On the closing track on ‘s latest album, “Dark Sky Paradise,” John Legend sings the words, “One man can change the world.” It’s an idea that’s woven through Sean’s latest, and it might not be entirely true.
While Sean reveals himself on the album to be much more than a coveted guest on other rapper’s albums, he also shows that he’s not changing the world, simply his position in the hip-hop world.
So far in his career, the media has been more interested interested in who Sean is dating and the hip-hop heads were too busy regaling Kendrick Lamar’s verse on “Control” to remember it was Big Sean who opened Pandora’s box in the first place. On “Dark Sky Paradise” Big Sean takes it back to Detroit with soul samples that have been chopped and screwed Kanye West style to remind us that he’s an astute rapper, not just a pop star’s significant other. We see him as a contender, a serious talent and an artist who is rising to the top.
There have been some incredible moments from Big Sean as a featured rapper on tracks from Drake, Lil Wayne, Kanye West and others. But on “Dark Sky Paradise”, he’s the star and all other features are there to merely assist his jump shot. Sean’s connections to Chris Brown and Kanye West assert his position in the hip-hop game. And the guest appearances on “Paradise” support the art of a collective, rather than act as a crutch for Sean.
Unlike Drake, Big Sean is not having a crisis of fame or self-esteem. His phone is blowing up with pics from starlets and he can barely walk down the street without someone recognizing his greatness. All this, not to mention he pays $100 for a haircut, Big Sean is having the time of his life. Itap not that the journey to ultimate fame has been easy, as he describes on “Win Some, Lose Some,” but he’s got some very famous friends and more than enough ambition to get by.
If “Dark Sky Paradise” is any indication, there’s no reason not to believe we’re watching the best creative performance by the young kid from Detroit with a hustler’s spirit and tenacious rhymes to match.
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Ru Johnson is an arts and culture music writer living in Denver. You can follow her on
