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Big Sean

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Big Sean
Big Sean 2016 October.jpg
Big Sean in October 2016
Background information
Birth nameSean Michael Leonard Anderson
Born (1988-03-25) March 25, 1988 (age 30)
Santa Monica, California, U.S.
OriginDetroit, Michigan, U.S.
GenresHip hop
Occupation(s)
  • Rapper
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
InstrumentsVocals
Years active2007–present
Labels
Associated acts
Websiteuknowbigsean.com

Sean Michael Leonard Anderson[1] (born March 25, 1988), known professionally as Big Sean,[2] is an American rapper. Sean signed with Kanye West's GOOD Music in 2007, Def Jam Recordings in 2008 and Roc Nation in 2014. After releasing a number of mixtapes, Sean released his debut studio album, Finally Famous, in 2011. He released his second studio album, Hall of Fame, in 2013. Sean's third studio album, Dark Sky Paradise, was released in 2015 and earned him his first number one album in the US. In 2017, he released his fourth studio album, I Decided, which debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart.

Life and career

1988–2005: Early life and career beginnings

Sean Michael Leonard Anderson was born on March 25, 1988 in Santa Monica, California[3] to Myra and James Anderson. When he was 3 months old, he moved to Detroit, Michigan, where he was raised by his mother, a school teacher, and his grandmother.[2][4] Anderson's grandmother, Mildred Leonard, served in World War II, and was one of the first ever black female captains in the United States Army.[5] He attended the Detroit Waldorf School and graduated from Cass Technical High School with a 3.7 GPA.[6] In his later years in high school, Sean showed his rhyming skills on a weekly basis as part of a rap battle contest held by Detroit hip-hop station WHTD.[7] In 2005, Kanye West was doing a radio interview at 102.7 FM. Hearing about this, Sean headed over to the station to meet West and perform some freestyle. Initially West was reluctant to hear him, however he gave Sean 16 bars to rap for him. According to Big Sean, West enjoyed his freestyle: "As we get to the entrance of the radio station ... we stopped in the middle of the doorway. He starts looking at me and bobbing his head."[8] After the freestyle, Sean left West his demo tape. 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.[9][10]

2007–10: Mixtapes and internet following

Sean in 2009.

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.[11] 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.[12] 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.[13]

An unauthorized leak of his collaboration with Drake, called "Made" made its way onto the internet on April 30, 2010. In an interview with TheHipHopUpdate.com on May 1, Big Sean expressed his disappointment over the leak, calling it an unfinished version both musically and lyrically. Big Sean's official Facebook page confirmed that his debut album Finally Famous & Consequence's Cons TV would be released on September 14, 2010. On August 31, Big Sean tweeted that the album was not coming out on that day, but it would be coming out sometime in 2011.[14]

2011–12: Finally Famous and Detroit

In an interview on Conspiracy Worldwide Radio, Sean discussed the role Kanye West and No I.D. have had in the development of his first studio album's sonic direction as well as the challenges of being inside the studio with West.[citation needed] The album's lead single, "My Last", features vocals from Chris Brown and was produced by No I.D.[15] According to Amazon.com, Big Sean's Finally Famous was delayed by a week, with a tentative release date set for June 28. Big Sean has revealed the cover art for his G.O.O.D. Music debut and explained that the one-week pushback was to be blamed on sample and feature clearance issues.[16] The official tracklist was revealed on June 7.[17]

Sean in 2011.

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.[18][19][20][21] 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 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.[22] 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.[23] On October 19, 2011, Kanye West announced on his Twitter plans for a Spring 2012 GOOD Music album release.[24] On April 6, 2012, "Mercy", the lead single from the GOOD Music compilation album, Cruel Summer, was released.[25] The song, produced by newly signed in-house producer Lifted, features Big Sean along with Kanye West, Pusha T and southern rapper 2 Chainz.[26] Big Sean then announced his fourth mixtape would be titled "Detroit" and would serve as a lead-in to his second studio album.[24] 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.

2013–15: Hall of Fame and Dark Sky Paradise

Big Sean pushed back the release date of his second studio album Hall of Fame, and 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, and 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".[27] Hall of Fame had 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.[28] On September 12, 2014 Big Sean announced that he had signed 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.[29][30] "I Don't Fuck with You" was released to iTunes on September 19, 2014.[31] In an interview with Sway Calloway, Sean confirmed that Lil Wayne will be featured on the album.[32]

Sean performing in April 2015.

