since the top of the year in anticipation of his forthcoming album, Better You Than Me, due out on August 9th. This morning, he unveiled the new single, “One Up” and its music video. This came after the release of “Yes,” “Precision,” and “Shut Up,” along with his stellar guest verses on Eminem’s “Tobey” and DJ Premier’s “Ya Don’t Stop” alongside Lil Wayne. Sean Don has been getting busy. After a four-year wait, his upcoming project sounds like it could be his best to date.
Within that four-year window, much has happened in his life, including the birth of his first son, who appears in the “One Up” video. Sean sat down with Charlamagne Tha God for the latest episode of Out Of Context, where they addressed everything from his relationship with Ye and G.O.O.D Music to nearly giving up on rap. Below, we’ve rounded up five of the biggest takeaways.
In September 2023, a leaked version of Kendrick Lamar’s “ELEMENT” surfaced online containing direct shots at Big Sean. In the song, Kendrick raps, “Big Sean keep sneak dissin’, I 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’re finally famous for who you date, not how you rhyme/ Cute ass raps, get your puberty up/ Then make you a classic album before you come at us/ Drake and Meek Mill beef might got you gassed up/ But I’m a whole ‘nother beast, I’d really f*ck you up.”
Sean explained that Joe Buddenprimarily pushed this narrative that the two had beef. However, prior to the leak coming out, Sean was assured by Dave Free and Punch that there was no smoke. Moreover, Big Sean said his verse on “Deep Reverence” ft. Nipsey Hussle was inspired by a text exchange he had with Kendrick Lamar, who he claimed apologized for the misunderstanding. It should be noted that he didn’t think Kendrick would’ve done him worse than Drake. Ultimately, he felt he was ready for whatever came with a potential feud.
(Photo by Leon Bennett/WireImage via Getty Images)
Big Sean expressed gratitude for the opportunity he had with G.O.O.D Music. First, he said that the $6 million discrepancy has been handled. However, he said he took a cut compared to what he was owed for the sake of avoiding courtrooms. “With the deal I signed, he made more money off of my music than me,” he explained, adding that he wasn’t necessarily bothered by that. However, he audited Def Jam for the money and later learned that the money was actually sent to G.O.O.D Music.
“He said what he said [on Drink Champs]. I’m not into gossip and stuff but he said what he said and it made me realize that I couldn’t take all of what he was saying serious on that Drink Champs,” Sean told Charlamagne. “Very performative… that’s what I’m not. That’s what he’s good at.” Kanye allegedly tried to make sure that there was a picture of the two taken to squash the narrative.
But at the root of their issues is Drake, apparently. “I think he was just pissed because he thought I chose Drake over him. I only bring that up because he brought that up to somebody who told me something,” he said. Sean explained that Ye demanded a verse on “Blessings,” which the Detroit MC helped him write. However, he gave him a deadline, and Ye basically ignored that. “For some reason, he thinks – Drake didn’t even want him on that song but I was like, ‘I’m putting Ye on the song anyway because Ye put me on. If he wants to be on the song, he’s going to be on the song,” Sean explained. Apparently, even though Ye failed to pull through, he felt like Sean was not being loyal.
Coming To Terms With The Big 3
IPhoto by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Coachella)
In another Kendrick-related excerpt, Big Sean explained that he understood why he’s not mentioned in the same vein as his peers, namely Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and J. Cole. “I hear my name every time people talk about this Big 3 stuff,” he said. Then, he acknowledged that his inconsistency as an artist played a significant role in people’s perception of him. “My consistency is where I lack. I say that in that too. It’s like, I haven’t put out music in four years, bro, essentially, I haven’t put a project out. I can’t expect to be in that conversation when I haven’t been consistency feeding hip-hop, feeding the fans.”
However, that might change in the future. Sean said that he feels like he has the potential to release more music while keeping it on “God’s time.” “I think the way my life is going, that’s one of my priorities is to put more music out with meaning, though,” he said, “I do feel like when it comes to rapping abilities, I have no limit on my rapping abilities… I can hang with anybody on any song… I’ve proven that with all of them. He added, “Even with ‘Control,’ the next song we did, I made sure I had a better verse on ‘Holy Key.’”
Nearly Giving Up On Rap Dreams
(Photo by Arik Mazur/FilmMagic via Getty)
An emotional point in the interview came when Sean started reflecting on his high school years where he wrote down a list of labels that he wanted to sign to, which included G.O.O.D Music at #1. “It was one of them omens. There’s just one little thing I needed to realize ‘Nah, I can do this, bro. I met Ye and rapped for him. He said he wanted to sign me.’ I just manifested and visualized the paperwork coming in all this time. In that one year, I was depressed, I just wanted to give up bad,” he said, explaining that he felt that he was “done.”
