Walking into the plush hotel lobby and sitting down next to me, Big Sean was a surprise. It was the first time I’d seen him in person, and I was surprised to discover that “Big” Sean did not stand much taller than average height. However, the Detroit native has much to stand tall about, being a recent signee to Kanye West’s label, G.O.O.D. Music, which features such names as Kanye himself, Kid Cudi, Common, and even Virginia native Pusha T. His Finally Famous mixtape series has built him a strong fan base, with his most recent installment, Finally Famous Vol. 3, being rereleased later this month with no tags. Sitting down with Sean, I found that he had much to say about working with such an eclectic mix of musicians, as well as having one of hip-hop’s seasoned veterans serving as a mentor to him (being featured on Ye’s chart topping My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy doesn’t hurt either). Although his debut album, Finally Famous, is set to drop in early 2011, Sean has the voice of a scholar to the game in his perspective on the industry.
Walking into the plush hotel lobby and sitting down next to me, Big Sean was a surprise. It was the first time I’d seen him in person, and I was surprised to discover that “Big” Sean did not stand much taller than average height. However, the Detroit native has much to stand tall about, being a recent signee to Kanye West’s label, G.O.O.D. Music, which features such names as Kanye himself, Kid Cudi, Common, and even Virginia native Pusha T. His Finally Famous mixtape series has built him a strong fan base, with his most recent installment, Finally Famous Vol. 3, being rereleased later this month with no tags. Sitting down with Sean, I found that he had much to say about working with such an eclectic mix of musicians, as well as having one of hip-hop’s seasoned veterans serving as a mentor to him (being featured on Ye’s chart topping My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy doesn’t hurt either). Although his debut album, Finally Famous, is set to drop in early 2011, Sean has the voice of a scholar to the game in his perspective on the industry.
Joseph: One thing that has intrigued me about you is that you’re an artist from Detroit, a city that has produced such names as Eminem, Royce da 5’9, Elzhi, Black Milk, etc. yet is also a city that has been one of the hardest hit by the recession. What has it been like coming up in a city like that, especially to becoming a prominent hip-hop artist?
Big Sean: Well, Detroit definitely has been hit by the recession pretty heavy. Coming up in Detroit, I didn’t have to worry about that stuff too much–not that my family had money. They were a working, middle-class regular family that lived in the hood. But you know, when you’re a kid, you’re really focused on school and that stuff. So being in the hood, my mom tried to do her best to keep me out of it, paying for the best school I could go to. I kind of got to see both sides of Detroit. When I was younger, I went to a private school that was specialized in art, and it took me away from the hood. Then I went home at the end of the day, so I saw both worlds. I had my friends in the hood, and then I had my friends at school, that were Jewish or whatever. So my experience in Detroit was a little different, but I was still influenced by, of course, Eminem and his lyricism, Royce Da 5’9, Slum Village, J. Dilla for sure, and Common. Even though Common wasn’t from Detroit, he was with Dilla so much that that was something real heavy. Of course, the Chedda Boyz, Street Lordz, some people you may not even have really heard of, not real celebrities but people like Blade Icewood from Detroit that really have a big influence on my music. You can hear a little bit of me from all those people I just named. I think its dope because Detroit is a melting pot of a lot of places. In the Midwest you get parts of the east, west, south, and then it creates your own sound. Detroit is kind of known for its own style, when you hear people like (Notorious) B.I.G. talk about Detroit Players, or Jay-Z’s mentioned it. Known for that pimpery fresh shit. I feel like I’m a reincarnation of that style in studying their rhyme schemes, and different things that I continue to learn to do in recreating that Detroit Player.
Joseph: Speaking of some of your influences and being signed by G.O.O.D. Music, what has it been like working with such an eclectic mix of artists as Kid Cudi, Common and Pusha T, coming together to make music yet stemming from such different areas of Hip-Hop?
Big Sean: Man, it’s been really incredible, honestly, working with people like Common, Cudi, Kanye. I use to ride to school listening to people like that so to be working with them is kind of the morning of a dream come true for me. To even be on Kanye’s album–I remember buying his first, and this is his fifth album and now I’m on it. So it’s …..incredible.
Joseph: What’s it been like having Kanye as a mentor with being in such a prominent position in the Hip-Hop industry?
Big Sean: The best. He’s at the top of his game, so being signed to [his label] and on a label with Common, Pusha T… I really feel like G.O.O.D. Music is the hottest team in the game and I’m one of the people who is getting looked at, because I’m one of the newer artists who hasn’t dropped an album yet. And I’m next up, so there’s a lot of pressure. But we’re good, we’re working hard. Kanye, he’s been pushing me a lot, but I’ve also been working with No I.D. a lot, just sitting in the studio soaking up knowledge too. Kicking it with people like Common, really knowledgeable people.
Joseph: How are you feeling about working with all of them on the upcoming album, Finally Famous?
Big Sean: I’m feeling good. You know, I really feel like now is the time more than ever. I feel like I’ve found my own flow, my own adlibs, my own artistry. A lot of people felt like I should’ve already put an album out. But I feel like if I already put one out, it may not have been as good. Now the buzz keeps going up and up, we’ve got so many big plans and big remixes we’re hopping on, so it’s like perfect timing. The industry has really been embracing my label and everybody involved.
Joseph: So you’ve been trying to build a foundation that’s really strong in order to stay relevant for years to come. What do you think is the biggest difference between someone that comes out with one album that’s really good but then falls off, versus someone who comes out consistently year after year?
Big Sean: [When] people are really in love with your artistry and your energy and all that. I feel like [as] opposed to having one big song or a couple songs, you should have music [that] people connect with you more. And I feel like that’s the way my career has been going. People have been seeing me come up and come up and come up, so I think it’s going to be something that lasts. As opposed to, for example, an artist like Lupe Fiasco, who have more of a built in fan base.
Joseph: Yeah, Lupe’s fan base is definitely very selective. [That’s] one of the complaints about him not being marketable to every single person, which is why there was so much controversy over his album being released. So I guess it [has a lot to do] with your content, as well as how much it reaches out to people?
Big Sean: Yeah, well, my content, you know, I talk a lot of shit. I’m a real silly person. I have a big sense of humor, but I’m known to be serious, too, and knowledgeable. So I’m usually consistent, from songs that are from memories, real heart-felt, deep songs; to like, the big nut bust that is clearly just some ignorant ass shit. I think a lot of people need to stop being so fucking serious all the time. Learn to smoke and laugh, and really get into some serious shit too.
Joseph: That is one thing I’ve noticed. [Critics] tend to be very harsh on artists, and [think] everyone should be like a Lupe Fiasco–this intellectual ultimatum. But not every single artist is that, or wants to present that all the time.
Big Sean: I love Lupe, man. Sometimes his raps go over my head, but that shit is dope. But a lot of people don’t always want to hear that. Sometimes they feel like Wacka Flocka, or Soulja Boy or Lil Wayne. Or maybe they want to listen to Common. So it’s all about the flavor of it. It’s really just presenting my personality [in my music].
Joseph: It shows in your music too, expressing your swagger.
Big Sean: Yeah, I just hop on tracks and say, “Boy, boy,” but I rip some shit though. That’s what its all about–it’s all about being that character, man.
