Stop Sleepin: Big Sean

Does he really need an intro? That is the question raised on the “Intro” track off Big Sean’s latest mixtape, unknownbigsean, where Sean plainly asks, “ Do they really need my info, to show them what they in for?” As cocky as that may sound, Big Sean has a great point.

With the amount of hustle and hard work he has put in over the past 4 years of being signed to Kanye’s G.O.O.D. Music label but never being put into the spot light, Sean has already built up a following and set of work that speaks for itself.

It seems as though G.O.O.D. Music simply put his project on the backburner until now, with his first major album, Finally Famous, set to be released this year and Kanye West jumping in on the Hype Williams produced video for Sean’s cocky chest thumping track “Get’cha Some.”

Big Sean uses this video, one of the best hip hop videos I have seen in a very long time, to showcase his personality and fashion sense. Fans of Billionaire Boys Club and Bape will definitely be feeling this video:

If you need more of an intro than that, give big Sean’s “Intro” track a quick listen as he brings you up to speed!

As you can tell, Big Sean is a true lyricist, so much so that he actually got signed to G.O.O.D. Music by simply running up on Kanye West and spitting a freestyle!  As the story goes, Big Sean approached Kanye as he was leaving a radio station interview in Detroit and asked if he could spit for him. Kanye told him to spit his 16, but Sean impressively gave Kanye about 100 bars and the rest is history…

Now it definitely hasn’t been all clear sailing since the fairy tale meeting with Kanye West, as Big Sean points out with his track “Say You Will” off his latest mixtape uknowbigsean. This track is basically a letter to Kanye as well as a self reflection on Big Sean’s life in the industry thus far. Listen closely as Sean lays out his frustrations on the slow reflective beat produced by none other than Kanye West himself:

“This rap shit is something that you got to be designed for, Meetings at the labels saying they going to make Sean blow, Turn the radio on and do I hear Sean? No, Man please do not gimmick me, Put me on the shelf and not remember me, And treat me like a John Doe…And I’ve been signed to ‘Ye for well over a year now, It’s clear now, I’m going to focus on my career now, You taught me to create a process, Saying that you changed my life dog is me being modest, But honestly I wish that I can take you off tour, Put you in the studio so you can focus more on my shit, And I don’t mean to sound selfish, But I’m not an artist that’s selfless.”

While listening to that verse, I can’t help but assume that Big Sean was inspired by Kanye’s “Big Brother” track off  Graduation, the track which Kanye used to document his relationship with his own mentor Jay-z. (Big Sean’s “Say You Will” is definitely not as meaningful as Kanye’s “Big Brother,” but lets not forget that Sean’s career is only beginning…)

Another standout track from Big Sean is “You” off his debut mixtape Finallly Famous.  This track sets the tone for the entire mixtape, where Sean aims to prove his skills and impress us with his quick witted metaphors. The first verse of “You” has Big Sean spitting lines such as:

“Now there’s a lot on my back like J Lo, heaven on Earth, All I’m missing is a halo, Won’t stop till I am the greatest on my label, And I’m on G.O.O.D. Music that’s the greatest of the labels, It’s hard trying to build a palace outta legos, 19 got it in early like egos, Never did anything illegal for a payroll, so without Kain I was always Able, Get it?, You’re dumb with it if you ain’t able, and life is better with bread like mayo, so I was young like how we going to get paid bro, Now I’m on Rodeo fresher than a day old.”

Since it is widely understood that the Detroit native is about to make some serious noise with the help of Kanye West and the rest of the G.O.O.D. Music Family, his live shows are like Hip Hop networking events, with everyone in the industry coming out to hear him spit. So, if the recession is making it hard for you to find a job in the music industry, I suggest you grab your business cards and heard over to the next Big Sean show! (All joking aside, Big Sean’s music definitely seems to be catering to the “in” crowd.)

But not only in music does Big Sean strike a cord with the “influential people.”  Fashion is another area where no one can deny that Sean’s game is on point.  His obsession with having the latest clothes, shoes, and styles has lead to Sean making appearances in Lookbooks for fashion lines from Society to Billionaire Boys Club.  Never seen without rocking the freshest gear, one has to wonder whether Big Sean spends more time picking out his clothes or practicing for shows…   However, if his mixtapes are any indication of the upcoming album, this is one you will definitely want to pick up!