One Year Anniversary of Big Sean’s ‘Dark Sky Paradise’

Today marks the one year anniversary of Big Sean‘s Dark Sky Paradise album. I decided to take a quick look back on his journey of releasing the album and why it is so impactful to his career.

Opinions have always been divided about Big Sean throughout the hip-hop community of fans and critics. Some would say that his voice was too nasally, others would say that his punch-lines and use of different flows were corny, while others would criticize his mainstream appeal and say that he was trying too hard to make radio friendly hits. On the other side of things, Sean has had loyal fans who have been with him since the beginning of his journey. These people love his radio hits and his bars alike, they call his voice unique, his flows creative and his punch lines witty.

People are always going to talk, and opinions come and go but one thing that has remained consistent is Big Sean. Sean has stayed relevant for longer than most rappers could ever dream of being in the spotlight and that is a testament to his style, his adlibs (do it, finally famous, oh gawd, I look up etc.), his live shows, his guest verses (“Mercy,” “All Me,” “Clique” etc.), his quiet confidence, his relationships, his ability to adapt to the changing times of hip-hop but most importantly his music. Sean has consistently made good music (no pun intended), and that is why he is still here today, standing as one of the few faces of rap superstardom.

I remember listening to Finally Famous Vol. 2 in 2009 thinking to myself, “this guy is about to be on. He’s up next.” Back then, Sean was rapping about his dreams of living the lavish life on songs like “Desire, Want, & Need”, and “Last For Life,” the struggles of getting on, “Say You Will” and his thoughts about life with Mike Posner on “Who Knows”. At that point in time, it seemed like a sure thing that Big Sean would one day become a star but his rise to fame took a lot longer than expected. By the time he dropped his first album ‘Finally Famous,’ he already had hits under his belt like, “Do It,” “A** (Dance)” and “My Last,” so he had already broken into the mainstream. Whenever an artist has mainDetroitstream success it is hard for new fans to see their struggle and their journey but Sean worked incredibly hard to get to where he was at, and like he says on Dark Sky Paradise, “it took ten years to be an overnight success.”

I really liked his first album but many people, including Sean himself, thought that it was too mainstream and was not necessarily the best first product to show who he was to the world. His mixtape Detroit is considered by many to be a classic, and I think it is his best mixture of feel good and deep records. On his follow-up project, Hall of Fame, expectations were higher. He did show moments of truth like on “Fire,” “Beware” and “Ashley,” but overall the album received an underwhelming response from the public. Cut to 2014:

Big Sean dropped the biggest hit of his life with “IDFWU” and found himself with the break-up anthem of the year. The buzz for his upcoming album Dark Sky Paradise was building as fans were anticipating what Sean would do next. What he did was deliver.

Dark Sky Paradise is Big Sean’s most complete album to date in terms of sound quality, rapping, and creativity. This project was ambitious enough to deliver songs like “Paradise,” and “Win Some, Lose Some,” but still able to provide fans of his hits with songs like “Play No Games,” and “All Your Fault.” The most honest moment on this album comes with “One Man Can Change the World” featuring Kanye and John Legend. This song encapsulates everything that Sean stands for: being true to yourself, having belief in your talent even when people doubt you, loving your family and ultimately, the desire to change the world through words. A year later, the messages in that song still ring true, and this album is still in rotation.

After this album, I think a lot of people were won over by Big Sean and saw his always present potential come into fruition. I am looking forward to seeing what he has to offer on his next project. Perhaps the upbeat and lyrical “Outro” serves as a taste of what we might get for the next album. Either way, I know it will be something enjoyable.

It is easy to compare people to others in hip-hop, but I think that with Dark Sky Paradise Big Sean truly established his own lane, came into his own and proved fans and former doubters alike that he is here to stay. What a year, what a year.