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Kanye West Challenges Big Sean to Evolve as an Artist

Mr. West urges his protégé to improve artistry on sophomore album.

G.O.O.D. Music representer Big Sean was out in Cali recently and the Detroit rapper took some time out to chop it up with Power 106's Mando Fresko. He touched on a few topics, including the new G.O.O.D. single "Mercy," his upcoming sophomore album and the special someone in his life.
Sean said his verse on "Mercy" initially began as a freestyle after hearing the beat for the song backstage at the Watch the Throne concert in Detroit. It was Kanye West that pushed him to commit the verse to record.
"I think it's cool just to hear that kind of music again," he said of the song. "It's got kind of an old school vibe and a hard bounce to it."
Aside from the G.O.O.D. Music album, the Finally Famous rapper has already been hard at work on his new album. Of the tracks he's recorded, he said his favorite is a song called "One Man Can Change the World."
“I just feel like this album is about progression," Sean said. “I feel like everything I do I progress.... Kanye said, ‘I want you to be better than me and better than Jay. I want you to be the best ’cause you the younger generation. We passing our secrets on to you.’ If you don’t take it to a new height and to new levels, then what the f*** are we doing this for? That’s the point, to evolve.”
Sean said he'd also been inspired by meeting a young fan who waited outside for him for hours in front of a radio station.
“When you got the mic, you gotta make sure you say something for these people, especially for these ones who look up to you," he said. "If not, your moment in time will just be wasted and forgotten. You've gotta make sure you leave some kind of legacy.”
The 23-year-old rapper said the new approach has led him to produce better music.
"I've been approaching this album with that mindset and I feel like it's 10 times better than my first one," he said.
As for his love life, Sean admitted that he's seeing someone.
"Yeah, I'm seein' somebody. Everybody's got somebody special," he said. "I'm not out here just runnin' wild. I look at it as a great way to keep me sane and from going too crazy sometimes.... That's somebody that's been holding me down for years before this whole rap thing kicked off. So it's nice to have that in my life."

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