Big Sean has one of those stories that makes anyone think they can make it. Having Kanye West tell you that you have eight bars to impress him on the spot and then inking a record deal with him a couple years later is incredible. But, there’s more to Sean than that famed moment. In this revealing interview, he talks about his unique upbringing and how it contributed to him becoming the cross-over artist that he is today. Personally, I can definitely relate to this.

“I grew up in the hood, but I would go to school and have friends that were Jewish, black, white … Rich people and poor people. So I would see that side of Detroit that a lot of people didn’t get to see. Then I would go home to the hood every day with the most hood, ghetto best friends … it taught me to have an open mind, and not be closed-minded about everything.”

Sean also goes on to talk about his cross-over status and how hip-hop truly transcends race or social class. Check out the entire interview here, and feel free to leave a comment below with your thoughts.