Big Sean’s new album Better Me Than You comes out in just a couple of hours (Friday, August 30), and fans can’t wait to hear what’s in store. However, some new SoundCloud-exclusive singles (or perhaps loosies) also have folks wondering whether we will get an update to one of his most complex sagas as a career musician. Of course, we’re talking about the Sean Don’s relationship with Kanye West, a complicated and often contentious one, especially in the 2020s decade. Nevertheless, Sean recently rapped about his status in the rap game on “Fighting Fires,” a SC-only song that used the beat from Ye and Ty Dolla $ign’s “MY SOUL” off of VULTURES 2.
This version of the cut features the VULTURES duo speaking about freedom, religion, and mass incarceration alongside Ty’s brother TC. Big Sean, on the other hand, provides more of a boastful and bar-heavy hip-hop display over the same “MY SOUL” instrumental. Another SoundCloud exclusive, “Dirty Work,” was taken down from the platform, so we don’t know if these are actual Better Me Than You singles or just random leftovers. Nevertheless, he had teased “Fighting Fires” all the way in July as a potential Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign collaboration on their next VULTURES effort, but we now know that this didn’t work out.
Big Sean’s “Fighting Fires”: Listen
Rather, it seems like the former G.O.O.D. Music colleagues instead have their own individual versions of this cut. Big Sean has been through a lot to release Better Me Than You, so it’s no surprise that he wanted to get this release off his chest in some way. The album faced a full leak earlier this year, and many fans even thought that Kanye West was responsible for this. Sean himself dismissed this notion, instead showing love to Ye despite his disparaging comments about his G.O.O.D. signee during a previous interview.
Meanwhile, Kanye West isn’t the only person that allegedly inspired Big Sean amid this Better Me Than You rollout. Many Baby Keem fans felt like Sean was biting his style, another idea that he didn’t subscribe to at all. Nevertheless, his inspirations and dedications –wherever they come from – should make for a really compelling album experience. Here’s hoping that the lyrical firmness we’ve heard on these teaser cuts remains a prevalent theme on the LP.
About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a music and pop culture news writer for HotNewHipHop. He started in 2022 as a weekend writer and, since joining the team full-time, has developed a strong knowledge in hip-hop news and releases. Whether it’s regular coverage or occasional interviews and album reviews, he continues to search for the most relevant news for his audience and find the best new releases in the genre. What excites him the most is finding pop culture stories of interest, as well as a deeper passion for the art form of hip-hop and its contemporary output.
Specifically, Gabriel enjoys the fringes of rap music: the experimental, boundary-pushing, and raw alternatives to the mainstream sound. As a proud native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he also stays up-to-date with the archipelago’s local scene and its biggest musical exponents in reggaetón, salsa, indie, and beyond.
Before working at HotNewHipHop, Gabriel produced multiple short documentaries, artist interviews, venue spotlights, and audio podcasts on a variety of genres and musical figures. Hardcore punk and Go-go music defined much of his coverage during his time at the George Washington University in D.C.
His favorite hip-hop artists working today are Tyler, The Creator, Boldy James, JPEGMAFIA, and Earl Sweatshirt.
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