On January 25, 2015 various artists who worked on Big Sean's upcoming third studio album such as Kanye West, Ty Dolla Sign, DJ Mustard, Drake, Travis Scott and Ariana Grande posted the album cover to Twitter or Instagram.[33] The next day, Big Sean posted a trailer to his new album which revealed the album's release date as February 24, 2015.[34] The album, Dark Sky Paradise debuted atop the Billboard 200 making it his first No. 1 album.[35] He would lead with Video singles for songs entitled "IDFWU", "Blessings", "I Know", "One Man Can Change The World", and "Play No Games." As of February 1, 2016, Dark Sky Paradise was certified platinum. On December 31, 2015, Big Sean released a track recapping 2015, "What A Year (Ft. Pharrell Williams & Detail)".

2016–present: TWENTY88, I Decided. and Double or Nothing

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, as TWENTY88, scheduled to be released on April 1, 2016, exclusively on Tidal.[36] On April 5, 2016, the Album became available on Spotify and Apple Music. A week after the exclusive release of TWENT88 on Tidal, Big Sean and Jhené Aiko released a 15-minute short film called "Out of Love", which is composed of several recordings from the album.[37] 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.[38]

On October 31, 2016, Big Sean released "Bounce Back" as the lead single from his fourth studio album, I Decided, which was released February 3, 2017.[39] "Moves" was released as an instant-grat on December 16, 2016. Sean has consulted the advice of Jay Z and Rick Rubin while working on the album.[40] 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 were in pure album sales.[41] As of April 18, 2017, I Decided was certified gold.[42]

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.[43][44][45]

On November 3, 2017, Sean released the single "Pull Up N Wreck" featuring 21 Savage in collaboration with producer Metro Boomin. A month later, it was announced that Sean and Metro Boomin were to release a collaborative album titled Double or Nothing (2017). The album released on December 8, 2017, which included features from Travis Scott, 2 Chainz, Kash Doll, Young Thug, and Swae Lee, and included the single "Pull Up N Wreck".[46]

Personal life

Big Sean dated his high school sweetheart, Ashley Marie, whom he met when he was sixteen and started dating at nineteen until their break-up in early 2013.[47] He subsequently began dating actress Naya Rivera, whom he first met on Twitter; their relationship became public in April 2013, but Sean told Complex that they had been dating for a while beforehand.[28] Sean and Rivera announced their engagement in October 2013, but ended the engagement in April 2014.[48][49] In October 2014, singer Ariana Grande confirmed that she and Big Sean were dating.[50] Sean and Grande made their red carpet debut at the 2015 Grammys.[51] In April 2015, the couple ended their relationship after eight months.[52] Big Sean was rumored to be dating Jhene Aiko since 2016, and their relationship was later confirmed in an Instagram post.[53] They are still together.[54]

In late October 2008, Big Sean was featured in The Source and headlined the "Style" section of the magazine.[55] In the article Sean talks about his personal style and says his favorite clothing brands are 10 Deep, Billionaire Boys Club, and Bape. Big Sean posed in the Winter 2008 Billionaire Boys Club lookbook,[56] and is a consistent representative of Ti$A[57] clothing and hats, along with Chris Brown and Tyga. He also has an endorsement deal with Adidas, through which he has released his own "Detroit Player" line of sneakers,[58] and is a follower of the Rosewood clothing style.[59] In 2013, Big Sean launched his own clothing company, Aura Gold.[60][61]

On November 28, 2017, Big Sean purchased an 11,000 square foot home, with 7 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms home in Beverly Hills. The house was previously owned by Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash. Originally listed at $11 million, Big Sean acquired it for $8.7 million.[62]

Legal troubles

On August 4, 2011, Big Sean was arrested for third-degree sexual assault at a concert in Lewiston, New York.[63] On October 26, he pleaded guilty to second-degree unlawful imprisonment, and was fined $750;[64] the charges of third-degree sexual abuse were dropped as part of the plea bargain.[65] Big Sean's attorney, Scott Leemon, stated that Sean "did not engage in any type of sexual misconduct."[64][66]

Discography

Main article: Big Sean discography

Tours

Headlining
  • I Am Finally Famous Tour (2011)
  • Detroit Tour (2013)
  • Hall of Fame Tour (2014)
  • I Decided Tour (2017)
Supporting act

