- There's like so many collabs I'm excited about
and just like moments I'm excited about,
and things to talk about.
I want to (beep) em up,
I can't even lie, I want to (beep) the game up,
when I drop this album, I wanna surprise people.
- You recently teased this collaboration here with A$AP Ferg
for the VMAs. - Yeah.
- What can you tell us about it?
- I can just tell you, it was just, you know,
it reminds me of that like, energy growing up where people
had the back and forth verses, you know what I'm saying.
It's just got a high energy to it, you know what I mean?
MTV came to us, you know,
'cause they heard the song in advance
and they were like, "We want you guys to premiere it here
and perform it, so you know it's definitely
got that high energy to it.
- Did you shoot a video for it yet?
- Yeah, we shot the video already,
it's going to go crazy.
It's like, it's extremely like ghetto as (beep),
like for real I'm not gonna lie.
- Where did you shoot it in?
Detroit, Harlem?
- We've been shooting in, I've been shooting all the videos
in Detroit, but we shot some of this in different locations.
So, I don't wanna give all the info away,
but just know it definitely captures a lot of
classic Detroit, like the stuff that my older brother
would wear, you know what I'm saying,
and my step brother would wear, like the vintage.
- Got some Carties?
- Of course bro, come on, like you could tell
the type of videos we watched growing up
when you watch this video.
- Absolutely, what can we expect from the VMA
performance this year?
- The VMA performance this year, I think it's just raw
you know what I'm saying?
You can expect a lot of street art, you can expect,
you know, it's like, a whole installation
going on behind us, you know, while we perform.
Like I said it's just that energy,
like how we made this song,
we was in the studio bro, we did it,
you know, we literally made it right on the spot.
- Wow.
- Hadn't changed it, you know what I'm saying.
So, it's a unique song and
I think people
are gonna enjoy the performance.
(Big Sean's "Single Again" playing)
- You have this song, "Single Again",
features vocals from Jhené Aiko.
- Yeah.
- You know, you guys had a very public relationship,
is it ever hard to separate business from personal?
- Nah, not when you, you know,
me and her known each other for so long,
been making music together for so long,
that it's, just that's easy,
it's always easy, always natural.
- Does that mean we are gonna get another 'Twenty88?'
(laughing)
The first one was hard Sean, I ain't gonna front, I think--
- It's one of my favorites, for sure.
- I think it was one of those albums that kinda spearheaded
the collaboration projects like the Carters.
- Anybody who wants a 'Twenty88',
I'm sure that they'll be happy.
- Okay.
- You know, we're gonna make them happy.
- Alright cool, well you also made me
and a lot of rap fans happy earlier this year,
because you put out this track, "Overtime".
- Yeah.
- And, it was like you gave us a glimpse of mixtape Sean.
Why was that track so important?
Like, just wanna show people that you still get busy?
- Yeah, here's the thing man.
This is not, I hope people hear me out on this.
Putting out singles to an album, it just, like I'm ready
to put the album out. - Okay.
- You know what I'm saying, I'm like 90% done.
I'm ready to put the album out
because we live in a world where people pick apart
so many things, like my album got so many layers to it.
You know what I'm saying, so like "Overtime", "Single Again"
even "Berserk" like they all sound
so different right, and it's just like, you know,
I have different sides of myself and I
reflect those different sides on the album.
You know what I'm saying?
I've done a lot of like internal work, but at the same time
I feel like I returned to my roots and I really want
people to just hear the album. - Right.
- It's cool putting out songs here and there,
you know, singles, songs, whatever you want to call them,
releases, you know what I'm saying,
but the album, that's what I'm excited for people to hear.
- I'm excited too, but I just wanted to
touch on that some more.
The other half of the songs it samples,
"Hovi Baby" from Jay-Z.
- Oh yeah, "Overtime".
- Yeah, "Overtime".
- Yeah.
- Did Jay-Z hear it, did he give you any feedback?
- Yeah, yeah, Jay-Z heard it, he loved it.
I send Jay a lot of songs.
There's this is one song that we got,
that we are trying to clear, that Jay has like,
really stepped in on trying to clear for me,
because he was like, "You have to do this
"for the city of Detroit." - Wow.
At the end of the record you talk about--
I know you still on the album mode, but you said
that, you know, let me get the quote right,
"Just be cool dog, I know what's your favorite."
- Yeah.
- Talking about mixtapes.
- Yeah, of course - As far as mixtapes go.
Does that mean we're gonna get a sequel,
does that mean we are gonna get
a "Detroit Two" in the future?
- Hm. (laughs)
You know, I don't wanna announce anything yet.
I don't wanna, you know--
- That's our favorite.
- "Detroit Two".
That's my favorite too.
So, I guess we'll just have to tune in
and see what's finna happen.
But, trust me, if I do that and when I do that,
like, I'mma deliver for sure.
- Bet. - Yeah.
- And lastly, before we got out of here,
you know Missy Elliott is receiving the Vanguard Award,
what do you think about Missy and her
contributions to the game?
- I think Missy just like, not only did she change the game
and was so creative in all her videos,
I feel like, she inspires
so many creators, but she was just was always
representing for Black people too bro.
You know what I'm saying, and in such a creative,
artistic way and just obviously V.A. where she from.
- Absolutely. - You know what I mean?
But, I'm excited to see her come back,
you know what I'm saying, and get the Vanguard Award.
She dropped her new album.
I feel like it's legends like those, and it's only a handful
of them that, it don't matter how much time you take off
it don't matter how long you gone,
you can came back and make that impact.
You know what I'm saying?
Even just in a video where she twirling hair with the braids
- Right.
- You know what I mean that's--
- Crazy.
- That comes all the way back to Black love,
you know what I'm saying, and Black beauty.
- Yup.
- So, I gotta respect Missy Elliott for that.