"Big Sean about to claim the game, when it comes to sex and drugs, I stay abstained" - Big Sean.
Welp, at least the first part of this statement is true. Sean was 16 when he rapped these words. He was a committed Christian rapper at the time. Three years later, he signed to G.O.O.D. Music and subsequently released his debut mixtape.
This article revisits a handful of tracks from Sean's four mixtapes, released over the course of his ascent to stardom from 2007 to 2012.: Finally Famous Vol. 1: The Mixtape, Finally Famous Vol. 2: UKNOWBIGSEAN, Finally Famous Vol. 3: Big, & Detroit. Click through the gallery to listen.
"Good Sh"
"Good Sh" offers a window into what Sean was listening to around the time he dropped Finally Famous: The Mixtape in 2007, for he wears his influences on his sleeve. Tonally, he takes his cues from Eminem and Ludacris.
"Getcha Some"
Even at the outset of his career, Big Sean showed characteristics that still define him to to this day -- namely, a knack for hot yet cringeworthy lines, like "And they ask, can they call me grocery store? Cause my pockets full of paper and plastic."
"Desire Want Need"
It's funny how production trends come and go. The descending snare run and tinny horns found the opening of "Desire Want Need" were pillars of the late-aughts DJ Khaled playbook. Even Big Sean's bars feel like they wouldn't have been out of place on Drake's So Far Gone, which was released two months prior to UKNOWBIGSEAN.
"Million Dollars"
Sean speaks the truth on "Million Dollars" ("being broke is some weak shit") and casts a wish into the wishing well: that one day, he will have a million dollars. Three years later, on his 2012 track "RWT," he reveals that his wish came true: "Made a mil before 25 and man I ain't even 'No Lie'."
"Memories"
One of Sean's strengths is his ability to live in the moment, then step back and take stock of his entire life. "Memories" falls under the latter category. It takes the form of a letter written to Sean by his future self, urging him to appreciate every precious possession, person, and moment he has.
"Supa Dupa Lemonade"
"Supa Dupa Lemonade" is one of the most enduring tracks from Sean's 2010 tape Finally Famous Vol. 3. He manhandles this iconic Bangladesh beat, but not before dropping more hot/cringeworthy bars. "I spit that retarded shit, call it autism."
"Too Fake" feat. Chiddy Bang
"Too Fake" is an open letter to the haters, rapped over a Hockey-sampling Noah Breakfast (née Xaphoon Jones) beat. The song was recorded in 2010, at the height of Chiddy Bang's heyday. Those were simpler times. In case you were wondering, Breakfast found a new gig as Tunji Ige's go-to producer.
"24K of Gold" feat. J. Cole
The Disease of More afflicts all who strive for greatness. Case in point: it eats at Big Sean and J. Cole, both of whom have found fame and fortune, only to crave more. The thirst is unquenchable. This quandry is the theme of "24k of Gold," one of the best songs on Sean's 2012 tape Detroit.
"Higher"
"Higher" immediately preceded "24K of Gold" in the Detroit tracklist. While "24k of Gold" found Sean in a pensive state, pondering his wealth, "Higher" finds him reveling in it. This is post-"Mercy" Big Sean.
"RWT"
"RWT" is great, and not just because Sean takes an axe to a tree in the music video. He unhinges himself, and his rapping is simply on a higher level here. Even his hot/cringeworthy/homophobic bars are pretty hot. Sean just can't resist: "My food is picante, my girls is Beyonce, your boyfriend beyond gay."