See also

References

  1. ^ Lacy, Eric (August 8, 2012). "Detroit rapper, Kanye West protege Big Sean admits first album was a flop". MLive.com (Advance Publications). Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  2. ^ a b Jeffries, David. "[Big Sean] Artist Biography". allmusic.com. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
  3. ^ "About Big Sean". Retrieved January 15, 2016.
  4. ^ "Big Sean bio". Def Jam. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
  5. ^ "BIGSEAN on Instagram: "Grandma you were a true legend, an American hero, black history at its finest. ONE OF THE FIRST FEMALE BLACK CAPTAINS IN WORLD WAR II. I…"". Instagram. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  6. ^ "Big Sean biography". Music Industry Digital. Archived from the original on June 9, 2011. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
  7. ^ Ketchum, William E. III (August 20, 2008). "Son of the streets". Detroit Metro Times. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
  8. ^ "Kanye West Almost Walked Away From Latest Protege Big Sean". MTV. June 18, 2009. Archived from the original on April 26, 2010. Retrieved May 28, 2010.
  9. ^ "Big Sean talks about his past, influences". Northern Star. February 27, 2011.
  10. ^ "Big Sean Talks J Dilla's Influence On Detroit Music". HipHopDX. February 8, 2012.
  11. ^ "Wake N' Watch: Big Sean "Getcha Some" (Directed By Hype Williams)". Complex. July 24, 2009. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
  12. ^ "Mick | Boogie". Mickboogie.com. August 18, 2013. Retrieved August 31, 2013.
  13. ^ "The Signal". Gsusignal.com. September 14, 2010. Archived from the original on July 11, 2011. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
  14. ^ "UrSongsPK - Download & Listen Latest Indian & Pakistani MP3 Songs". UrSongsPK. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  15. ^ "New Music: Big Sean f/ Chris Brown – 'My Last'". Rap-Up.com. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
  16. ^ "Big Sean Reveals Cover Art For "Finally Famous," Explains Delay | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHop DX. May 15, 2011. Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
  17. ^ Big Sean Finally Famous Tracklist. Killerhiphop.com (June 8, 2011). Retrieved on 2011-06-16.
  18. ^ "Exclusive Interview with Big Sean x Live in Toledo". mostlyjunkfood.com. June 21, 2010. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
  19. ^ "New Mixtape: Big Sean Finally Famous Vol. 3". Rap Radar. August 31, 2010. Archived from the original on July 3, 2011. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
  20. ^ "Big Sean". Uknowbigsean.com. Retrieved August 31, 2013.
  21. ^ "Big Sean brings the hip-hop – Western Herald". Westernherald.com. December 3, 2009. Archived from the original on January 20, 2010. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
  22. ^ Lane, Brian (July 20, 2011). "Wiz Khalifa x Curren$y x Big Sean mixtape on the way". Interview. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
  23. ^ Horowitz, Steven J. (September 9, 2011). "Big Sean Working With Producer Exile For Sophomore Album | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHop DX. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  24. ^ a b "Tweet 126770388121292800". Twitter. October 19, 2011.[dead link]
  25. ^ "Mercy (feat. Big Sean, Pusha T, 2 Chainz) – Single". iTunes. April 6, 2012.
  26. ^ "G.O.O.D Music – Mercy". DJBooth.net. April 6, 2012. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  27. ^ Abbeylambertz, Kate (July 10, 2013). "Eminem, Big Sean Collaborated On Song Together In Detroit (VIDEO)". Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved August 31, 2013.
  28. ^ a b LaPuma, Joe (August 25, 2013). "Big Sean Hall of Fame Interview". Complex.
  29. ^ Rani, Taj (September 12, 2014). "Big Sean Drops Four New Songs". BET.
  30. ^ "New Music: Big Sean – 'IDFWU' + 'Paradise' + '4th Quarter' + 'Jit/Juke'". Rap-Up. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  31. ^ "I Don't F**k With You (feat. E-40) – Single". iTunes Store. Apple. September 19, 2014. Archived from the original on September 22, 2014.
  32. ^ Mousdell, Daniel (December 17, 2014). "Big Sean Announces He Has A "Crazy Verse" From Lil Wayne, Talks Pusha T Asking Wayne To Sign With GOOD Music". LilWayneHQ.com
  33. ^ "Big Sean And All His Friends Announce New Album, Dark Sky Paradise". MTV. January 26, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  34. ^ Big Sean (January 26, 2015). "BIG SEAN is taking your questions right here— fire away!". Complex. Facebook.
