Living up to the hype is a pressure few can overcome. With that being said, pressure makes diamonds, so if the hype is surpassed, praises are due. That’s exactly the situation Detroit based rapper, Big Sean has found himself in with the release of his fourth studio album “I Decided.”
Sean recently admitted to himself that he’s had a story-book artist archetype and one in which he hadn’t fulfilled his potential, until recently. He rapped in front of Kanye West at the age of 18 to secure a record deal, when thousands of musicians get approached by aspiring musicians for a chance. He then was given the chance to be under the tutelage of West, gaining inside access to studio sessions that produced some of the most acclaimed albums this side of the millennium.
Despite these opportunities, Sean’s own career hasn’t been as smooth. Following a handful of decent to good mixtapes known as the Finally Famous series, the 28 year-old rapper released his debut album “Finally Famous” in 2011 with a lukewarm response. Producing hits was never the problem, as there has been a hit song on each of his albums, “Dance” on his debut, “Guap” on his sophomore effort and perhaps his biggest song to date, “IDFWU” from “Dark Sky Paradise.”
Before “Dark Sky Paradise,” those hit songs felt like they lived in vain. A catchy single placed in the middle of an album littered with fluff seemed to be the narrative of Sean’s career. After “Dark Sky Paradise,” Sean finally began to receive all the things he raps about, acclaim, notoriety and sales, with the album going platinum.
Sean continued his growth with his best body of work to date in “I Decided.” The album is about an old man getting to the end of his life with a load of regrets, not pursuing his dream job, letting his true love go, straining relationships with family and not doing enough to inspire the youth from his old neighborhood. A rather vague concept but one that is accentuated through the skits and formatting of the album.
In the first portion, when Sean decides to recognize his own potential, we get the most notable song from the album in “Bounce Back,” a simple yet relatable message; everyone has to bounce back in life. The album’s best song, “Jump out the window” proceeds in the second portion, creating a run of tracks that gives hope for the album being one of the best this year.
As always though, Sean’s album begins to lack towards the middle, where he tries to expand on the concept of letting a true love go, but ends up sounding like a retread of current R&B stars like Bryson Tiller. Besides that mid-album lull, Sean picks back up in the latter portion of the album, where his relationship with God and his mother are expanded upon.
In particular, Sean’s budding potential that he admittedly is still trying to reach becomes crystallized on the outro, “Bigger than me” featuring the Flint Chozen Choir. He comes to grip with his status as an influence in his native Michigan and gives a voice to Flint, Mi. after the water crisis they are still dealing with.
Big Sean may not be the best rapper, although he’s certainly in the discussion, but what he does provide is a listenable journey of personal growth and self-value that should never be taken for granted. He’s continued to evolve and has significantly improved along the way, close to being the diamond he envisions himself as and for that, praises are certainly due.
