Kendrick Lamar Finally Responds To ‘Control’ Controversy

Kendrick Lamar has finally responded to the controversy surrounding his verse on Big Sean’s “Control.”

In the verse, Lamar deems himself “the king of New York,” and seemingly calls out a number of other rappers, saying he’s “trying to raise the bar high.” Some of the rappers named — and even some who weren’t — took offense to the verse and responded either in their own songs or in interviews. Still others applauded Lamar for the verse.

Some of the rappers who responded to the verse, either in song, on Twitter, or elsewhere, include: Lupe Fiasco, Pusha T, Fabolous, Papoose, Big K.R.I.T., Trinidad James, and a host of others.

The 26-year-old Compton native said the whole thing has been blown out of proportion.

“Honestly I didn’t know there would be so much speculation behind it. I just wanted to rap. Anybody that knows me doing music, I wanna just rap,” Lamar said in an upcoming interview on Power 106 FM.

“I think that’s the case right there of maybe I just dumbed down my lyrics just a little bit,” he added. “The irony of that line is that the people who actually understood it and got it were the actual kings of New York, you know, me sitting down with them this past week, and them understanding, it’s not actually about being the king of whatever coast, it’s about leaving a mark as great as Biggie, as great as Pac.”

In a similar interview with Hot 97, Kendrick Lamar said that he felt the people who took the verse out of context were the ones that “want to grab an opportunity off the hype of the record, rather than actually tuning in and listening and knowing how hungry I am.”

Lamar also said he “respects[s] the legends in the game” and the people who “lost their lives over this.”

[Photo credit: Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com]