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.
Won't Be Long
Big Sean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Atone what up
One of these days and it wont be long.
It's Big Sean Detroit baby
Big Sean
I'm sunning niggas like daytime, damn
I guess it cuz I'm dope like bass lines, pause
I'm tired of playtime it's time to take mine
Ain't no coincidence that any bitch wanna date Sean
If she told different little nigga then they lying
Only difference is I do this shit and they straight trying
If that ain't the truth bitch then the pigs is straight flying
I gotta breath started with a dream but now it's all in reach.
Sheesh I hear them haters they keep talking
I'm on top now and falling cuz they falling like Autumn
And wish that they was close to Sean like marlin (damn)
And you can ask Atone why y'all stayed home
While we stayed on to make it out
One of these days and it wont be long
One of these days and it wont be long.
One of these days and it wont be long.
One of these days and it wont be long.
Atone
It's your man atone listen up
What I manifest is destined to be interesting
Devastating like a c section
Hard body like a erection
You see him dawg he flexing
Perpetrating like verb elation
Herculating like he night skating
And he wonder why we hating
The fake work he making
Like he really put in work to make it
Your chain hanging I should take it
But I ain't like that
Just introduce me to the right track
And say fuck it like we naked
I don't ever feel disrespected
Cuz I know I'm on the right track
Doing what I can to make it
From the heart I can never fake it
From the soul what I hold is sacred
Intellectual vocation unite the hole nation
While the money international vacation
Holy carnations
One of these days and it wont be long.
One of these days and it wont be long.
One of these days and it wont be long.
One of these days and it wont be long.
One of these days and it wont be long.
The lyrics to the song "Won't Be Long" by Big Sean and Atone are all about their journey to success, and how they have overcome obstacles to reach where they are today. In the first verse, Big Sean talks about how he is "sunning" others, implying that he is doing better than those around him. He also mentions how he's tired of fooling around and is focused on making it to the top. He asserts that he is the real deal, unlike other people who are just pretending. He also talks about how he started with a dream, but now he is living it.
Atone takes the second verse and emphasizes the importance of staying true to oneself. Atone raps about how people try to fake it till they make it, but he cannot respect that kind of behavior. He talks about how he is on the "right track" and how he is determined to make it. Atone comes across as a strong individual who is resilient and true to his beliefs.
Overall, the song celebrates the journey to success, and portrays the artists as confident, authentic individuals who have worked hard to achieve their goals.
Line by Line Meaning
One of these days and it wont be long.
The artist is confident that his hard work and dedication will pay off soon.
Atone what up
The artist greets Atone, who is featured in the song.
One of these days and it wont be long.
Reiterated confidence that things will change for the better in the near future.
It's Big Sean Detroit baby
The artist, Big Sean, hails from Detroit and is proud of his roots.
I'm sunning niggas like daytime, damn
The artist is shining and outshining others in his rap game.
I guess it cuz I'm dope like bass lines, pause
The artist is comparing himself to the compelling sound of bass lines in music.
Cuz they catching on late like dateline
The artist notes that some people are only just starting to recognize his talent, but he has been established for some time.
I'm tired of playtime it's time to take mine
The artist has had enough of being overlooked and is ready to claim what he deserves.
Ain't no coincidence that any bitch wanna date Sean
The artist believes that women are attracted to him due to his talent and success.
If she told different little nigga then they lying
The artist believes that anyone who claims otherwise is lying.
Only difference is I do this shit and they straight trying
The artist notes that he is more capable and talented than others who are trying to make it in the same industry.
If that ain't the truth bitch then the pigs is straight flying
The artist emphasizes that his statement about his talent is absolutely true.
I gotta breath started with a dream but now it's all in reach.
The artist once had a dream, but now he believes that his aspirations are achievable and within his grasp.
Sheesh I hear them haters they keep talking
The artist is aware of the people who speak negatively about him.
I'm on top now and falling cuz they falling like Autumn
The artist feels like he is at the top of his game, while his competition is declining in popularity.
And wish that they was close to Sean like marlin (damn)
The artist's competitors are envious of his fame and popularity.
And you can ask Atone why y'all stayed home
The artist asks the listeners to ask Atone why they were not out pursuing their goals and dreams.
While we stayed on to make it out
The artist and Atone devoted their time to achieving their goals, rather than staying home and settling for less.
It's your man atone listen up
Atone speaks and asks the listeners to pay attention.
What I manifest is destined to be interesting
Atone believes that his creations are captivating and intriguing.
Devastating like a c section
Atone's work/art is powerful and impactful like a caesarean section.
Hard body like a erection
Atone's creations are difficult and strong, similar to an erection.
You see him dawg he flexing
Atone is flexing his skills and talent.
Perpetrating like verb elation
Atone compares his actions to using an elevated and exaggerated verb.
Herculating like he night skating
Atone is using his strength to work hard, like a skater might do while skating at night.
And he wonder why we hating
Atone questions why some people are critical of him.
The fake work he making
Atone believes that some people are pretending to work hard and create, rather than actually doing so.
Like he really put in work to make it
Atone is skeptical about the authenticity of some people's efforts to succeed.
Your chain hanging I should take it
Atone is tempted to steal someone's expensive jewelry.
But I ain't like that
Atone clarifies that he would not actually steal someone's property.
Just introduce me to the right track
Atone is asking for an opportunity to pursue his dreams and make a name for himself.
And say fuck it like we naked
Atone wants to take risks and engage in his pursuits without inhibitions or limitations.
I don't ever feel disrespected
Atone is confident and assured in his abilities and believes that he is treated with respect.
Cuz I know I'm on the right track
Atone believes he is making progress and is headed in the right direction in terms of his creative endeavors.
Doing what I can to make it
Atone is working hard to succeed and make a name for himself.
From the heart I can never fake it
Atone is genuine in his efforts and creations.
From the soul what I hold is sacred
Atone's work is meaningful and important to him.
Intellectual vocation unite the hole nation
Atone believes that his work can bring people together and create unity.
While the money international vacation
Atone contrasts the importance of his work with the lure of money and luxury vacations.
Holy carnations
Atone ends his verse with a phrase that is open to interpretation, perhaps implying that his work/art is holy or significant.
Contributed by London B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Antonio Betancourt
con su Mirada....