Big Sean is on a hot streak to reinforce his new album Better Me Than You, and not even the project's release could slow him down. Moreover, he just joined Complex's elevator bank in New York City to drop a brand-new freestyle on Thursday (August 29) over a Hit-Boy-produced beat. The Detroit rapper's most impressive feature here is his dominance of flow, weaving in and out of similar pockets without missing a beat: pun most definitely intended. Lyrically, he dives into his staunch self-confidence, lack of support in the rap game, and how he has changed as a person and an artist.
Furthermore, the reactions to this new freestyle are about as impressed and compelled as those to Big Sean's new album. Better Me Than You was a hit with fans, albeit a failed attempt to convince any haters that his music is worth checking out. But those naysayers are in an ignorant minority, because there's a lot of soul, introspection, hunger, and determination on this LP to nurture your listening sessions this week. All that's left to see is whether or not this prolific run will continue past this point, or if we've already reached the quantity and quality peak of the Sean Don's 2024 offerings.
Big Sean's Complex Freestyle: Watch
Elsewhere, many fans expected Big Sean to plant his flag in the great rap beef of 2024, but he's got other priorities in mind when it comes to the likes of Drake and Kendrick Lamar. Recently, he jokingly tried to imitate Drizzy's "duck face" selfies online, which was pretty funny if not distinctly out of character for hip-hop these days, especially when it comes to The Boy. But "The Baddest" MC doesn't seem interested in commenting on that showdown or feeding into its social media frenzy. That's commendable in and of itself.
Meanwhile, it's heartening to see Big Sean overcome many of his personal struggles and insecurities through this cathartic release. "When you make art, you put your heart into this s**t," he expressed during a recent and emotive IG Live session. "When I had COVID last week, I was down. I was still working on the album. When I last dropped an album, it was COVID. I was excited to plan my release party, I was excited to do all of that. [My mother] was giving me them words. And I was just like, look, I can keep working on some s**t and make it exactly how I wanted. But I'd be pushing it back forever."
