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.
Final Hour
Big Sean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stack it wall to wall till its leaking through the ceilin.
Man
All fucking hundreds so whats that like a zillion? working grave yard shifts cause we finna make a killin.
Went from intern to the owner of the building. Bustin nuts counting money like oh what a feelin.
To be seeing what I'm seeing after I've seen what I've seen its like acting out a scene from a dream of my dream.(X2)
I got a dream that's worth more then my reality. And pride that's worth more then a salary.
And a text from the girl I love I stopped calling
Sometimes I feel I'm working just to work harder. And then work harder than who worked the hardest. man the life of a workaholic .You either on your work or just workin on it.
Man fuck it kill'em all we gon need a ton of flowers. And if you need impossibilie give me bout an hour.
Its time to turn a polaroid to a portrait.
Rockin street clothes gettin money like i'm corporate. Youngin gettin it isn't life gorgeous.
Bet the crib on em and you'll end up with a fortress. And ima need that new condo, town home, brown stone should I fuck with the dow jones.
Or maybe I'll put money on the block instead?
There's no need to save I could get change off the street next to the meter maid.
Cause I need a maid house with a piece of shade. Butlers doing such a good job that they need a raise. Bad chick with an angel ass and an alyiah face. Tryna show a little TNA.
Hell ya I'm tryna see the day
Man
Life is so bright when you don't see the grey. The new school appointed me to lead the way. A real nigga to the DNA.
Me mike grace and dilla. Stickin to the script. and what's her name still licken on my tip.
Gon a head and tell these bitches who there fuckin wit. Man to get where I'm at I'll make her suck a hundred dicks. Man to get where I'm at I'll make her suck a hundred dicks. Her mouth lookin like dannon. Because of me and cannon and to get where we at she had to suck a hundred dicks. biatch
Man I got on versace shades,
Versace belt, versace shoes. I might've fucked around and been the freshest nigga in the world today.
You dont understand man I came from nothing. This is what I dreamed about. This is what we dreamed about.
Boy. BIG Sean don nigga. Good Music. Finally famous in this gettin.
Errythang. Detroit what up doe.
The lyrics to Big Sean's "Final Hour" are about the dedication and hard work that he's put into achieving success. He begins by saying that he's willing to keep working and chasing the money until he loses feeling in his feet. He wants to stack his money so high that it's leaking through the ceiling. He mentions that he's only dealing with hundred dollar bills, which he considers to be like having a zillion dollars. He's working graveyard shifts because he's on the hunt to make a killing. Big Sean then speaks about his journey from being an intern to owning the building where he works. He talks about how satisfying it is to count money and how it feels like a dream come true. Despite his success, he still has a dream that is worth more than his reality, and pride that's worth more than a salary. Big Sean mentions receiving a text from a girl he loves who he stopped calling because he was focused on work. She questions whether it's worth it, but he's so dedicated to his craft that he feels like he's working just to work harder. He talks about how he's either on top of his work or working on it. Big Sean then says that he'll kill anyone that comes in his way of success and that if anyone needs him to do the impossible, give him an hour. He wants to turn his polaroid picture into a portrait and to get rich while dressing like he's streetwear but making money like he's a corporate executive. He says that the life of a workaholic is gorgeous, and if you bet on him, he'll make you rich. Big Sean mentions that he's considering investing in the condominium market or even putting money into stocks.
One significant fact about the song is that it was released as a part of Big Sean's mixtape "Finally Famous Vol. 3: BIG," which was released in 2010. Another fact is that "Final Hour" features production from Don Cannon, who's an American DJ and producer from Philadelphia. Additionally, the song was one of the first tracks that Big Sean recorded inside of Kanye West's studio in Hawaii. This song was recorded in one take by Big Sean, who stated that he had been drinking a little too much before going into the booth. Before he started recording, Kanye handed him a pair of vintage Versace shades, a belt, and a pair of shoes that Kanye had picked up while shopping in the area, which inspired some of the lyrics. This song also references J Dilla, who was an American hip-hop producer known for his work with artists such as A Tribe Called Quest and The Pharcyde. J Dilla passed away in 2006, and Big Sean pays homage to him by shouting him out in the song. Another fact is that the line "Bet the crib on'em, and you'll end up with a fortress" was a reference to Big Sean's grandmother, who mortgaged her house to fund his independent releases. Additionally, the line "Life is so bright when you don't see the grey," was a reference to his grandparents and their motto of "never let the shine dim your light.". Finally, the song has no official music video.
Chords to "Final Hour" are not provided since it is a rap song with no actual chord progression.
Line by Line Meaning
Catch me running to the money until my feet lose feelin.
I'm so focused on making money that I'll run until I can't feel my feet anymore.
Stack it wall to wall till its leaking through the ceilin.
I'm making so much money that it's bursting through the ceiling.
All fucking hundreds so whats that like a zillion? working grave yard shifts cause we finna make a killin.
I have so many hundred-dollar bills that it seems like an infinite amount, and I'm working graveyard shifts to make even more.
