Latest Release
- APR 13, 2025
- 1 Song
- Tha Carter VI · 2025
- Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 · 2017
- Dark Sky Paradise (Deluxe) · 2014
- Hall of Fame (Deluxe) · 2013
- The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) · 2024
- Mercy (feat. Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz) - Single · 2012
- Dark Sky Paradise (Deluxe) · 2015
- Dark Sky Paradise (Deluxe) · 2015
- Believe (Deluxe Edition) · 2012
- Thats What They All Say · 2020
Essential Albums
- “I should have known back then I wasn’t gonna stop/’Cause even then, I was infatuated with just sitting at the top,” Big Sean reflects on “Dark Sky (Skyscrapers),” the opening track of Dark Sky Paradise. Since his first foray into the industry, the Detroit MC has been recognized for rapping candidly about his most crucial wins alongside his ongoing battles. His 2015 opus underscores that approach. After experiencing significant losses in his personal life—the death of his grandmother, a called-off engagement, a fall-out with one of his best friends over business—Big Sean sought to create an album that addressed his challenges and highlighted his ability to overcome them all. Dark Sky Paradise begins and ends with the same message: Big Sean’s father asking, “Sean, it’s good to be home, isn’t it?” With this clip, Sean Don, a proud Detroiter, acknowledges that he had to circle back to his humble, hard-working origins to progress musically. The project sees Big Sean casting aside others’ opinions and diving into the depths of his own mind and soul to investigate what drives him through hardship. The juxtaposition of light and dark, successes and setbacks, remains at the core of Big Sean’s signature style. Glimmers of Big Sean’s future as a mental health advocate are detectable on this project through songs like the contemplative, Lil Wayne-assisted “Deep,” which features the MCs assessing the impact they have as hip-hop artists, breadwinners, and cultural influencers. “Blessings” with Drake is Sean’s opportunity to reiterate that there’s no turning back in the life he’s created for himself. In addition to a stacked roster of featured artists, the album boasts production from some of hip-hop’s most sought-after beatmakers, including Kanye West and DJ Mustard. Even among a cast of stars and kingmaking talents, Big Sean shines bright through his sheer ambition. While Dark Sky Paradise is often weighty and gravely serious, Big Sean takes time on the album to provide levity. The high-energy hit “I Don’t F**k With You” featuring E-40 has become a go-to anthem for anyone who’s ready to remove themselves from a relationship that’s no longer serving them. Big Sean also joins forces with Jhené Aiko, who’s featured on credited (“I Know”) and uncredited (“Win Some, Lose Some”) tracks within the album, giving listeners a preview of the duo’s eventual collaborative project, TWENTY88. On “One Man Can Change the World” with Kanye West and John Legend, the rapper pays homage to his beloved late grandmother, a decorated WWII veteran. In addition to honouring his roots, Big Sean acknowledges how much further he wants to go as not only an artist, but also as a human being.
- 2025
- 2025
Artist Playlists
- The Detroit rapper shines on his own and on collabs with hip-hop’s finest.
- 2025
Compilations
More To Hear
- Eladio y el MC de Detroit sobre cómo crear éxitos.
- When Ariana Grande put him on—and took over the White House.
- The artist shares advice for Mental Health Awareness Month.
More To See
About Big Sean
On the eve of releasing his fourth album, 2017’s I Decided., Big Sean told Apple Music something that might as well be his mantra: “Manifest what you want in the universe.” That mindset has defined the Detroit rapper’s rise from self-released mixtapes to multiplatinum success. Born Sean Anderson, he began writing poetry as a kid and was selling CDs by high school. His break came in 2005 when he freestyled for Kanye West in a radio station parking lot—an encounter that led to a deal with West’s GOOD Music label. After a trio of mixtapes, Sean debuted in 2011 with Finally Famous, an album that balanced wit, introspection, and swagger. He quickly became one of the most versatile rappers of the 2010s, delivering bangers, heartbreak ballads, and all sorts in between. His chemistry with singer Jhené Aiko shined on their 2016 collaborative project TWENTY88, and with Metro Boomin on the following year’s Double Or Nothing. By the time Sean released his sixth album, 2024’s Better Me Than You, it was less manifestation and more opening himself up to the world. Of its release he said, “I’m at a point in my life where I just let things happen.”
- FROM
- Detroit, MI, United States
- BORN
- March 25, 1988
- GENRE
- Hip-Hop/Rap