His debut album, Finally Famous, was released in June 2011 and featured guest appearances from hip hop superstars Kanye West, Chris Brown, Pharrell Williams, The-Dream, Wiz Khalifa, and Lupe Fiasco.
He was raised by his mother and grandparents who worked steadfastly to instill in him the principles of hard work and determination. Sean attended the Detroit Waldorf School, a school of art, from Kindergarten to 8th Grade where he was in 102.7FM, a local radio station in Detroit where he displayed his rhyming skills weekly. There, he met Kanye West after a radio interview in 2005 and got a chance to display his talent by freestyling for Mr. West, giving him a copy of his music and sending numerous tracks for him to critique. After months of submitting songs and numerous meetings, Sean finally got a call from Kanye West himself saying that he wanted to sign him. Two years later, West signed Big Sean to GOOD Music. Sean has cited West, Eminem, The Notorious B.I.G., and J Dilla as his influences.
On September 30, 2007, Big Sean released his first official mixtape Finally Famous: The Mixtape. His hit single, "Get'cha Some", produced by WrighTrax, attained media attention and led to articles in The Source and the Detroit Metro Times. He also recorded a music video for "Get'cha Some", which was directed by Hype Williams. Sean released a second mixtape hosted by Mick Boogie on April 16, 2009, called UKNOWBIGSEAN. It featured the songs "Million Dollars", "Get'cha Some" and "Supa Dupa". This mixtape includes 30 tracks. Sean released a third mixtape hosted by Don Cannon on August 31, 2010, called Finally Famous Vol. 3: BIG, which features include major artists like Bun B, Chip tha Ripper, Curren$y, Tyga, Drake, Mike Posner, Chuck Inglish, Asher Roth, Dom Kennedy, and Chiddy Bang. The mixtape includes 20 tracks.
Finally Famous, Sean's debut studio album, was released June 28, 2011, and spawned three hit singles; "My Last", "Marvin & Chardonnay" and "Dance (Ass)". The album featured guest appearances from Lupe Fiasco, John Legend, Pharrell, Kanye West, Roscoe Dash, Wiz Khalifa, Chiddy Bang, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, Pusha T, and included production from No I.D., The Legendary Traxster, Andrew "Pop" Wansel, Xaphoon Jones and The Neptunes. When the songs "O.T.T.R." and "Flowers" were leaked in July 2011, speculation began of a new mixtape. Sean confirmed in an interview on June 28, 2011, that a collaborative mixtape between him and "two other guys in hip-hop that are just killing it right now" will be released "in a couple of weeks". Wiz Khalifa and Curren$y were the suspected featured rappers on the mixtape. However, Wiz Khalifa later confirmed that there would be no mixtape, claiming that the songs were created, "just for fun".
In September 2011, Big Sean confirmed in an interview with the Daily Tribune that he'll be working on his second album during the I Am Finally Famous Tour and plans to release the album sometime in 2012. On October 19, 2011, Kanye West announced on his Twitter plans for a Spring 2012 GOOD Music album release. On April 6, 2012, "Mercy", the lead single from the GOOD Music compilation album, Cruel Summer, was released. The song, produced by newly signed in-house producer Lifted, features Big Sean along with Kanye West, Pusha T, and southern rapper 2 Chainz. Big Sean then announced his fourth mixtape would be titled "Detroit" and would serve as a lead-in to his second studio album. He then began promoting the mixtape, releasing short versions of the songs on his YouTube page. On September 5, 2012, Big Sean released the mixtape Detroit which features guest appearances from fellow rappers J. Cole, Juicy J, King Chip, French Montana, Royce da 5'9", Kendrick Lamar, and Tyga.