Went from intern to the owner of the building. Bustin nuts counting money like oh what a feelin.
I went from being an intern to owning the building and making so much money that it feels amazing.
To be seeing what I'm seeing after I've seen what I've seen its like acting out a scene from a dream of my dream.(X2)
It's surreal to see what I'm experiencing after everything I've gone through, it's like living out a dream within a dream.
I got a dream that's worth more then my reality. And pride that's worth more then a salary.
My dream is more valuable to me than my current reality, and my pride is worth more than any amount of money.
And a text from the girl I love I stopped calling. Quote I hope its worth all it.
I received a text message from the girl I love but haven't been calling, it says 'I hope it's worth it' indicating she's upset with me.
Sometimes I feel I'm working just to work harder. And then work harder than who worked the hardest. man the life of a workaholic. You either on your work or just workin on it.
I often feel like I'm working hard just to work harder, pushing myself to outwork even the hardest workers. Being a workaholic comes with a constant need to work and improve.
Man fuck it kill'em all we gon need a ton of flowers. And if you need impossibilie give me bout an hour.
I don't care about what others think, I'll do what I want. If you need me to do something impossible, give me an hour and I'll get it done.
Its time to turn a polaroid to a portrait.
I'm ready to transform something simple into something more detailed and valuable, like how a polaroid is transformed into a portrait.
Rockin street clothes gettin money like i'm corporate. Youngin gettin it isn't life gorgeous.
Even though I'm in street clothes, I'm making money like someone working in corporate attire. It feels amazing to be a successful young person.
Bet the crib on em and you'll end up with a fortress. And ima need that new condo, town home, brown stone should I fuck with the dow jones. Or maybe I'll put money on the block instead?
If you put your money on me, you'll win big. I want a new house but I'm not sure if I should invest in the stock market or put my money on the streets instead.
There's no need to save I could get change off the street next to the meter maid. Cause I need a maid house with a piece of shade. Butlers doing such a good job that they need a raise.
I don't need to save money because I can find spare change on the street, but I want a luxurious house with a maid and butlers who do such an amazing job that they deserve a raise.
Bad chick with an angel ass and an alyiah face. Tryna show a little TNA. Hell ya I'm tryna see the day
I want a beautiful girl to show off some skin and body, and I'm excited to see that day.
Man. Life is so bright when you don't see the grey. The new school appointed me to lead the way. A real nigga to the DNA.
Life is bright and happy when you don't focus on negativity. I'm a real and genuine person who's leading the way for others.
Me mike grace and dilla. Stickin to the script. and what's her name still licken on my tip. Gon a head and tell these bitches who there fuckin wit.
Me, Mike Grace, and Dilla are sticking to our plan, and a girl is still interested in me. Let's let these girls know who they're dealing with.
Man to get where I'm at I'll make her suck a hundred dicks. Man to get where I'm at I'll make her suck a hundred dicks. Her mouth lookin like dannon. Because of me and cannon and to get where we at she had to suck a hundred dicks. biatch
I'm willing to work hard to get where I am, even if it means making a girl do something she doesn't want to do. Me and my friend Cannon are successful because of our hard work, and we don't care about what others think.
Man I got on versace shades, Versace belt, versace shoes. I might've fucked around and been the freshest nigga in the world today. You dont understand man I came from nothing. This is what I dreamed about. This is what we dreamed about.
I'm wearing Versace shades, belt, and shoes, and I feel like the freshest person in the world. You don't understand how hard I worked to get here, this is what I dreamed about and it's coming true now.
Boy. BIG Sean don nigga. Good Music. Finally famous in this gettin. Errythang. Detroit what up doe.
I'm Big Sean and I've finally become successful, thanks to Good Music. Everything is falling into place for me, and Detroit is supporting me.
Contributed by Caleb G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
HWK
Years ago I had failed to graduate on time with my class in HS. The first day of the following year arrived and I felt like I had nobody. As I walked home on my own at the end of the day, a car pulled up and a kid from the next graduating class rolled down his window and asked if I wanted a ride. This is the song that played as he drove me home and we talked. I was surprised because I was a fan of the same tape. Since then we became friends and he and I worked in the same place a few years later. After leaving town, I found out recently he overdosed about two years ago. I'm still in disbelief. This song will always remind me of that moment. Always cherish the people in life who look out for you especially when they didn't know you needed it. RIP Mike
e Shrug
yo thanks for sharing, may ur mans rip.
Baylien
This is one of the most epic beats of all time
Shaan Solo
Hell yeah
Maada Keili
@Fly_Guy Don Cannon
Fly_Guy
Who made the beat?
Freshprinceeggtv
This is that victory type bear
Brice Nkululeko Baartman
This is the song that introduced me to Big Sean. His growth since then has been incredible
Jarvis Brown
2022 and still Big Sean hardest track…in my humble opinion
J Lincoln
Still here in 2020.. arguably one of the greatest beats ever made