His grandma encouraged him to apply for community college as a backup plan. “I remember my mom being like, ‘What are you doing?’ And it was… it was a moment, dawg,” he added as he tried to fight back tears, explaining that she pushed him to keep following his dreams. “I’m just thankful I had these guardian angels in my life, like my mom, just coming in the form of anything – a book.”
Big Sean Discusses The Possibility Of Marrying Jhene Aiko
(Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
After being together for so long, many have wondered whether Big Sean and Jhene Aiko will ever get hitched. Sean denied that they had a secret industry wedding before divulging his thoughts on marriage in general. With the two sharing a child together and working together as a musical duo, there’s another layer of complexity to their relationship. “We’ve had our ups and downs and I think it’s still finding the right navigation through it all. I don’t know if like – to me, marriage symbolizes the best relationship,” he explained. “I feel like having a relationship is first and foremost and marriage is a byproduct of that.”
Sean added that the pressure of getting married creates a level of fear in the decision, especially with the divorce rates. While he added that they could get married in the future, it’s not necessarily the priority in their lives. “There’s a lot of work that needs to be done, I feel like, in general. We have so many relationships. It’s like being peers, being in a group together, parents, romantic – it’s a crazy connection because no matter what we’re always going to be tied together. No matter what,” he said.
“She and me have to be on the same page. Not to say that we aren’t but I feel like – I can only speak for myself that there needs to be more work done so we could keep going because there’s a lot of focus on our family, there’s a lot of focus on careers and everything and that’s something I feel like has not been the main focus.”
But not everyone wants to get caught up in an avoidable feud. Behind the scenes, it appears Big Sean and Kendrick Lamar were able to dodge a dust up (despite fans wanting the war of words).
Did Kendrick Lamar Apologize For Dissing Big Sean?
Today (August 2), Big Sean sat down with Charlamagne Tha God for his latest series, Out Of Context, to discuss his hot-and-cold working relationship with Kendrick Lamar. When addressing the unreleased version of the Compton native’s song “Element,” Sean revealed that Lamar privately apologized in a text message exchange for his the bars: “Big Sean keep sneak dissin’, I 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’re finally famous for who you date, not how you rhyme, boy / Cute-ass raps, get your puberty up.”
Sean also opened up about where he believed the issue actually arose. “Joe Budden and made this, there’s a Kendrick and Big Sean beef,” he said. “To the point where I tried to ignore it. But he made that narrative so f*cking real that I think it really did become a thing.”
Watch Sean’s full interview with Charlamagne above.
Charlamagne Tha God has explained his recent criticism of Elliott Wilson, in which he complained about Complex ranking the media veteran at number five on the “Hip-Hop Media Power Ranking.” Reflecting on the comments during the latest episode of the Brilliant Idiots podcast, Charlamagne claimed that Wilson is avoiding him and complained about him insulting him while refusing to sit down for a one-on-one.
He also brought up Diddy and an article Wilson’s wife, Danyel Smith, penned about the disgraced Bad Boy mogul. In doing so, he argued that he’s the person Wilson should be focused on beefing with. “We gotta stop the performative stuff,” Charlamagne remarked. “Don’t say the things to me just because you’re trying to get traction on social media and play the role. I want you to be consistent. The same way it’s easy for you to get at Childish Gambino because you don’t think Childish is gonna say anything back to you, the same way it’s easy to get at a Charlamgne because you don’t think a Charlamagne is gonna say nothing back to you. I need you to keep that same energy for people that you really should have smoke with.”
Charlamagne Tha God & Elliott Wilson Pose Together In Brooklyn
NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 22: (L-R) DJ Suss One, DJ Envy of The Breakfast Club, Founder and CEO of Rap Radar, Elliot Wilson, and Charlamagne Tha God of The Breakfast Club attend Power 105.1s Powerhouse 2015 at the Barclays Center on October 22, 2015 in Brooklyn, NY. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for Power 105.1’s Powerhouse 2015)
Wilson responded to Charlagmagne’s initial criticism during an appearance on Bag Fuel Podcast, admitting that he’s tired of him. “I feel like we just never really clicked like that and also I didn’t like the last Brilliant Idiots sh*t he did talking crazy about me being on that list,” Wilson said. “Never explaining why I shouldn’t be top five, and I’m just tired of his sh*t. It’s old school. At a certain point, you just gotta say f*ck this person. F*ck you. I was born in 1971. It can just be that. We don’t have to be cool. We don’t gotta pretend.”
Check out the latest update on the feud between Charlamagne and Wilson on Instagram above. Be on the lookout for further updates on Charlamagne Tha God on HotNewHipHop.
