Big Sean
Encyclopedia
Sean Michael Anderson better known by his stage name Big Sean, is an American rapper. Big Sean signed with Kanye West
's G.O.O.D. Music in 2007, and then in 2008 signed with Def Jam Recordings
.
, and he moved at two months old to west Detroit (6 Mile and Wyoming) where he was raised by his mother and grandmother. He attended Detroit Waldorf School and graduated from Cass Technical High School
with a 3.7 GPA. Big Sean is often heard saying " west side " in his songs; he is referring to the west side of his hometown Detroit, Michigan. In his later years in high school, Sean gained a valuable relationship with Detroit hip hop station WHTD
; he would show his rhyming skills on a weekly basis as part of a rap battle contest held by the station.
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 free-style. Initially Kanye was reluctant to hear the emcee, however he gave Sean 16 bars to rap for him, eventually according to Big Sean "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,". He left a demo-tape as well. Two years later, West finally signed Big Sean to G.O.O.D. Music.
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
. Features include Bun B
, Chip tha Ripper, Curren$y, SAYITAINTTONE, Tyga
, Drake, Mike Posner
, Suai, Chuck Inglish
, Asher Roth
, Dom Kennedy
, Boldy James, and Chiddy Bang
. The mixtape includes 20 tracks. Sean mentioned on June 7, 2011 the possibility of a new mixtape release. The mixtape was to be released before the album, Finally Famous. With the album already dropping, the current release date is unknown.
, Kanye West
, Wiz Khalifa
, Chiddy Bang
, Pusha T
. With production from Kanye West, Malak, Jeff Bhasker, Mike Posner, No I.D.
, The Olympicks, Tricky Stewart, Chiddy Bang member Xaphoon Jones and The Neptunes
. 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 verse wise. 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. In a recent interview on Conspiracy Worldwide Radio, he discussed the role Kanye West and No I.D. have had in the development of the album's sonic direction as well as the challenges of being inside the studio with West. The album's lead single My Last
, features vocals from Chris Brown and is produced by No I.D. The album's second single "Marvin Gaye and Chardonnay", featuring Roscoe Dash
and Kanye West
. Both singles peaked at #30 and #32 on the Billboard 100, respectively.
According to Amazon.com, Big Sean's Finally Famous has been delayed by a week, with a tentative release date set for June 28. Additionally, the G.O.O.D. Music rapper revealed that the album touts a song featuring Wiz Khalifa and Chiddy Bang, as well as guest appearances from Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco
, Pharrell Williams and possibly Nas
as well. Big Sean has revealed the cover art for his G.O.O.D. Music debut and explains that the one-week pushback can be blamed on sample and feature clearance issues. The official tracklist was revealed on June 7. Finally Famous was released on June 28, 2011.
When tracks, "O.T.T.R." and "Flowers" were released via internet 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, are the supposed featured rappers on the mixtape. According to, Wiz Khalifa, there will be no mixtape. The rapper explains that the songs they created were, "just for fun". Big Sean was arrested on August 4th, 2011 for sexual assault
at a concert in Lewiston, New York
. On October 26th, 2011, Big Sean plead guilty to second degree unlawful imprisonment, and was fined $750.00. The charges of third-degree sexual abuse were dropped. Big Sean's attorney, Scott Leemon, stated that Big Sean "...did not engage in any type of sexual misconduct.”
In September 2011, Big Sean confirmed in an interview with the Daily Tribune that he'll be working on his sophomore album during the I Am Finally Famous Tour and plans to release the album by Summer 2012.
and headlined the "Style" section of the magazine. In the article Sean talks about his own personal style and states that his favorite clothing brands are 10 Deep, Billionaire Boys Club
, and Bape. Big Sean also posed in the Winter 2008 Billionaire Boys Club lookbook.
Big Sean is also a consistent representative of Ti$A clothing and hats, along with Chris Brown and Tyga. Ti$A is a vintage company run by fellow G.O.O.D Music recording artist Taz Arnold
. Big Sean is also a follower of the Rosewood clothing style.
