Kendrick Lamar Will Just Not Let Big Sean Catch a Break, Overshadows Comeback With "Like That" Shots at 'Big 3'

Just before Kendrick rapped "motherf*ck the Big 3" on new song "Like That," Sean shared a freestyle featuring his own thoughts on the topic.

March 22, 2024

Two images side by side; on the left, a performer on stage in casual attire, and on the right, a man in a stylish suit with a scarf — Getty Images

More than a decade after “Control” and its well-documented aftermath, Kendrick Lamar and Big Sean have returned to the diss-driven dimension.

As you may have noticed, this Friday marked a particularly stacked day for new music, with Future and Metro Boomin's We Don't Trust You among the albums rolled out to streamers. On the early highlight "Like That," Kendrick spends several lines pushing back against any "Big 3" talk, namely the kind found on Drake and J. Cole's "First Person Shooter."

While there's plenty in Kendrick's verse worth a closer look, the key line arrives ahead of the Prince and Michael Jackson comparison, like so:

Motherfuck the big three, n***a, it's just big me

But Kendrick isn't the only one with Big 3 currently on the brain. Earlier this week, prior to "Like That" making impact, Sean delivered his "Whole Time (Freestyle)," which itself featured some Big 3 ponderings.

I think where I lack most as an artist is consistency
I just haven't had the energy to compete with enemies
Or y'all so-called bigger three

Also on Friday, Sean released a Truman Show-referencing new single, "Precision." For the video, he turned to director Onda, whose other recent work includes visuals for artists like Ye and Duckwrth. See it below.

Giving the timing, some listeners have wondered if this was all part of a larger strategy. With the history of "Control" in mind, not all of this is entirely a reach. The song, released in 2013, is technically a Sean-led single. It was Kendrick's verse, however, that inarguably dominated coverage and quickly became a classic moment in hip-hop history.

The song has remained a hot topic over the years, with Sean downplaying speculation of a feud in a Joe Budden interview in 2020. More recently, the "Control" fascination received a new layer thanks to an alleged Kendrick leak that included a direct mention of Sean by name. Sean later addressed the leak, seemingly suggesting he didn't consider the lyrics a diss.

With that in mind, folks have had plenty to say about “Like That” rolling out on the same day as Sean’s new single.