Detroit-based rapper Big Sean has been known as “corny” and “repetitive” for almost 13 years now by many rap fans, and a lot of people simply wrote off Big Sean as a relatively average artist who gets way too much recognition due to his ties with Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music record label.
With the release of his fifth studio album “Detroit 2,” Sean hopes to change this perceived image of himself by switching up his style a bit.
On “Detroit 2,” the sequel to his well-received 2012 mixtape “Detroit,” Big Sean references his hometown roots the most he has in years. The original “Detroit” was a love letter to the city that raised him, but after the mixtape’s release, Big Sean stopped referencing his Detroit ties as much.
Sean’s career has had its ups and downs, and it ultimately led to a struggle with anxiety and depression, which caused the rapper to cancel his 2018 tour.
Now, in 2020, Big Sean’s love for his city and himself is stronger than ever, and he does his best to show that on this album, with the track “Friday Night Cypher” showcasing 11 Detroit rappers ranging from Eminem to Tee Grizzley, and three Detroit based producers such as Hit-Boy.
Songs such as “Harder Than My Demons” showcase Big Sean’s rapping ability, lyricism, and flow as a solo artist.
While Big Sean has scaled down his corny jokes and humble brags, he substitutes it with better production and more of a variety in his flow.
Songs such as “Lucky Me” and “The Baddest” showcase a faster flow than what Big Sean fans are used to, and it quite frankly just doesn’t seem to fit his sound too well. And perhaps the worst mistake of this album was the inclusion of Big Sean’s falsetto voice in “Time In” which is easily one of the worst voices I have heard in music all year.
The features carry this album, with many stars such as Nipsey Hussle, Post Malone, Travis Scott, Lil Wayne, and others making an appearance. “Deep Reverence (feat. Nipsey Hussle)” was the lead single off of “Detroit 2” and lead many people to get very excited for the album’s release due to Sean’s openness about his mental health issues and the inclusion of the late Nipsey Hussle.
“Lithuania (feat. Travis Scott)” and “Wolves (Post Malone)” are two other highlights of the album, showing off Big Sean’s flow and his ability to adapt well next to his co-stars.
While not necessarily features, the highlight of the album was the stories told by Dave Chapelle, Erykah Badu, and Stevie Wonder. These stories are a reference to the original “Detroit” in which celebrities told their own stories about their appreciation for the city of Detroit.
Overall, “Detroit 2” is mostly filled with underwhelming tracks that go on for too long and features that far outperform Big Sean on his own album which he believes is his best work. With that being said, however, “Detroit 2” debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts.