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.
Story by Young Jeezy
Big Sean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know who this is.
That's right, Young, nigga.
I'm like one of Detroit's own, you know.
I fuck with the D so much cause, you know, it's a natural place of born hustlas.
You know, real niggas, money go gettas, against all odds, you know.
I remember the first time I came to the D for a show, you know what I'm sayin'.
Um, I hit the homies up, let 'em know I was in town.
Literally, 300 deep to the club, all black tees.
Matter of fact, we walked back from that mufucka, you know what I'm sayin'.
I went and did my show, repped out, you know what I'm sayin', walked back to the hotel, hung out...
for a minute and niggas was like, "Yo, let's hit the Sting," and I'm like, "What the fuck is that?"
"It's like a strip club in the hood. That shit stay open every night."
I'm like, "Shit, that's right up my mufuckin' alley," you know.
But you know most of all, you know about the D,
I got mufuckin' niggas in the D that I really love and fuck with genuinely, nigga, as they fuck with me befo'.
You know, it was really rap shit.
You know when I was trappin' mixtapes, niggas in the D was fuckin' with me like I was from 7 Mile or some shit, you know what I'm sayin'.
West Side, Southwest, for real. I was tellin' a nigga Sean, I'm like, I said,
"Nigga, it ain't a lot of superstars in the D."
I was like, "Nigga, they got you and Eminem, but other than that, nigga you know, they got street legends, nigga.
You know, niggas who really done that shit.
Got it in, ya feel me?" What up, doe!
In these lyrics, Young Jeezy is paying homage to the city of Detroit and expressing his love and respect for the hustlers and real people from the area. He talks about his first experience coming to Detroit for a show and how he connected with the locals. He mentions how he and his crew walked from the venue to the hotel and decided to go to a strip club called The Sting, which he describes as a place that stays open every night in the hood.
Young Jeezy emphasizes the genuine relationships he has built with people from Detroit, stating that they showed him love and support even when he was just starting out. He recognizes Detroit as a city with street legends and a unique energy that has influenced his music and his connection with the community.
The phrase "What up, doe!" at the end of the lyrics is a common greeting in Detroit, further showcasing Young Jeezy's familiarity and connection to the city and its culture.
Line by Line Meaning
Yea, you know what this is, nigga.
Hey, you already know who I am.
You know who this is.
I'm sure you recognize me.
That's right, Young, nigga.
Yes, that's correct, I am a young individual.
I'm like one of Detroit's own, you know.
I consider myself a part of Detroit's identity.
I fuck with the D so much cause, you know, it's a natural place of born hustlas.
I have a strong connection with Detroit because it breeds talented individuals who are skilled in the art of making money.
You know, real niggas, money go gettas, against all odds, you know.
In Detroit, there are genuine individuals who are focused on success, even when faced with challenges.
I remember the first time I came to the D for a show, you know what I'm sayin'.
I have vivid memories of my initial visit to Detroit for a performance.
Um, I hit the homies up, let 'em know I was in town.
I reached out to my friends to inform them of my presence in the city.
I was sitting at the Atheneum, and mufuckin' um, the show was over at the Zoo Bar, and nigga we walked -
I stayed at the Atheneum hotel, and after the show at Zoo Bar, we proceeded to walk.
Literally, 300 deep to the club, all black tees.
A large group of us, dressed in black t-shirts, made our way to the club.
Matter of fact, we walked back from that mufucka, you know what I'm sayin'.
In fact, we even walked back from the club to our starting point.
I went and did my show, repped out, you know what I'm sayin', walked back to the hotel, hung out for a minute
After giving my performance, I returned to the hotel and spent some time relaxing.
and niggas was like, "Yo, let's hit the Sting," and I'm like, "What the fuck is that?"
My friends suggested going to the Sting, and I was curious about what it was.
"It's like a strip club in the hood. That shit stay open every night."
They explained that it's a strip club located in the neighborhood and it's open every night.
I'm like, "Shit, that's right up my mufuckin' alley," you know.
I thought, 'That sounds like something I would enjoy,' you know.
But you know most of all, you know about the D,
However, what's most important is your understanding of Detroit.
I got mufuckin' niggas in the D that I really love and fuck with genuinely, nigga, as they fuck with me befo'.
I have close friends in Detroit whom I have a sincere bond with, just as they have supported me in the past.
You know, it was really rap shit.
You know, it was primarily related to the genre of rap.
You know when I was trappin' mixtapes, niggas in the D was fuckin' with me like I was from 7 Mile or some shit, you know what I'm sayin'.
Even when I was distributing mixtapes, people in Detroit showed me tremendous support, as if I was a local artist from the 7 Mile area or other well-known neighborhoods.
West Side, Southwest, for real. I was tellin' a nigga Sean, I'm like, I said,
Specifically, the West Side and Southwest areas. I was discussing this with a friend named Sean, and I was saying,
"Nigga, it ain't a lot of superstars in the D."
"You know, there aren't many major celebrities originating from Detroit."
I was like, "Nigga, they got you and Eminem, but other than that, nigga you know, they got street legends, nigga.
I mean, they have artists like yourself and Eminem, but beyond that, Detroit is known for its iconic figures who have made a name in the streets.
You know, niggas who really done that shit.
Individuals who have truly experienced and accomplished various things.
Got it in, ya feel me?" What up, doe!
They have made their mark, you know what I'm saying? What's going on?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Jay Jenkins, Sean Anderson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@juanricohoward5808
Detroit 2024🍾🍾🍾BMF
@PROD5VE
Big Sean is a huge inspiration to me and I WILL produce a song for him one day.
@xxxslimcrazyon999
Jeezy is one of the best rappers ever thanks legend his voice is so cool
@hunner6166
🔥 big Sean had so many different flows he can switch up either flow and it’ll still be crazy
@ykkennyyt9170
Hardd🔥💯
@nipseyhusslelonglifr9788
DROP SONG OFF HIS MIXTAPE
@Frfr775
Happy new year 2024 jezzy
@Pixelz726
First before it blows up
@theomcclain8498
Put me on your next album.
@AdriannaMarieZazueta
Adrianna 💕 Zazueta