Here’s Why Kendrick Lamar Apologized To Big Sean

Big Sean received an apology from Kendrick Lamar after getting dissed on a leaked version of K. Dot’s song “ELEMENT.” Big Sean discussed their long-rumored beef in an interview with Charlamagne Tha God.

The Detroit-bred rapper blamed Joe Budden for fueling the rumors. Big Sean recalled speaking with Kendrick’s pgLang co-founder Dave Free, who denied any beef years ago.

“I get to the point like, ‘Damn, do we got something going on?’” Big Sean said of the alleged beef. “That’s why I had something prepared, right? And then when I run into Dave Free, and he’s like, ‘Nah, bruh, it ain’t nothing. It’s all love.’ He said something like, ‘That wasn’t directly towards you. It was for anyone.’”

Big Sean also crossed paths with Top Dawg Entertainment executive Punch in 2019. Punch asked if he ever spoke with Kendrick to make sure they were on the same page. Big Sean told Punch the two hadn’t talked.

Around that same time, the original version of Kendrick’s song “ELEMENT” leaked. K. Dot dissed Big Sean on the leak, but the inflammatory lyrics were removed from the actual version that dropped in 2017. Big Sean admitted he was upset when he first heard the diss. He eventually realized it was “nothing” since Kendrick cut the diss from the album version of “ELEMENT.”

Big Sean and Kendrick finally had a conversation, settling any misunderstandings between the two. K. Dot apologized via text, which is why Big Sean never responded when the “ELEMENT” diss went public in 2023.

“He apologized, in a sense, for going that far,” Big Sean explained. “For that s### coming out. So, I wanted to show you that [text] because, in a sense, he apologized, right? So, if Kendrick apologized for that same leak that I heard prematurely that he didn’t use—then it leaks fully later. And people hear it, and we already discussed it. And he said, ‘Appreciate the shoutout on the Nipsey song.’ I already addressed it on the song with Nip … So, when that s### leaks, people are like, ‘Oh, you heard what he said about you?’ I’m like, ‘N####, I’m not a clout-chasing ass n####.’ Bro, I’m solid and I stand on mine. And I’m not ‘bout to do something because everyone thinks a certain thing. We already talked about it. I already got an apology for it.”

Big Sean told his side of the story to clear up misconceptions about how he handled the diss. He didn’t want fans to think he was scared to respond to Kendrick.