Everyone in the world has eyes on Ferguson, Missouri.
Protests have erupted following the shooting death of unarmed black teen Michael Brown.
The hip hop community has differed in their opinions on the civil rights matter. T.I. wrote an open letter directed at African-Americans to stop rioting, Talib Kweli was among the protesters who were teargassed, and J.Cole and Lauryn Hill released tribute songs. No one seems to be on the same page.
Stopping in New York to talk about his new Coors Light-inspired tracks with Currensy, Big Sean spoke to theGrio’s Kyle Harvey to discuss his reaction after witnessing the protest in Ferguson while working on some new music with G.O.O.D., describing it as crazy.
“I was with Kanye, and we were just watching the protests,” Big Sean recalled. “It was interesting being around all those guys and getting their perspective, but for me personally, it was a lot.”
Though Big Sean does agree that the current generation of rappers aren’t collectively active compared to the golden era of hip hop, he believes brighter days are ahead.
“I feel like there’s a turn around the corner. We’re seeing it all over, people are just fed up, and now we’re seeing that in Ferguson. They’re rioting, they’re protesting.”
Detroit’s has its own well-documented history of civil rights and issues of police brutality, and the entire city has been crippled financially.
“The same type of angst you see in Detroit can be felt in Ferguson.”
Check out what else Big Sean had to say in our Grio Sitdown.