Elliott Wilson went off on Charlamagne Tha God during an appearance on the Bag Fuel Podcast, earlier this week. Wilson was unhappy with The Breakfast Club host for criticizing Complex’s decision to list him at number five on the “Hip-Hop Media Power Ranking.” He landed one spot behind Charlamagne who ranked number four behind only Kai Cenat, Joe Budden, and DJ Akademiks.
“I feel like we just never really clicked like that and also I didn’t like the last Brilliant Idiots sh*t he did talking crazy about me being on that list,” Wilson said. “Never explaining why I shouldn’t be top five, and I’m just tired of his sh*t. It’s old school. At a certain point, you just gotta say f*ck this person. F*ck you. I was born in 1971. It can just be that. We don’t have to be cool. We don’t gotta pretend.”
Elliott Wilson & Charlamagne Pose Together At Barclays Center
NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 22: (L-R) DJ Suss One, DJ Envy of The Breakfast Club, Founder and CEO of Rap Radar, Elliot Wilson, and Charlamagne Tha God of The Breakfast Club attend Power 105.1s Powerhouse 2015 at the Barclays Center on October 22, 2015 in Brooklyn, NY. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for Power 105.1’s Powerhouse 2015)
From there, he remarked that he’s not here to get a “legendary badge” like Angie Martinez or Sway Calloway. “I’m here to compete right now in the year of 2024. I know I’m a legend already. I still want to create great content… I was hot before you n***a. I’ll be hot forever. When you was getting Wendy [Williams] coffee n***a, I was hot,” he finished. Check out his full comments from the interview below.
Elliott Wilson Speaks On Hate From Charlamagne Tha God
Charlamagne never explained why he didn’t feel Wilson should be so high. While reading off the list during an episode of the Brilliant Idiots podcast, he simply remarked: “What else we got? Elliott! You shouldn’t be number five” and kept it moving. Be on the lookout for further updates on Elliott Wilson on HotNewHipHop.
Charlamagne Tha God says he’s glad Joe Biden decided to drop out of the upcoming 2024 Presidential Election. He discussed the President’s shocking decision during the latest episode of The Breakfast Club, arguing that pressure from Democratic party donors was the final nail in the coffin.
“When the donors started saying no more money if you don’t step down, that’s when they decided to make the decision because 70% of the American people told them they did not want a Biden-Trump rematch. It’s been nothing but chaos and confusion ever since so I’m glad Biden stepped down,” Charlamagne said. He later added that Donald Trump is now “the old man.”
Kamala Harris Speaks At The White House After Joe Biden Drops Out
US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during an event honoring National Collegiate. Athletic Association (NCAA) championship teams from the 2023-2024 season, on the South. Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC on July 22, 2024. Joe Biden on July 21, 2024 dropped out of the US presidential election and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s new nominee, in a stunning move that upends an already extraordinary 2024 race for the White House. Biden, 81, said he was acting in the “best interest of my party and the country” by bowing to weeks of pressure after a disastrous June debate against Donald Trump stoked worries about his age and mental fitness. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
When Biden announced that he wouldn’t be seeking re-election, he endorsed Kamala Harris to run in his stead. “My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President,” he wrote in a statement on X (formerly Twitter). “And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”
Charlamagne Tha God Speaks On Joe Biden’s Dropping Out
Check out Charlamagne’s full comments on Joe Biden above. Be on the lookout for further updates on Charlamagne Tha God and the upcoming 2024 Presidential Election on HotNewHipHop.
While most hip-hop fans are more concerned with beef between its artists, the genre’s cultural leaders and media exponents are seemingly just as prone to some tension. Moreover, some folks think that Elliott Wilson and Charlamagne Tha God are experiencing a bit of a rift right now thanks to some recent statements floating around the Internet. What seems to have sparked this, if this is true at all, is Charlamagne’s recent podcast comments about his belief that Wilson shouldn’t have landed in the top five of Complex‘s 2024 hip-hop media power ranking. Whether or not this struck a chord with the Rap Radar personality is a mystery, but the damage is already done for many people online.
“A HOF career 3rd mic n***a crying about my top 5 status,” Elliott Wilson mysteriously tweeted on Saturday (July 20), which came after Charlamagne Tha God’s comments. “Legacy these nuts, I got great content on the way. #2024 [goat emoji].” This perspective is particularly interesting and slightly eyebrow-raising because Charlamagne actually landed at number four on Complex‘s list, whereas Wilson was number five.
