No I.D.’s a pretty busy guy, but Complex was lucky enough to catch up with him recently for a pretty interesting Q&A session. No I.D. talked a bit about what projects he’s been working on, the story behind Big Sean’s “Control” record (and how it was originally meant for Jay Z) and revealed that he’s been working with Drake’s favorite rapper Lil Herb alongside Da Internz.
Peep two excerpts below.
Are you listening to anything out of Chicago right now?
I wouldn’t say I’m listening to, but I would just say keep my eyes on it. I was actually just out here working with the kid, Lil Herb in L.A. right now. He’s actually in the studio right now with Da Internz. One of our artists Mikkey Halsted reps Lil Herb.
No I.D. speaks on “Control” below.
One of the big records you’ve had recently was Big Sean’s “Control.” What is the story behind that record?
I had a conversation with Sean towards the end of his album. I told him, I felt like he needed to do some straight, hardcore hip-hop records. Sometimes we focus so much on selling records that we leave some artistic points uncovered.I had this beat. I had actually done it for Jay, right before I let [Sean] hear it. I said, “You should take this beat, I think it would be great for you to show up on one of these beats, forget money, forget everything.”
For a while—I’d say, since Common’s “Ghetto Dreams”—I’ve been on a hip-hop crusade. To try and just bring that energy back that I felt was not present. I just wanted him to show up on one of those beats and then he did a freestyle to it.
He was like, “I’m gonna drop it as a freestyle.” I was like cool. Then he was like, “Yo, I’m gonna get Jay Electronica on it.” I was like, “Okay, cool.” Anyway, that’s where “No I.D. (Freestyle)” comes from, it was a No I.D. beat and he was freestyling. It didn’t have a chorus, it wasn’t intended to be a full song even.
Check out the full interview here.