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.

The post One Year Anniversary of Big Sean’s ‘Dark Sky Paradise’ appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Check out the video below to find out.

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Sean Don gifted us with the video to “One Man Can Change the World” last week, this week he has given us two more videos for songs off his latest album, Dark Sky Paradise.  This time, he brings us visuals to the Kanye-assisted “All Your Fault” along with Jhené Aiko-assisted “I Know.”  He has been previewing some aspects of both videos on Instagram and now we can finally see the finish products.

“All Your Fault” follows B.I.G. and Yé through a party and to the stage to rock a crowd with help from a holographic filter. It’s no nonsense, and straight to the point. Shoutout to A$AP Ferg on the cameo as well. “I Know” follows Sean and Jhené in their later on in life in  a retirement home and to a party where they engage in some activities that they used to get into in their younger years. Their chemistry throughout the video is undeniable. It’s a playful entry to this video series he’s got going on. He offers two contrasting visuals which fit well with the core of each song. Whichever one you like better, both stand out in their own way. Let us know what you think, get your fix below.

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Shot my 1st video when I signed my deal here w/ Hype, Nigo n Ye back in 09! I was still living with my mom… Haven’t been back to the Bape store Shibuya since til now! I love Japan! Thank u @bape_jp

A photo posted by BIGSEAN (@bigsean) on Mar 27, 2015 at 8:49pm PDT

My Bape Colab drops next month! Rare!

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Big Sean will be hitting the stage this spring, bringing to life the successful album that is Dark Sky Paradise.

The “Blessings” artist was clearly enthusiastic to inform fans of the details, as he promoted the event via Instagram. This adventure will be kicking off in Mexico on March 12th, with more dates and venues yet to be confirmed. One thing’s for sure we can expect fans to be turned up to the fullest as the first run of shows commence very soon.

Check out the dates below, and visit the link to cop your tickets in advance.

The post Big Sean Announces Dark Sky Paradise Tour appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Big Sean just released the official music video for “Blessings” featuring Drake and Kanye West yesterday.

The visual, which was shot in London weeks ago, is directed by Darren Craig, who has also done work for Lil’ Jon, Rihanna, Shakira,and  Kid Ink. The black and white scenes are simple yet intense, with lights, smoke and clouds surrounding the three artists. 

“Blessings” appears on Big Sean’s recently released third studio album, Dark Sky Paradise, which we reviewed last week. 

Check out the video below:

The post New Video: Big Sean – “Blessings” Feat. Drake and Kanye West appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

You can debate about a lot in Hip-Hop—best albums of all time, best rappers of all time, the 100 best songs of all time etc. Even though these are subjective categories that we’ve all discussed ad nauseum with each other, there is usually a general consensus among Hip-Hop heads because of the accumulated time and influence artists and their work have accrued. The one category that everyone seems to argue the most about is Rapper of the Year. Maybe it’s not as prestigious or glamorous as something credited with an “all time” status, but it is still important enough to make a difference in an artist’s career. Perhaps the category’s constant state of flux makes it such a debatable subject; or, perhaps it’s because perspectives can change drastically in just 12 months. Any way you slice it, there are always multiple rappers in the yearly “who was hottest” conversation with never any firm, democratic conclusion.

Despite the heated debates amongst Hip Hop lovers and experts alike, one name has consistently failed to make the cut as frequently as one might think: Big Sean. Since his debut mixtape dropped in 2007, Sean seems to always get left out of the big debate no matter what it is he does. Obviously, those who have had Big Sean pegged as their number one rapper since his Finally Famous mixtape days are going to disagree with this; but, you have to remember that group unanimity is powerful in Hip-Hop and a rapper’s relevance in the grand scheme of things is not determined by a small group of die-hard fans.