Mixtapes
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
's G.O.O.D. Music in 2007, and then in 2008 signed with Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused primarily on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group...
.
Early life and career beginnings
Sean Michael Anderson was born in Santa Monica, CaliforniaSanta Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
, and he moved at two months old to west Detroit (6 Mile and Wyoming) where he was raised by his mother and grandmother. He attended Detroit Waldorf School and graduated from Cass Technical High School
Cass Technical High School
The Cass Tech Technicians football team is a high school football program in Division 1 Public School League, representing the prestigious Cass Technical High School in Detroit, MI. Cass Tech High School has long been recognized nationwide for its extraordinary football program dating back to its...
with a 3.7 GPA. Big Sean is often heard saying " west side " in his songs; he is referring to the west side of his hometown Detroit, Michigan. In his later years in high school, Sean gained a valuable relationship with Detroit hip hop station WHTD
WHTD
WPZR is an urban gospel formatted radio station licensed to Mount Clemens, Michigan, and serving the Detroit metropolitan area...
; he would show his rhyming skills on a weekly basis as part of a rap battle contest held by the station.
In 2005, Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
was doing a radio interview at 102.7 FM
WHTD
WPZR is an urban gospel formatted radio station licensed to Mount Clemens, Michigan, and serving the Detroit metropolitan area...
. Hearing about this, Sean headed over to the station to meet West and perform some free-style. Initially Kanye was reluctant to hear the emcee, however he gave Sean 16 bars to rap for him, eventually according to Big Sean "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,". He left a demo-tape as well. Two years later, West finally signed Big Sean to G.O.O.D. Music.
2007–2010: Mixtapes and internet following
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 SourceThe Source (magazine)
The Source is a United States-based, monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and culture, founded in 1988. It is the world's second longest running rap periodical, behind United Kingdom-based publication Hip Hop Connection. The Source was founded as a newsletter in 1988...
and the Detroit Metro Times. He also recorded a music video for "Get'cha Some", which was directed by Hype Williams
Hype Williams
Harold "Hype" Williams , previously known as HYPE, is an American music video and film director of African-American and Honduran descent. His nickname "Hype" comes from his hyperactive nature as a child....
. Sean released a second mixtape hosted by Mick Boogie
Mick Boogie
Mick Boogie, born Mick Batsyke in Youngstown, Ohio, is an American DJ and mixtape composer.Mick Boogie and grew up in Poland, Ohio. His interest in music began at an early age. He learned to play the piano and the drums through school programs. His hiphop career began when his mother purchased a...
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
Don Cannon
Donald Cannon is an American record producer and DJ. At the age of five, Donald Cannon began his musical career with his first a set of turntables, a mixer and a karaoke machine...
on August 31, 2010 called Finally Famous Vol. 3: BIG
Finally Famous Vol. 3: BIG
Finally Famous Vol. 3: BIG is the title of the third mixtape by the American rapper, composer, producer and singer Big Sean. Released as a free online download, it was released by Kanye West's, G.O.O.D. Music and featured production from Sean himself, his label boss, Kanye West, Clinton Sparks, and...
. Features include Bun B
Bun B
Bernard Freeman better known by his stage name Bun B, is an American rapper and was one half of the southern hip hop duo UGK . He is also a guest lecturer at Rice University located in Houston, Texas...
, Chip tha Ripper, Curren$y, SAYITAINTTONE, Tyga
Tyga
Michael Stevenson , better known by his stage name Tyga , is an American rapper signed to Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Universal Republic Records. He is of Vietnamese and Jamaican descent...
, Drake, Mike Posner
Mike Posner (musician)
Michael Robert "Mike" Posner is an American singer, songwriter, and producer. Posner released his debut album, 31 Minutes to Takeoff, on August 10, 2010...
, Suai, Chuck Inglish
The Cool Kids
The Cool Kids is an American hip hop group. Consisting of rappers Antoine "Sir Michael Rocks" Reed and Evan "Chuck Inglish" Ingersoll , the group is based in Chicago, Illinois and Detroit, Michigan...