Big Sean pushed back the release date of his second studio album Hall of Fame which was eventually released on August 27, 2013. The album has skits to give it a "classic feel", and includes features from multiple artists, including Lil Wayne, Miguel, and Nas. The album's production was primarily handled by No I.D., and Key Wane along with additional production from Hit-Boy, Da Internz, Mike Dean, Travis Scott, Xaphoon Jones, and Young Chop among others. Big Sean also stated in an interview that he was in the studio with fellow Detroit native Eminem. Sean went on to say they made a "Detroit classic" but he is unsure if it will be on Hall of Fame because of "timing issues". Hall of Fame spawned five singles, "Guap", "Switch Up" featuring Common, "Beware" featuring Jhené Aiko and Lil Wayne, "Fire", and "Ashley" featuring Miguel.
A month prior to the release of Hall of Fame, Big Sean told Complex that he had already begun work on his third album due to the inspiration from his new relationship. On September 12, 2014, Big Sean announced that he had signed a management deal with Roc Nation. Later that same day he released four new songs titled, "I Don't Fuck with You", "Paradise", "4th Quarter" and "Jit/Juke". Producers for these songs include, Mike Will Made It, DJ Mustard, Kanye West, DJ Dahi, Nate Fox, Da Internz, L&F, and Key Wane. "I Don't Fuck with You" was released to iTunes on September 19, 2014. In an interview with Sway Calloway, Sean confirmed that Lil Wayne will be featured on the album.
In May 2012, Big Sean founded a nonprofit organization called the “Sean Anderson Foundation,” with the aim of helping underserved children and families in Detroit. Alongside direct donations to local institutions, primarily educational institutions, the foundation has created fundraising programs and partnered with other organizations. In 2016, the foundation launched #HealFlintKids to raise money for the Community Foundation of Greater Flint amid the Flint water crisis - the program raised $100,000.
In 2015, the foundation launched Mogul Prep, which partnered high school students with music industry professionals. During the same year, the foundation donated a recording studio for students at Big Sean's alma mater, Cass Technical High School. Beginning in 2018, the foundation has hosted an annual weekend festival, called D.O.N. Weekend, with free events and performances for Detroit residents and usually by Detroit artists. In December 2018, Big Sean in partnership with Ally Financial, Thurgood Marshall College Fund & the Sean Anderson Foundation, created an annual scholarship competition for HBCU students called “Moguls in the Making.”
On March 25, 2016, Big Sean released a track to celebrate his 28th birthday, "Get My Shit Together". Two days later he announced a self-titled album with Jhené Aiko, Twenty88, scheduled to be released on April 1, 2016, exclusively on Tidal. The album was released on April 5, 2016, on Apple Music and Spotify. A week after the exclusive release of Twenty88 on Tidal, Big Sean and Aiko released a 15-minute short film called Out of Love, which is composed of several recordings from the album. Around the same month, upon the wake of the Flint water crisis, Big Sean tweeted to the city's official Twitter account, asking if he could do anything to help, and later on donated $10,000.
On October 31, 2016, Big Sean released "Bounce Back" as the lead single from his fourth studio album, I Decided, which was released on February 3, 2017. "Moves" was released as an instant-great on December 16, 2016. Sean consulted the advice of Jay Z and Rick Rubin while working on the album. Big Sean achieved his second number-one album on the Billboard 200 chart, as I Decided debuted at the top. It earned 151,000 equivalent album units in the week of February 9, according to Nielsen Music. 65,000 of the amount was in pure album sales. As of April 18, 2017, I Decided was certified gold.
Two months after the release of I Decided, Big Sean was offered the official Key to the City of Detroit for his contribution to his own Sean Anderson foundation.
On November 3, 2017, Sean and Metro Boomin released the single "Pull Up N Wreck", featuring 21 Savage. A month later, it was announced that Sean and Metro were to release a collaborative album titled Double or Nothing. The album was released on December 8, 2017, and included features from Travis Scott, 2 Chainz, 21 Savage, Kash Doll, Young Thug, and Swae Lee, and included the single "Pull Up N Wreck".