  35. ^ Caulfield, Keith (March 4, 2015). "Big Sean Scores His First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200". Billboard.
  36. ^ http://hiphopdx.com, HipHopDX -. "Big Sean & Jhene Aiko "Twenty88" Collaborative Album Stream, Cover Art & Tracklist". Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  37. ^ "Twenty88". TIDAL – High Fidelity Music Streaming. Retrieved April 25, 2016.[permanent dead link]
  38. ^ "Meek Mill, Big Sean want to help Flint water crisis". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
  39. ^ "iTunes - Music - I Decided. by Big Sean". iTunes Store.
  40. ^ Smith, Trevor (August 28, 2016). "Big Sean recruits the ear of Jay Z and Rick Rubin into the studio". Hotnewhiphop. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  41. ^ Caulfield, Keith. "Big Sean Scores Second No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'I Decided.'". Billboard. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  42. ^ "American album certifications – Big Sean – I Decided". Recording Industry Association of America. April 18, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
  43. ^ "Big Sean Awarded Key to City of Detroit". Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  44. ^ "Detroit's Big Sean given Key to the City". Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  45. ^ "Big Sean Accepted The Key To Detroit". Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  46. ^ "Big Sean & Metro Boomin Reveal "Double Or Nothing" Release Date & Album Art". HotNewHipHop. December 5, 2017. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
  47. ^ Ramos, Dorkys (August 15, 2013). "Big Sean on Ex-Girlfriend Ashley: "I Got Love for Her"". BET. Retrieved October 3, 2013.
  48. ^ Nessif, Bruna (October 3, 2013). "Naya Rivera and Big Sean Are Engaged!". E Online. Retrieved October 3, 2013.
  49. ^ Lee, Esther (April 9, 2014). "Naya Rivera, Big Sean's Engagement Is Off; Rapper Releases Statement". Us Weekly. Retrieved May 5, 2014.
  50. ^ Parrish, Charlie (October 17, 2014). "Ariana Grande confirms her relationship with Big Sean for the first time". The Telegraph. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  51. ^ "Ariana Grande and Big Sean Make Red Carpet Debut at the Grammys". US Weekly. February 10, 2015.
  52. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 27, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  53. ^ "Here's What Jhene Aiko Has To Say About Those Big Sean Breakup Rumors". BET. October 10, 2016. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  54. ^ "Jhené Aiko on Working with Boyfriend Big Sean and How She Likes to Party". Elle.com. March 13, 2017. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  55. ^ "kanYe West: Blog – BIG SEAN IN THE SOURCE". Archived from the original on October 31, 2008. Retrieved February 18, 2009.
  56. ^ "Billionaire Boys Club". Bbcicecream.com. Archived from the original on May 15, 2011. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
  57. ^ "Ti$A Online Shop – Home". Shoptisa.bigcartel.com. Archived from the original on January 27, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
  58. ^ Eric Lacy (December 1, 2012). "Big Sean's Michigan release of Adidas 'Detroit Player' excites sneakerheads on Twitter, Instagram". MLive.com. Retrieved August 31, 2013.
  59. ^ "Video: Big Sean Talks About Working With Kanye West and the "Rosewood" Dress Code!". KillerHipHop.com. September 19, 2010.
  60. ^ Harris, Chris (March 19, 2014). "Big Sean Talks About Aura Gold's Success and a Possible Collaboration with Been Trill". Complex.
  61. ^ Bray, Arthur (March 18, 2014). "Big Sean Speaks On Aura Gold and Forthcoming Music Projects". Hypebeast.
  62. ^ "Big Sean Buys Slash's Beverly Hills Mansion at Slashed Price". TMZ. Retrieved 2017-11-29.
  63. ^  . "Rapper 'Big Sean' faces charge after concert". Your News Now. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  64. ^ a b Pfeiffer, Rick. "Rapper Big Sean takes plea deal in Lewiston court". Niagara Gazette. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  65. ^ Big Sean Accepts Plea Deal in Sexual Assault Case Michael Depland, billboard.com October 26, 2011
  66. ^ Big Sean Cleared of Sexual Assault Charges: Rapper accepts plea deal for wrongful imprisonment Matthew Perpetua, Rolling Stone, October 27, 2011

External links

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