You can hear the full album here on Youtube.
If there’s one thing that could be said about the vocal execution of Big Sean’s Dark Sky Paradise is that it is ambitious. The general consensus from online music reviews do not feel this way, and even seem to view Sean as some sort of Kroger-brand version of Drake. Some reviewers even go so far as to say Sean is without a relevant purpose in the rap game but with his artistic focus and skill as an MC, I personally don’t buy that.
Sean started rapping in 2003 Detroit; freestyling for local DJs on a weekly basis until catching Kanye West at a radio interview for 102.7 FM with off-the-cuff linguistics and a copy of his demo. The networking venture paid off in 2007 when the artist was signed to West’s label G.O.O.D. Music and a slew of 20-30 track mixtapes followed, including 2010’s Finally Famous Vol.3: BIG, which to this day has amassed to 500k+ downloads on Datpiff.
Sean’s other releases include full-lengths Finally Famous from 2011 which includes singles “Dance (A$$)” and “Guap,” as well as 2012’s Hall of Fame which includes single “10 2 10” and originally featured Kendrick Lamar’s infamous “Control” verse. Sean also gained recognition with Datpiff exclusive Detroit which holds 2 million downloads and can also be heard on the first verse to Kanye-Jay-Z romp “Clique.”
Big Sean’s original tracks were heard loud and clear on the alumni mall of the University of Memphis during the Delta Vibe/Student Activities Council (SAC)-run 2014 Spring Fling Festival. Also featured were The Weeks and local acts The Star Killers (now Forrester) and Mason Jar Fireflies. During his performance Big Sean came off more like a collegiate motivational speaker than a mainstream MC, taking keen moments between tracks to tell attendees that they all can if he can make it out of Detroit, Memphis students can all become “trillionaires” so long as they don’t let negative aspects of their past hold them back.
“You can’t focus on the past and negative people,” Big Sean said. “You gotta keep moving and one day take care of your fam. That’s what it’s all about.”
Elements of Sean’s motivational mindset can be found all over March 2015 album Dark Sky Paradise starting with somber, track-2 banger “Blessings” where the rapper impressively and confidently declares “I live the life I deserve, blessed. F*** a vacay I feel better at work. I mean whatever it’s worth, I give whatever I’m worth. For my n****s who gon’ go to hell and back for me I’mma give ‘em heaven on earth, or a hell of a check, whichever comes first.” to spit in triplets “Blessings on blessings on blessings. Look at my life man that’s lessons on lessons on lessons,” immediately as the drum samples kick in.
What’s impressive about Dark Sky is that wherever there are normal “rap-brags” about women, power, and money that one could expect from veterans of G.O.O.D. Music, Sean also takes time to note that hard work and dedication is what leads to these things, entitles him to them, and that above all that family comes first. The experience of Dark Sky is sprinkled with soundbites of what appears to be a sneaked I-phone recording of Sean having a few beers and talking about his career with his Dad. An elderly woman’s voice pierces through the 3:52 mark of the feelsy Kanye-West-John-Legend-assisted “One Man Can Change The World” saying “Thank you for calling me” as Sean responds “It’s all good. I love you grandma.” It is mentioned on “Blessings” that Sean’s grandmother passed away shortly before the release of this album. In context with Sean’s lyrics this becomes a remarkably touching moment of the song.
On no other track does Sean vehemently spit his dedication to his kin than on semi-title track Paradise than with the lines “Riding through the north atlantic homie. I never jumped crew or abandoned homie. All the fruits of my labor organic homie. Making sure my family tree got hammocks on it.”
Entire stanzas on this track specifically serve as impressive examples of Sean’s work ethic and wordplay, particularly when after about a two measure rest, Sean hops back onto the beat with “Aw damn, I’m illuminated man, I knew I make it. And I get that shit accumulated. Never throwing money out I boomerang it. Finally Famous over everything, that’s a numerator” continuing to rhyme further as well as seconds later spitting, “I been working 8 days a week, I don’t even know what the f*** today is. I hit the booth and I just went super saiyan. I run with the purp like I play with the Ravens.” Say what you will, but referencing the NFL, Dragon Ball Z, and perhaps unintentionally, a Beatles’ song in one sentence takes some mad pop culture finesse.
Yes, Dark Sky Paradise features Sean’s repetitive, super radio-friendly ex-basher “I don’t F*** With You” as well as Cash Money artists Drake and Lil Wayne featured on “Blessings” and “Deep” respectively, but this is no reason to lump Big Sean in as just another G.O.O.D. Music/Cash Money artist rapping about wenches and currency. It is Sean’s speed, Sean’s unique rhythmic tenor of a rap-voice, and Sean’s consistent dedication to topics that are particularly heartfelt to any college-age-20-something trying to do right by their family and make their own living that make Big Sean his own artist. If Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly is giving hip-hop fans the urge to purchase dashikis and ponder African heritage then Dark Sky Paradise is going to give hip-hop fans the urge to purchase new houses for their parents, one day. It is all about the fam.
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| Shoutout to my Helmsman homies. |