On July 24, 2019, Big Sean released his first solo single since 2017 titled "Overtime", produced by Hit-Boy, Key Wane, and the Tucker Brothers. In an interview with Beats 1 Radio, Sean said he was "returning to his roots" with the single ahead of his forthcoming album. On July 26, he released the song "Single Again", which includes background vocals from Jhené Aiko and Ty Dolla Sign. On August 26, he released the single "Bezerk" featuring ASAP Ferg, performing it at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards.
On March 25 (Big Sean's 32nd birthday), he announced that his new record would be titled Detroit 2. On August 25, he released the album's lead single, "Deep Reverence", featuring late rapper Nipsey Hussle. Detroit 2 was released on September 4, 2020, and features collaborations with Eminem, Jhené Aiko, and Lil Wayne. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, marking his third number-one album.
On September 17, 2020, Big Sean revealed in a Reddit AMA that another Twenty88 album is "in the works". A track attributed to the project appeared on Detroit 2. He has also announced that he plans on launching his own record label. On October 29, 2021, Big Sean announced on Twitter that after 14 years, he has stepped away from Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music label, saying "That's a forever brotherhood, but business-wise, I had to start getting a bigger cut! I worked my way out that deal." West also claimed during a November 2021 Drink Champs podcast that signing Sean was the 'worst decision' of his entire career.
Starting in 2020, Big Sean has appeared in the Showtime series 'Twenties' in a recurring role as Trsitan, an anti-social media character who learns the value of online connection. In October 2021, Big Sean, in collaboration with rapper and producer Hit-Boy released an EP entitled What You Expect.
In February 2022, Big Sean and singer Queen Naija released a single entitled "Hate Our Love". The song will appear on Naija's upcoming album. In that same month, Big Sean confirmed the Twenty88 album and revealed that the album would include a collaboration with his then-girlfriend, Jhené Aiko. In September 2022, Big Sean re-released Detroit to streaming platforms, in honor of its 10th anniversary.
In 2019, the foundation partnered with Boys & Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan, donating a second $100,000 recording studio to the club during that year's D.O.N. Weekend. Since 2012, the foundation has participated in the annual All-Star Giveback on Thanksgiving, where it distributes turkeys, trimming, and canned goods to Detroit residents.
In May 2021, Big Sean, via his Sean Anderson Foundation, released a video series on wellness and mental health. The series was released during Mental Health Awareness Month and featured a conversation between Big Sean and his mother, educator Myra Anderson, about the intersection between wellness and mental health, including topics like meditation, sleep, and emotional freedom techniques.
Higher
Big Sean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Today if I don't earn, best believe I'm gon' learn
If I can't do either or, shit it's none of my concern
Watch my enemies burn as I fulfil every yearn, ah
Reminiscing on the rappers I would look up to
The ones who want my feature price and the hookup too
The girls I fantasized about tryna hookup too
Niggas seven feet, telling me I'm who they look up to
Huh, and bitches still telling me to grow up
Don't invite 'em to my shows but always still manage to show up
Man, I made myself a boss and then I gave me a promotion
And I step inside the booth and change the world like I be voting
So when you step inside my office, treat that beast like it's the Oval
El presidente, lord, sensei
Do ya job, it could be pay your rent day, getting riskay
Crazy nigga, they ain't seen it like this since 'Ye, yea
Well this the life that I live
Collecting everything overdue, for all the work that I overdid
D-Town but Chi-Town they love me like I'm Oprah kid
Tryna make it to the top so I can let my dogs know it exist
'Cause when you come from the bottom man it's so hard to just get a glimpse
So hard to get a glimpse, so while I'm here I might take a pic
And show 'em that it's more to the world than tryna make a living
Like changing it then looking back and saying that we did it
Okay, como me llamo
She say Ingles, no hablo, man unless it's eat me out though
Benihani, my McDonald, all black leather jackets
While I ride in my Diablo, swear I feel like I'm Keanu
Wishing Lamborghinis made a five do'
'Cause I got too many real mu'fuckas I ride for, die for, uh
Straight out the metropolitan
My city need a hero so I treat it like Metropolis
And it's a few bad Lois Lanes I can't name
Even though I'm me, Lord knows that I can't say
But I'm still the same me, same clique, the same hood, the same bitch
I came up, my bank up, but I stack that like I ain't rich
Back when we was on college tours with Wale, man we ain't make shit
From Greensboro to SoCal, man all the way back to Cambridge
And Michigan State, close to my Michigan estate
Man we was trying to get away, man we was trying to get our day
And damn (damn), tomorrow never seemed so close
And life ain't what it seem no mo' (no mo')
'Til I was standing next to Puff and Hov, off the French coast
A million dollars never seemed so broke
And every bitch I'm fucking praying they the one I settle with
And niggas suing me and they just banking on the settlement
Never settling, life is too fast just to settle in
So many rocks up in my bezel, police thought embezzlement like damn!
