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.
All I Know
Big Sean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Could you tell me where to go? I need direction
Where are we now? Where's the
Intersection?
Motherfuck my phone, it never has reception
In this cold world, it's all about collection
So I, I stack paper and keep it ghetto
Oh, cause when you rich you are on top of the world
That I'd, never ever ever go broke
Riding through the city, I be riding through the city
All I know is bad bitches, I got Finally Famous with me though
Plenty smoke, plenty rolled
So I'mma drink and smoke and fuck and go-go-go
Like it's all I know, all I know
Like it's all I know, all I know
Like it's all I know, all I know
All I know, all I know-ow-ow
Ow-ow-ow
While I'm flying over literally, flying over cities
Got my carry-on but really wish I had a pound with me though
My watch is thirty thousand dollars, Dolce and Gabana
I done spent so much in Prada, I don't wanna know
I'm the reason that your bitch is smoking weed now
No blunts, lil' bro wan' roll up joints
Seen the how-to video now he on point
And he tryna make it front row to the show to throw me one
If I ever hand you some weed, it's free, you don't owe me none
Just put on one of me or Big Sean's CDs and roll me some
And there's only one, you know you know
Khalifa got, I stay high like Pluto
Okay, I'm going hard (I'm going hard), I'm going dumb (I'm going dumb)
I'm
Going in (I'm going in), 'til I'm going numb ('til I'm going numb)
I got a lot to say, I don't hold my tongue, I just hold money, don't hold me up
Rolling in more green than a hole in one; you got more than me? Then shit roll somethin'
See I be off of that tree, people tell me I shouldn't be
But early on, my mom taught me that everything green is good for me
I wake up to three girls, my role model is Hugh Hef
I gave ya girl a t-shirt since she gave the whole crew neck
I don't dance, I two step, my weed loud, it suplex
I came up from that basement, man straight up out of that duplex
Bitch, if I ain't a G, I'm an OG
Two fingers on my joint, one to the policeeeee
So I'mma drink and smoke and fuck and go-go-go
Like it's all I know, all I know
Like it's all I know, all I know
Like it's all I know, all I know
All I know, all I know-ow-ow
Ow-ow-ow
Yeah
Ohh, yeah
Ohh
In "All I Know," Big Sean raps about his life of excess and indulgence. He mentions his wealth, expensive watches, designer clothing, and his preference for several vices, including alcohol, marijuana, and sex. He's not looking for direction or guidance; he's content with his current way of life. He has a mantra of never going broke, which he vows to keep forever.
He also raps about how he is Similarly Famous, and he is constantly surrounded by bad bitches as he rides through the city smoking and drinking. The chorus shows his determination to continue this lifestyle since he knows no other way. The second verse has more references to his wealth, power, and influence. He doesn't care about anyone's opinions as he continues to flex his success to listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, Finally Famous gettin' yep
The artist is expressing excitement about gaining popularity and recognition.
Could you tell me where to go? I need direction
The artist is lost and uncertain about his path in life and is seeking guidance.
Where are we now? Where's the Intersection?
The artist is feeling lost and confused about his current location and direction in life.
Motherfuck my phone, it never has reception
The artist is frustrated that his phone never has a good signal or connection.
In this cold world, it's all about collection
The artist believes that in the harsh reality of the world, accumulating wealth is key to survival.
So I, I stack paper and keep it ghetto
The artist is focused on making money and maintaining his roots despite his success.
Oh, cause when you rich you are on top of the world
The artist believes that becoming rich would enable him to rise to the top and attain success.
I made a promise to the mirror, That I'd, never ever ever go broke
The artist has made a vow to himself to never go broke or suffer financially.
Riding through the city, I be riding through the city
The artist is driving through the city and probably contemplating his life and surroundings.
All I know is bad bitches, I got Finally Famous with me though
The artist has a few unimportant things that he sees as being necessary to him, but ultimately realizes his fame and supporters matter more.
Plenty smoke, plenty rolled, So I'mma drink and smoke and f*** and go-go-go
The artist is smoking weed and drinking alcohol which keeps him relaxed and enables him to live fast and on the edge without thinking much about it.
Like it's all I know, all I know, Like it's all I know, all I know, Like it's all I know, all I know, All I know, all I know-ow-ow, Ow-ow-ow
Reiterating the idea that this is all that the artist knows and that he is willing to repeat the behaviors that keep him going.
While I'm flying over literally, flying over cities, Got my carry-on but really wish I had a pound with me though
The artist is travelling by air and wishes he could carry and smoke some weed with him.
My watch is thirty thousand dollars, Dolce and Gabana, I done spent so much in Prada, I don't wanna know
The artist is flaunting his high-end and super-expensive bling and clothing items.
I'm the reason that your bitch is smoking weed now, No blunts, lil' bro wan' roll up joints, Seen the how-to video now he on point
The artist believes he's the source of inspiration that drives people into doing certain things; like in this case, smoking weed and referring others to educational videos that teach them how to roll better joints.
And he tryna make it front row to the show to throw me one, If I ever hand you some weed, it's free, you don't owe me none
An amateur is trying to impress the artist by gifting him a joint from his own stash. The artist assures everyone, that if he ever wants to share his weed, it comes without any strings attached.
Just put on one of me or Big Sean's CDs and roll me some, And there's only one, you know you know, Khalifa got, I stay high like Pluto
The artist wants them to listen to his and Big Sean's music and smoke some weed with him because he feels like both activities complement each other perfectly.
Okay, I'm going hard (I'm going hard), I'm going dumb (I'm going dumb), I'm going in (I'm going in), 'til I'm going numb ('til I'm going numb)
The artists admits to being in a mood to indulge and consume as much weed, alcohol or other intoxicants as possible, without thinking of their consequences on his mind and body.
I got a lot to say, I don't hold my tongue, I just hold money, don't hold me up
The artist likes to speak his mind about his wealth and other things, and doesn't like it when people stop or try to criticize him due to his riches.
Rolling in more green than a hole in one; you got more than me? Then shit roll somethin'
The artist is rich and he knows it, and he's confident you don't have as much as he does, so he encourages you to roll some joints to make up for that.
See I be off of that tree, people tell me I shouldn't be, But early on, my mom taught me that everything green is good for me
The artist is smoking weed as a means of getting high, relaxing and calming himself down, even if this choice is frowned upon and could lead to possible negative outcomes.
I wake up to three girls, my role model is Hugh Hef, I gave ya girl a t-shirt since she gave the whole crew neck
The artist has a lot of women in his life and is living the lifestyle of other men who have women in their lives as well like Hugh Hef. He likes sharing his clothes with his partners, which can be seen as a sign of affection.
I don't dance, I two step, my weed loud, it suplex
The artist doesn't really dance to music, but two-steps to signify his love for the beat. He affirms that his weed is super-strong and hits very hard, hence he compares it to the suplex wrestling move.
I came up from that basement, man straight up out of that duplex, Bitch, if I ain't a G, I'm an OG, Two fingers on my joint, one to the policeeeee
The artist is proud of his success and how he rose from humble beginnings. He considers himself an original gangster who is unfazed by the authorities and is probably staying high while sticking two fingers up to the police.
Ohh, yeah, Ohh
This line doesn't need much explanation, as it's a repeating harmony sung by the artist to emphasize his ecstatic state of being.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Sean Anderson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mase X
The good ol days
Karma jess Rose
I love this new hit sounds lit
Karma jess Rose
I love this new hit sounds lit
kanae roseweld
Full song?
Whik
dope song but wiz dont sound like wiz