Big Sean is a big deal. When I told the high school kids I work with that I was interviewing him, they were like, “Word?!?!!?” I first heard him on Kanye’s Can’t Tell Me Nothing mixtape, and I thought his song “Get’cha Some” was dope. Kanye kind of snuck it on at the end of the tape to give his new artist some shine. Who knew five years later he would be named one of MTV’s Top 10 Hottest MCs in the Game for 2011. Check the summary and link to the interview below:

In this revealing interview, Big Sean talks about his unique upbringing in Detroit and how it shaped his perspective on the world, the lessons Kanye West taught him about making music, the tanning moment he had watching a mostly all-white crowd jam out to “Dance (A$$),” and the love he’s gotten from megastars like Chris Brown and the NBA’s 2011 MVP, Derrick Rose. He also shares his thoughts about the buzz surrounding the emergence of another NBA star, Asian sensation, Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks, and making MTV’s “Top 10 Hottest MCs in the Game” list.

The Tanning Interview with Big Sean

Cheah.

I had an interesting interview published last week on Complex with battle rap monster Iron Solomon, who told me the stories behind his Top 5 battles of all time. It’s an interesting read, and you can watch all the battles above each story in the feature. Here’s my intro, and the link is below…

You probably remember the first time you saw Iron Solomon in a rap battle. Whether it was live on the streets or online, there’s no question you were instantly captivated. Sure, he’s a white guy with glasses who can rap his ass off, but that’s not the only draw. With Iron Solomon, it’s deeper than rap, and larger than race. He has the ability to break down any opponent, on the spot, all the time, with no fear.

Iron Solomon, who grew up in Manhattan on the Upper West Side aka South Harlem (shout to ItsTheReal), started on the battle scene in his late teens by hitting up well known Manhattan-based open mics and competitions like Braggin’ Rights and End of the Weak, making a name for himself as a skilled lyricist with a knack for humorous couplets and witty punchlines.

After taking out underground legend Immortal Technique in his late teens, Iron Solomon got the taste for blood, and went on to verse anyone and everyone who presented a challenge, eventually dethroning the Asian assassinJin at New York’s premiere battleground Fight Klub with thousands of dollars on the line.

From there, Solomon was in high demand for big-time rap battles. He made an unforgettable appearance onSmack DVD at Fat Beats in New York against the roughest, toughest battler on the scene, Math Hoffa (who had literally knocked out his previous opponent with a fist to the face). He jaw jousted with 106 & Park championAvalanche in Detroit. He went toe to toe in Miami with Philly street sweeper (and MTV’s Making The Bandalumnus) E. Ness, all of which garnered hundreds of thousands of video views (his battle with E. Ness currently clocks in at 1.3 million clicks). Thanks to YouTube, we can all enjoy his various roastings endlessly.

Iron Solomon has been planning to step away from the battle scene to focus on recording for some time. Now he’s gearing up to release his debut album Monster on March 27th through Royal (Iron’s imprint) and a partnership with 3D (a subsidiary of Duck Down).

As he makes his transition from the streets to the studio, we asked him to tell the tales behind his Top 5 Battles Of All Time. From the set-up, to the comeback, to the final punchline, it’s all here.

Iron Solomon Tells All: The Stories Behind His Best 5 Rap Battles | Complex