“Salute to Vlad, I think Vlad should be higher,” Charlamagne Tha God reacted to DJ Vlad’s number six placement on the Complex list. “What else we got? Elliott! You shouldn’t be number five. Number four, Charlamagne Tha God.” Of course, this comment is so brief, vague, and lacking in detail that you can interpret it in a lot of different ways. Is Charlamagne suggesting that Wilson should be higher than five or lower? With this perspective in mind, his retort comes off as a little more reactionary, and other fans think that he could be talking about another media figure like Joe Budden instead.
But that doesn’t make much sense either, as Elliott Wilson and Joe Budden have done podcasts together very recently. So, what’s going on here? Are folks just missing another target of Wilson’s ire in favor of unverified options or is there really some animosity towards Charlamagne Tha God? Regardless, hopefully the ranking motivated folks to work harder on their craft rather than turn against each other. Rappers and the fanbases are divided enough: the media doesn’t have to follow.
Kai Cenat isn’t upset with Tyla’s team for allegedly instructing Charlamagne to avoid asking questions about him. The streamer reacted to a clip of Charlamagne making the revelation during an episode of his Brilliant Idiots podcast. Cenat infamously asked the singer on a date during an appearance on his stream.
“I don’t blame her team for not wanting to ask about me,” Cenat began in a clip captured by DJ Akademiks. “I don’t blame her team for that.” From there, he explained: “You know what it is, I don’t think people understand the full streaming culture. It’s a big ass audience. It’s too big.”
Kai Cenat at The 2023 Streamy Awards held at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel on August 27, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Penske Media via Getty Images)
“All I was doing was trying to give her an opportunity to clear it up because they said that’s been a thing for her,” Charlamagne said in the clip. “Now here’s the thing about the label…Labels always will come and say ‘hey can you not ask this, can you not ask that. Sometimes depending what it is like if it’s something like really personal, I’ll be like ‘sure I oblige.’ For this one, I said ‘no.’ The reason I said no, they had six things they didn’t want us to ask.” In addition to Kai Cenat, the label asked Charlamagne to avoid questions about dating rumors, an injury, and more. “So I said to them, ‘no.’ Now, when I say ‘no, I’m not going to oblige any of this,’ it is your job then, label, management, whoever, to either prepare the artist for the question or pull the interview. I’m fine with either. I already told you I’m not going to follow any of this,” Charlamagne concluded.
Check out Cenat’s full response to Charlamange’s comments above. Be on the lookout for further updates on Kai Cenat as well as Tyla and Charlamagne on HotNewHipHop.
Live shows aren’t often a part of hip-hop’s GOAT conversation, but then again, not many live shows are as meaningful as Kendrick Lamar’s “The Pop Out” in Los Angeles on Juneteenth. Moreover, media outlets, critics, and fans alike all rejoiced in reacting to the West Coast spectacle, with The Breakfast Club reopening a conversation on K.Dot’s dominance and skill level in the game. Specifically for Charlamagne Tha God, he believes that the Compton lyricist fully claimed the crown with this concert. Not only did he attribute this to his talent, catalog, and overall artistic impact, but also for making this performance a victory lap of sorts that continued to pressure the competition.
“Kendrick set the tone,” Charlamagne Tha God remarked during his virtual hosting of The Breakfast Club. “He let us know that this was a victory lap, and he came there to blood and crip-walk on his enemy’s head-top. And to me, the show wasn’t about Drake as much it was about Kendrick Lamar becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion of hip-hop. Like, when it comes to this new generation we’ve been watching over the last 15 years, Kendrick is the king of hip-hop, and it’s not even close. And I’m not talking about charts, I’m not talking about streaming records, I’m not talking about, you know, pop songs, singing on songs. I’m talking about bars, rap, hip-hop, culture. Kendrick wears that crown, and it’s not even close.”
The Breakfast Club Speaks On Kendrick Lamar’s “Pop Out”
after Kendrick Lamar’s performance lastnight in LA, Charlamagne Tha God declares him the “King of Hip Hop”
‘Kendrick set the tone… this was a victory lap… he came there to blood & crip walk on his enemy’s headtop… bars, rap, culture, Kendrick wears that crown and its not… pic.twitter.com/qxHO71yNGE
“I agree,” DJ Envy chimed in after Charlamagne Tha God’s Kendrick Lamar comments. “It was bigger than the Drake beef and all of that. Just what he did for L.A. and the fact that he unified so many different hoods, so many different communities, so many different gangs. Had them all on one stage and what he did for hip-hop last night was simply amazing.”
Meanwhile, a lot of folks wonder how other rappers must be feeling amid all this, especially those that involved themselves in the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef. Drizzy himself is the subject of much fan speculation, and there’s also The Game’s absence to consider. Is J. Cole feeling survivor’s guilt right now? Perhaps time will tell…
