Big K.R.I.T. hit the BET Hip Hop Awards green carpet with nothing but positivity on the brain. Speaking to Hip Hop Since 1987, rap's "Country Cousin" gave details on his new album and a response to Kendrick Lamar's infamous "Control" verse.

He noticed it wasn't widely reported, but Lamar's diss called him out among the likes of Drake, J. Cole, Wale and Pusha T. "A lot of people didn't expect for me to be on that list," he said, mentioning the "competitive" nature of the game, and that the Compton rapper was simply making his skill set known. "He's saying if we get into the studio, I'm not gon' take you lightly at all."

K.R.I.T. can relate. "I feel like I'm one of the best ever," he continued. "Why would I make music if I didn't believe in myself? That's not what this is all about. I want to convey that same energy between performing, between rapping, between producing. You always supposed to feel that way, whether you rapping [or working another job]. You're supposed to feel like you're the best at it."

With his Cadillac LP, K.R.I.T. chose to take on a solitary role. Instead of producing and rapping, like he did on his first two studio albums, he gets to "sit down and just be an artist," commissioning the help of outside beat architects like DJ Toomp, Jim Jonson, Organzied Noise and Rico Love. "For me it's great 'cause I just get to rap, ya'll ain't never just seen me just rap."

No word yet on when Cadillac drops.  

Look for K.R.I.T., Lamar, A$AP Rocky, Rick Ross and more when the BET Hip Hop Awards air Tuesday, Oct. 15 at 8 p.m.    

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(Photo: John Ricard/BET)