Shit, can't a young nigga live man
We done worked too hard
Yup, good, Finally Famous nigga
We ain't never going broke nigga!
In the beginning of "Higher," Big Sean sings about the dedication required to succeed in the music industry. He talks about how he will learn and grow if he can’t earn in one day. He also mentions that he is not concerned about things he can’t control. Later on in the verse, he reminisces about wanting to be like the rappers he looked up to and how things changed after he made it into the industry. He became the one that people wanted to collaborate with, even girls who he used to fantasize about wanted to hook up with him.
The second verse begins with Big Sean showing his power and growth in the industry. He refers to himself as a boss and gives himself a promotion. He compares himself to the president of the United States and says that when people come to his office, they need to respect him. The lyrics also mention the obstacles he overcame to come as far as he has in his career, and his wishes to show others from his hometown that success is possible. Sean also talks about how life changes so quickly and how every day brings new challenges for him to face.
Overall, "Higher" is essentially about Big Sean’s come-up and success in the music industry. It expresses his dedication to his craft and hard work in the face of adversity. He shows his growth and power as someone who has made a name for himself in the industry. The song also touches on the change that comes along with success, and how despite the success, there are still obstacles that he has to overcome.
Line by Line Meaning
My, my, my, as the world turns
I observe how my life goes in the world.
Today if I don't earn, best believe I'm gon' learn
If I don't earn anything today, I will learn and try harder next time.
If I can't do either or, shit it's none of my concern
If I can't earn or learn, I shouldn't worry about it.
Watch my enemies burn as I fulfil every yearn, ah
I will achieve all my desires while seeing my enemies suffer.
Reminiscing on the rappers I would look up to
I recall the rappers that I admired in the past.
The ones who want my feature price and the hookup too
Now those rappers want to collaborate with me, and they expect a discount.
The girls I fantasized about tryna hookup too
The same girls I dreamed about now want to have a relationship with me.
Niggas seven feet, telling me I'm who they look up to
Even very tall men admire and respect me.
Huh, and bitches still telling me to grow up
Despite my success, some women still criticize me for being immature.
Don't invite 'em to my shows but always still manage to show up
I don't invite them to my shows, but somehow they still manage to attend.
Man, I made myself a boss and then I gave me a promotion
I became my own boss and then promoted myself even further.
And I step inside the booth and change the world like I be voting
I believe that with my music, I can make a positive impact on the world.
So when you step inside my office, treat that beast like it's the Oval
When you enter my space, treat it with the same respect as the Oval Office.
El presidente, lord, sensei
I see myself as the president, a lord, and a sensei of my world.
Do ya job, it could be pay your rent day, getting riskay
If you do your job well, you can make enough money to pay your rent and enjoy life fully.
Crazy nigga, they ain't seen it like this since 'Ye, yea
I am a unique and wild rapper, and people haven't seen this level of craziness since Kanye West emerged.
Well this the life that I live
This is my reality.