, Asher Roth
Asher Roth
Asher Paul Roth is an American rapper.-Early life:Asher Roth was born and raised in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, a small town about 20 miles northeast of Philadelphia. His mother, Elizabeth , is a yoga instructor, and his father, David Roth, is the executive director of a design firm...
, Dom Kennedy
Dom Kennedy
Dom Kennedy is a West Coast rapper from Leimert Park, Los Angeles, California. Since 2008, Kennedy has released 5 Independent record label studio albums, most notably his 2010 "critically acclaimed mixtape" From the Westside with Love. His 6th studio album From the Westside with Love II released...
, Boldy James, and Chiddy Bang
Chiddy Bang
Chiddy Bang is an American alternative hip hop band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The group consists of Chidera "Chiddy" Anamege and Noah "Xaphoon Jones" Beresin. The duo was introduced through former band member Zachary Sewall in late 2008 during their freshman year at Drexel University, in...
. The mixtape includes 20 tracks. Sean mentioned on June 7, 2011 the possibility of a new mixtape release. The mixtape was to be released before the album, Finally Famous. With the album already dropping, the current release date is unknown.
2010–present: Finally Famous and mainstream success
It is Sean's debut album and includes features from Rick Ross, PharrellPharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams , commonly known simply as Pharrell, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, composer, and fashion designer. Williams and Chad Hugo make up the record production duo The Neptunes, producing hip hop and R&B music...
, Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
, Wiz Khalifa
Wiz Khalifa
Cameron Jibril Thomaz , better known by the stage name Wiz Khalifa , is an American rapper. He released his debut album, Show and Prove, in 2006, and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 2007...
, Chiddy Bang
Chiddy Bang
Chiddy Bang is an American alternative hip hop band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The group consists of Chidera "Chiddy" Anamege and Noah "Xaphoon Jones" Beresin. The duo was introduced through former band member Zachary Sewall in late 2008 during their freshman year at Drexel University, in...
, Pusha T
Clipse
Clipse is a Virginia Beach, Virginia-based hip hop duo. Formed in 1992 by brothers Malice and Pusha T , the group is heavily affiliated with production team The Neptunes and signed to Star Trak Entertainment.- Exclusive Audio Footage :The Thornton brothers were born in The Bronx, New...
. With production from Kanye West, Malak, Jeff Bhasker, Mike Posner, No I.D.
No I.D.
No I.D., officially known as Immenslope and also known as Ernest Wilson , is a hip hop and R&B record producer, also the vice-president of Def Jam Recordings, best known for his early work with Chicago rapper Common and is known as "The Godfather of Chicago hip hop".. The nickname No I.D...
, The Olympicks, Tricky Stewart, Chiddy Bang member Xaphoon Jones and The Neptunes
The Neptunes
The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...
. 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 verse wise. Big Sean's official Facebook page confirmed that his debut album Finally Famous & Consequence
Consequence (rapper)
Dexter Mills , better known as Consequence, is an American rapper. He is the cousin of rapper Q-Tip of the hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, and was formerly an affiliate of Kanye West's GOOD Music family. Consequence debuted in 1996 on A Tribe Called Quest's album Beats, Rhymes, and Life...
'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. In a recent interview on Conspiracy Worldwide Radio, he discussed the role Kanye West and No I.D. have had in the development of the album's sonic direction as well as the challenges of being inside the studio with West. The album's lead single My Last
My Last
"My Last" is the first single by American rapper Big Sean from his debut album Finally Famous. The song features singer Chris Brown. The song is produced by No I.D..- Background :...
, features vocals from Chris Brown and is produced by No I.D. The album's second single "Marvin Gaye and Chardonnay", featuring Roscoe Dash
Roscoe Dash
Jeffery Johnson Jr. , better known by his stage name Roscoe Dash, is an American rapper from Atlanta, Georgia.- Major label success :...
and Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
. Both singles peaked at #30 and #32 on the Billboard 100, respectively.