This isn’t necessarily because Big Sean’s projects have all been trash—it may be because he gets regularly outshined year-in and year-out. For example, in 2012 Big Sean had an onslaught of killer features and verses on G.O.O.D Music‘s collab album Cruel Summer. Anthems like “Mercy” and “Clique” gave Sean a wave of momentum into the release of his critically acclaimed mixtape, Detroit, which dropped on September 5th of that year. But just about a month and half later, Kendrick Lamar released his world stopping album good kid, m.A.A.d city and all of Big Sean’s accomplishments that year seemed to slip everyone’s mind. As a result of these shortcomings, Sean got placed in a second-tier box. His 2013 album Hall of Fame generally got mixed to negative reviews, and Lamar even stole his spotlight once again with his infamous “Control” verse. Consistently being told, whether directly or indirectly, that he is not as lyrical as J. Cole or doesn’t have as many hits as Drake puts him into an awkward “runner up” spot that might have hurt his ability to deliver—until now.

Big Sean’s newest album entitled Dark Sky Paradise is hands down his most concise project to date. Unlike his other studio albums that seemed driven by long radio single rollouts, this album only really nibbles at the strength of late 2014’s hit “IDFWU”. On September 12th, that track that was allegedly not a Naya Rivera diss dropped with a few other songs, giving listeners a peek into what Big Sean was cooking up for DSP. What we heard was a darker, gloomier sound with nothing but pure rhymes—something Sean brought even more of on the album. The overall tone of the album is exactly as the title describes; dark. The production and musical style are probably the furthest things from any album cuts you would have found on Finally Famous. Even though Sean employed a multitude of producers for the album, from song to song there is a noticeable consistency. He has credited his go-to producer and fellow Detroiter Key Wane with keeping things cohesive—and we can tell.

As a whole, the album’s production and aesthetic flow mirror an actual thunderstorm. It starts off with songs like “Blessings” feat. Drake, “All Your Fault” feat. Kanye West and “IDFWU” feat. E-40 —all of which are sharp and distinct on their own and seem to build up to something larger. This is not to say that Sean gets out-rapped on these featured songs, but the stage is clearly shared while Sean’s full lyrical prowess continues to grow stronger. That “something larger” comes in the form of the song “Paradise”. Not only does it literally have storm sound bites at the beginning but it is the lyrical equivalent of a massive thunderstormstorm. It is technically and stylistically perfect. He knocks down quick similes, clever metaphors, multisyllabic rhymes and some of the best rapid fire delivery we’ve heard in years. It is relentless—just when you think he’s done, he brings the thunder right back again and again.

Next roll in songs like “Win Some, Lose Some” feat. Jhene Aiko and “Stay Down” that serve as the calm after the storm. Sean takes this time to really address the tribulations that have caused him to take the darker route this time around. He touches on bits and pieces of his troubling past few years without excessively name dropping or sounding desperately corny. Lines like “Sometimes the best teachers is ourselves goin’ through somethin’/Real life will teach your ass way f***ing fast/I always thought my last girl was supposed to be my last” show us that Sean has no problem honestly admitting his thoughts about the past in a relatable way.

This relatability gets taken to a whole other level on “I Know”, another track with Jhene Aiko and “Deep” feat. Lil Wayne. Realistically, for the full effect they should be listened to as one whole song simply because their beats fit so seamlessly into one another and the subject matter goes hand in hand. From talking about the strenuous minutiae of relationships to dead family members to missed opportunities in life, Sean comes heavy-handed in these two. He even brings out the best Lil Wayne verse in recent memory. Closing out the album is “One Man Can Change The World”, which sounds exactly like that strong ray of sunlight poking through after the storm clouds have cleared. Feat. Kanye West and John Legend, the song is a piano-heavy ballad where Sean raps about the good, the bad and his grandmother. It is a genuinely positive and empowering song that will put a smile on your face even after an entire album of “thunderstorms”.

Without a shadow of a doubt this is Big Sean’s best work. He is confident, clear, honest and rapping at an extremely high caliber at every turn. This just goes to show that in today’s rap game to be the best, cohesive projects always trump. Not to say that this album doesn’t have stand alone tracks that you can hear in the club or drive around to, but from top to bottom the theme here is too evident to deny. With 2015 just getting underway and a lot of unreleased projects from Sean’s peers on the horizon, past experiences would tell us to count him out. But, if Dark Sky Paradise doesn’t put Big Sean at the top of your ‘best rappers of the year’ list, I don’t know what will.

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