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.
Get It
Big Sean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah
Yes sir
Oh, oh whoa, oh yeah
Hey hey
I'm trying to stuff 'em til they can't fit no more
I'm talking Donald Trump level, uh
All aboard for the shuttle
All the hoes
Screaming oh
Lil' nigga go
Go for the gold
Ok B-I B-I bitch'll do it to death
If I come in with half bet I leave with the rest, OK
You might be cool getting fifty percent
And I'm like fuck you doing I need Diddy percent
Got a million on line one and another mil' dialing in
Momma on line four telling me how much not to spend
'Ye on line three telling me how we 'bout to win
You one hold trying to get conferenced in
I just, I just gotta have it
Imagine and make it happen I prayed about it then grabbed it
My life is a fucking movie, the baddest bitches get casted
I'm in a race with myself to see who can get it the fastest, huh
I'm sipping on shh older than me
The warmer the weather, the colder the drink
The colder the weather, the warmer the mink
I'm living life like I found a fucking check with no ink
I get it
I'm trying to stuff 'em til they can't fit no more
I'm talking Donald Trump level, uh
I'm trying to get these dreams off the ground
All aboard for the shuttle
All the hoes
Screaming oh
Lil' nigga go
Go for the gold, hey
Get it, get it
Nigga we can get it (we can get it)
Get it, get it
Nigga you can get it (you can get it)
Get it, get it
Nigga I can get it (I can get it)
Get it, get it
My nigga we can get it
Listen, whoa, the sky never seemed so low
Looking at a life you never seen so close
I had a dream about a trillion in cash
It's time to make it happen
I'm back to dreaming what you can't imagine
Talking cash shit you gotta fake a accent
I broke enough tree down that I can make a cabin
I turned all my problems to ash
All my ones into halves and then divide it by half
Pass it on to my man write my will out
Then pass it on to my fam' and finally become a man
I had a dream I was greatest of all time
Greatest of all Big's and greatest of all Sean's
Sipping on shh older than me
The warmer the weather the colder the drink
The colder the weather the warmer the mink
I'm living life like I found a fucking check with no ink
I get it
I'm trying to stuff 'em til they can't fit no more
I'm talking Donald Trump level, uh
I'm trying to get these dreams off the ground
All aboard for the shuttle
All the hoes
Screaming oh
Lil' nigga go
Go for the gold, hey
Get it, get it
Nigga we can get it (we can get it)
Get it, get it
Nigga you can get it (you can get it)
Get it, get it
Nigga I can get it (I can get it)
Get it, get it
My nigga we can get it (let's go)
The song “Get It” by Big Sean is about striving for success, chasing dreams, and never settling for less. He talks about his desire to accumulate as much wealth as possible, even reaching Donald Trump's level. He also mentions how he is constantly getting phone calls from important people discussing business, but he is focused on his own goals and won't be deterred. His ambition is likened to a rocket ship as he invites people to come aboard his journey to success.
Big Sean's verse talks about his own personal dreams and how he is taking steps to make them happen. He mentions his desire for success and how he's going to achieve it by breaking down his problems and turning his ones into halves. He also talks about his greatness and how he dreams of being the best, not just in his own circle but the best of all time. Throughout the song, he references drinking expensive alcohol and living the high life. Overall, the song is an ode to ambition and aspiration, encouraging listeners to go after their own dreams with the same ferocity.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo it's money time
It's time to make money
I'm trying to stuff 'em til they can't fit no more
I want to make so much money that I can't spend it all
All aboard for the shuttle
Let's all work together to achieve our dreams
Screaming oh, Lil' nigga go, Go for the gold
Encouraging oneself to go after their dreams with passion and determination
I'm sipping on shh older than me, The warmer the weather, the colder the drink, The colder the weather, the warmer the mink
Enjoying the luxurious lifestyle that comes with being rich
I just gotta have it
I must achieve my dreams and goals
My life is a fucking movie, the baddest bitches get casted
My life is like a movie and I have many beautiful women around me
I'm in a race with myself to see who can get it the fastest
I'm constantly pushing myself to achieve success faster
The sky never seemed so low, Looking at a life you never seen so close
Achieving success is close, but it seems like it's far away
I had a dream about a trillion in cash, It's time to make it happen
I dream of having lots of money and I'm determined to make it a reality
Talking cash shit you gotta fake a accent
Pretending to be someone else to achieve success
I broke enough tree down that I can make a cabin
I've achieved so much success that I could live comfortably anywhere
I turned all my problems to ash, All my ones into halves and then divide it by half
I've overcome all my problems and I'm maximizing my profits
I had a dream I was greatest of all time, Greatest of all Big's and greatest of all Sean's
I dream of being the best in my industry
My nigga we can get it (let's go)
Together we can achieve success
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Sean Michael Anderson, Chad Hugo, Pharrell L. Williams
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MeNaCe186
still my shit
Holly Sweet
2018 $till my favorite joint by big Sean 🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌still banging this joint forever in my ear drums and out my speakers🙌🙌😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Dante Dorsey
Great song BIG SEAN.
Shan Ali
6 fuck ass years later, this is still the best type of Big Sean
Wayne’s world
still banging
THaNK YoU C o r t e Z
I remember hearing the leaked version. Takes me back
Me
Trump prob jammin out to this too rn
Live Free
You can hear the Graduation influence
Nnadozie Anaele
dawg aint those the drums for "1000" on new NERD in the beginning lol?
Jake Rojas
I had a dream of everyone owning a lion and having more prosperity than money can bring
I wasn't lying when I said it would happen through a #King