Big Sean is gearing up to release his G.O.O.D. Music debut Finally Famous on June 21st, but his career could have taken a different turn. The Detroit, Michigan native revealed that he almost signed with Eminem’s Shady Records before inking a deal with Kanye West. 

The 23-year-old, whose real name is Sean Anderson, participated in a rap battle as a teenager that could have gotten him a single deal with the house that Marshall built. “Before I met Kanye, I did a rap battle. I used to battle rap. I was real popular, that’s how I got this really good relationship with this radio station where I met Kanye at,” he told DealWithNoDeal.net. “They were doing this battle rap to where the prize was $10,000 and a single deal from Shady Music, like Eminem and all them.”

Finagling his way into the contest, he almost sonned the competition. “So DJ Whoo Kid and Just came, I snuck in. I wasn’t even old enough to participate in it, but I lied about my age and I got all the way to the final round and lost to some dude,” he continued. “I really thought I won, but I think the crowd was more on his side, so I lost. But DJ Whoo Kid and them was like ‘Man, we gon’ keep in contact!’ Obviously, they didn’t.”

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After wowing ‘Ye with his rhyme skills and signing to G.O.O.D. Music, he eventually crossed paths with Whoo Kid down the road. “After I got in with Kanye, I met Whoo Kid again and it was all good. Whoo Kid was like, ‘I remember that battle! I was tryna hook it up!’ Whoo Kid is my homie for life, so it’s all good. But that actually did happen once,” he said. 

Big Sean is currently prepping the summer release of Finally Famous, which features production from No I.D. and Kanye West as well as guest appearances from Chris Brown, Pharrell Williams and more.

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