According to Amazon.com, Big Sean's Finally Famous has been delayed by a week, with a tentative release date set for June 28. Additionally, the G.O.O.D. Music rapper revealed that the album touts a song featuring Wiz Khalifa and Chiddy Bang, as well as guest appearances from Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco
Lupe Fiasco
Wasalu Muhammad Jaco , better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco , is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, Lupe is the CEO of 1st and 15th Entertainment. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his critically acclaimed debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food...
, Pharrell Williams and possibly Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
as well. Big Sean has revealed the cover art for his G.O.O.D. Music debut and explains that the one-week pushback can be blamed on sample and feature clearance issues. The official tracklist was revealed on June 7. Finally Famous was released on June 28, 2011.
When tracks, "O.T.T.R." and "Flowers" were released via internet 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
Wiz Khalifa
Cameron Jibril Thomaz , better known by the stage name Wiz Khalifa , is an American rapper. He released his debut album, Show and Prove, in 2006, and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 2007...
and Curren$y, are the supposed featured rappers on the mixtape. According to, Wiz Khalifa, there will be no mixtape. The rapper explains that the songs they created were, "just for fun". Big Sean was arrested on August 4th, 2011 for sexual assault
Sexual assault
Sexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may involve any combination of two or more men, women and children....
at a concert in Lewiston, New York
Lewiston, New York
Lewiston is a village in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 2,781 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Morgan Lewis, an early 19th-century governor of New York. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area.The Village of Lewiston,...
. On October 26th, 2011, Big Sean plead guilty to second degree unlawful imprisonment, and was fined $750.00. The charges of third-degree sexual abuse were dropped. Big Sean's attorney, Scott Leemon, stated that Big Sean "...did not engage in any type of sexual misconduct.”
In September 2011, Big Sean confirmed in an interview with the Daily Tribune that he'll be working on his sophomore album during the I Am Finally Famous Tour and plans to release the album by Summer 2012.
Style and clothing
In late October 2008, Big Sean was featured in The SourceThe Source (magazine)
The Source is a United States-based, monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and culture, founded in 1988. It is the world's second longest running rap periodical, behind United Kingdom-based publication Hip Hop Connection. The Source was founded as a newsletter in 1988...
and headlined the "Style" section of the magazine. In the article Sean talks about his own personal style and states that his favorite clothing brands are 10 Deep, Billionaire Boys Club
Billionaire Boys Club (clothing)
Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream are two lines of luxury clothing established by Pharrell of The Neptunes and Nigo, founder of BAPE. The lines consist of T-shirts, polos, sweatshirts, knits, denim, suits and shirts; outerwear in leather, down, cotton, and technical fabrics; hats, sneakers,...
, and Bape. Big Sean also posed in the Winter 2008 Billionaire Boys Club lookbook.
Big Sean is also a consistent representative of Ti$A clothing and hats, along with Chris Brown and Tyga. Ti$A is a vintage company run by fellow G.O.O.D Music recording artist Taz Arnold
Sa-Ra
Sa-Ra is a hip-hop group based in Los Angeles, California, also known by its full name, The Sa-Ra Creative Partners. The group is composed of Om'Mas Keith, Taz Arnold, and Shafiq Husayn...
. Big Sean is also a follower of the Rosewood clothing style.
Discography
Albums- 2011: Finally Famous
- 2012: TBA
Mixtapes
- 2008: Finally Famous Vol. 1: The Mixtape
- 2009: Finally Famous Vol. 2: UKNOWBIGSEAN
- 2010: Finally Famous Vol. 3: BIGFinally Famous Vol. 3: BIGFinally Famous Vol. 3: BIG is the title of the third mixtape by the American rapper, composer, producer and singer Big Sean. Released as a free online download, it was released by Kanye West's, G.O.O.D. Music and featured production from Sean himself, his label boss, Kanye West, Clinton Sparks, and...
Television
- 2010 BET Hip-Hop Awards Cypher (Kanye West, Pusha T, CyHi Da Prynce, Big Sean & Common)