Collecting everything overdue, for all the work that I overdid
I am finally getting what I deserve for all the hard work I've put in over the years.
D-Town but Chi-Town they love me like I'm Oprah kid
People in Detroit and Chicago love me as if I were Oprah Winfrey's child.
Tryna make it to the top so I can let my dogs know it exist
I want to succeed so that my friends and my community know that success is possible.
'Cause when you come from the bottom man it's so hard to just get a glimpse
It's very challenging to succeed when you come from poverty.
So hard to get a glimpse, so while I'm here I might take a pic
Since success is rare, I will take pictures to commemorate the moment.
And show 'em that it's more to the world than tryna make a living
I want to show people that there is more to life than just surviving and making money.
Like changing it then looking back and saying that we did it
I want to change the world, and look back at it with pride knowing that I contributed to the change.
Okay, como me llamo
Okay, what's my name?
She say Ingles, no hablo, man unless it's eat me out though
The woman I am talking to knows little English, but is willing to engage with me sexually.
Benihani, my McDonald, all black leather jackets
I enjoy eating at Benihana and McDonald's, and I like wearing black leather jackets.
While I ride in my Diablo, swear I feel like I'm Keanu
When I'm driving my Lamborghini Diablo, I feel like I'm Keanu Reeves in the movie Speed.
Wishing Lamborghinis made a five do'
I want Lamborghini to create a 5-door car.
'Cause I got too many real mu'fuckas I ride for, die for, uh
I have too many loyal friends who I would support and protect even at the cost of my life.
Straight out the metropolitan
I come from an urban area.
My city need a hero so I treat it like Metropolis
My city needs a role model, so I treat it like Superman's fictional city of Metropolis.
And it's a few bad Lois Lanes I can't name
There are a few women in my life I cannot identify as bad influences.
Even though I'm me, Lord knows that I can't say
Although I am aware of who I am, I can't always control situations.
But I'm still the same me, same clique, the same hood, the same bitch
I am still the same person, with the same group of friends, from the same neighborhood, and dating the same partner.
I came up, my bank up, but I stack that like I ain't rich
Even though I have risen from poverty and have lots of money in the bank, I still act like I'm not wealthy.
Back when we was on college tours with Wale, man we ain't make shit
When I toured with Wale in college, we didn't earn much money.
From Greensboro to SoCal, man all the way back to Cambridge
I traveled extensively across the country from Greensboro to Southern California, all the way back to Cambridge.
And Michigan State, close to my Michigan estate
I also performed near Michigan State, which is near my home.
Man we was trying to get away, man we was trying to get our day
We were attempting to become successful.
And damn (damn), tomorrow never seemed so close
Tomorrow, or success, is approaching quickly.
And life ain't what it seem no mo' (no mo')
Life is not as straightforward as it once was.
'Til I was standing next to Puff and Hov, off the French coast
I was not satisfied until I stood beside Puff Daddy and Jay-Z in France.
A million dollars never seemed so broke
Even with a million dollars, I still felt poor in comparison to Puff Daddy and Jay-Z.
And every bitch I'm fucking praying they the one I settle with
Every woman I am sleeping with, I hope to make my life-long partner.
And niggas suing me and they just banking on the settlement
People are suing me, hoping for me to settle and give them money.
Never settling, life is too fast just to settle in
I refuse to settle, because life moves too quickly.
So many rocks up in my bezel, police thought embezzlement like damn!
I have so many diamonds on my watch that the police thought I had embezzled money.
Shit, can't a young nigga live man
I deserve to enjoy my life as a young man.
We done worked too hard
I have worked too hard to not enjoy my success.
Yup, good, Finally Famous nigga
I am successful and famous, as part of my Finally Famous brand.
We ain't never going broke nigga!
I refuse to go broke and end up in poverty again.
Lyrics © THE ROYALTY NETWORK INC.
Written by: Sean Anderson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind