The Detroit native is hitting on all cylinders with the release of “Dark Sky Paradise.” Many have counted him out at every step of the way, but clearly he’s cashing in on his “Blessings” and keeping a tunnel vision about his own ‘Hall of Fame,’ making stray and corporate opinions matter less these days. Here’s 5 Reasons Big Sean Votes Himself Most Improved in the Game!
The highly charismatic Big Sean has locked and loaded on the industry for the release of the new album. Catching up with Dan Rys of XXL, he got in depth about his current state of mind and the lead-in to Dark Sky Paradise where his view on being a growing asset to ‘the league’ rings true indeed. After a series personal ups and downs, and a creative breakthrough that birthed yet another chart topper, Here are the 5 Reasons Big Sean Votes Himself Most Improved in the Game:
5. He’s a Product of His New Environment:
We already know what most people do with “new money”–they spend it! But the critical adage has always been, on what? And how much will you keep or comes back to you? Going into the creation of this album, Big Sean started shifting his priorities and lining up his finances to among other things re-invest his money right back into himself and the music. Doing so has also shifted his lifestyle and the moves of the people he works with, for more positive returns:
“I recorded this album in my house, man. I built a studio in my house. I didn’t go buy a Phantom or a Lamborghini or none of that, I just took that money and built a proper studio with proper equipment. It was the best investment I ever made, and this is the best music I’ve ever made. I feel that way. And I think, you know, as I keep making music I keep striving to be better.
The fact that I got to make this music in my living situation is cool; I got to live it out, and that’s really important. I think you can tell for this album. I didn’t have to worry about being uncomfortable in another studio and shit, I had people at my house. I had Kanye at my house, I would have Mike WiLL up in there. Anybody; Ty Dolla $ign, Ariana, obviously. John Legend; these people were at my crib, in my studio.”
4. Positive Feedback From His Peers:
Purists might scoff at the reference but let’s not mince hairs, Lil Wayne is a Hip Hop legend. For that matter, one of the things he’s always been known for is having a good ear for talent, not only encouraging its growth but recognizing an artist’s gifts and complimenting that in collaboration. You saw what Kanye and Pusha T had to say to Big Sean already. But on the new album Wayne makes more than an effort to let him know how he really feels about him:
“I was just like, Damn, it’s crazy that he thought that. He was bigging me up like I was his artist or something, you know? And I remember after he recorded the verse I talked to him on the phone and he was like, “I meant every word of that.” And not just that part, the whole verse. When he was like [Raps], “If getting your point across crosses the line/Some of the time then cross it with pride/That’s real, my nigga, remember that/If don’t nobody remember you, they gon’ remember rap/So just spit it back and hope somebody diggin’ that/’Cause this shit is deep.”
That “Diggin’ that/Deep” shit is something I just caught myself. He’s clever as hell, but he was like, “I really meant that whole thing, man.” He always just told me, I remember since way back, he was always hitting me like, “You know, you’re special.” I guess he saw something. But he was really adamant about that verse, and I hope people really listen to that and hear that. You know, I got love for Wayne, and no matter what anybody says or what he’s going through, he’s one of the greats, he changed the game. He did his thing and does his thing.”
5 Reasons Big Sean Votes Himself Most Improved in the Game
3. Doing What Other’s Don’t Do:
From reaching his goals, actually collaborating and not just stringing together email-to-email tracks as so commonly done these days, to actually trying to create a body of work, Big Sean is aiming at a quality most are not even checking for:
“And I think the only other person whose rapped back and forth with Kanye might be Jay Z. Right? I think so. Maybe I’m wrong about that, but that was one of my dreams come true, rapping back and forth with ‘Ye. And it’s just hard, and I hope people enjoy it.
I just hope people, if they like it and they love it that they support it, ’cause it’s all we got. I wanted it to be all about the music, I didn’t want to have an album where I had to hide behind some skits and make it a big Broadway production. I wanted it to be strictly about the raps, about the music, and that’s what it is. And that’s what the fuck it’s gon’ be. And I hope people can recognize that. I didn’t want to do anything I didn’t want to do, and this was what I wanted to do.”
2. Growth and New Territory With Every Album:
When it comes to innovation, range, concepts and style of Hip Hop albums–few touch the pedigree of let’s say–the legendary group OutKast. But whether you touch the level of your predecessors isn’t always important, and Sean continues to work on his various flows as well surrounding himself with craft-masters like E-40. In actuality, many artists show how striving for excellence in your own range, pushing your own boundaries, and testing your comfort zones are effective ways to never stale as an artist–not to mention come up with hot music that’s all your own:
“[Hall of Fame album] It wasn’t probably as great as I wanted it to be, but I understood it was something different for me. It was something different than my first album or mixtapes and stuff like that. But I feel like it’s important to try these things as an artist, you know what I mean? I feel like I want longevity and I want to keep changing it up, I want to do something different. And I guess that takes whatever comes with it, going through ups and downs. But I can honestly say that I love that album and I appreciate it, and this new album is completely different from that one. And my next one will probably be different from Dark Sky Paradise, but right now this is where we at…You know, I’m from Detroit, I’m from a city where we bounce back from anything
Yeah, just growth, growing up. I’m 26 years old, but I’m still growing up, you know what I mean? I think you grow up until you die, I guess, you just keep learning. But I guess I am one of the most improved players if this is the NBA.”
5 Reasons Big Sean Votes Himself Most Improved in the Game
And the #1 Reason: He’s Given Up!
…on trying to fit a mold that is! It may be hard to picture someone telling Big Sean how to be a better Big Sean, he may even seem like the perfect rap star future molds will be made from–but he’s “all about the music” now more than ever. Where you might think there was a master plan to formulate “IDFWU” for mass web and radio play–there actually was not (doesn’t that make you feel better in a way tho?). In fact he never planned for it to make it to radio and just did it off vibes. In fact…Sean wants nothing to do with directions from a label or what he as an artist is “supposed to do” anymore. And the results he says, are paying off in his spirit and in the music:
But throughout it all when I look at my life there’s a lot of people who have come and gone since I’ve been in the game, just since 2010 when stuff started picking up for me. And you know, when you analyze it like that, this is still paradise, no matter what. Dark Sky Paradise; it fits the album and just my lifestyle perfectly….One thing that’s changed majorly is that I didn’t give a fuck about what no labels told me. Man, I used to care about like, “Yo, you need a radio song, this or that.” I don’t give a fuck about none of that shit, man. “I Don’t Fuck With You” wasn’t supposed to be a radio song, they made it a radio song. But I don’t give a fuck about a radio song or nothin’, I just give a fuck about what I like, and that’s what we on right now. So I think that’s a difference, too, that people will see on this album.
This is definitely an album where, if you were not a Big Sean fan, the tides may turn after you listen to this.”
Big Sean describes his upcoming goals as touring, reaching Japan and a few distant lands, meeting new fans and doing his latest effort justice. Is the young phoenix a winner in your book, or does he still have a ways to go? Big Sean: #ForTheWin or nah?
Read the full interview here.
