Sean Michael Leonard Anderson (born March 25, 1988), known professionally as Big Sean, is an American rapper. He met

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

as a teenager, and signed with his record label

GOOD Music GOOD Music (often stylized as G.O.O.D. Music; a backronym for Getting Out Our Dreams) is an American independent record label founded by rapper Kanye West in 2004. The label entered an exclusive long-term worldwide music distribution, distributi ...

, an imprint of

Def Jam Recordings Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The l ...

in 2007. He gained popularity following the release of his third mixtape, '' Finally Famous Vol. 3: Big'' (2010). His first two studio albums, '' Finally Famous'' (2011) and ''

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

'' (2013), both peaked at number three on the ''Billboard'' 200 and spawned the ''Billboard'' Hot 100-top 40 singles " My Last" (featuring

Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. A Pop music, pop and hip-hop-influenced contemporary R&B, R&B musician who works in a variety of genres, he has been called the "Honorific nic ...

), " Marvin & Chardonnay" (featuring Kanye West and Roscoe Dash), " Dance (Ass)" (remixed featuring

Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as the "Queen of Rap" and one of the most influential rappers of all time, she is noted for her ...

), and " Beware" (featuring

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...

and

Jhené Aiko Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo (; born March 16, 1988) is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B singer and rapper. Aiko embarked on her musical career in 2002, as a backing vocalist and music video performer for the R&B group B2K. She was signed by the ...

). His third album, '' Dark Sky Paradise'' (2015), debuted atop the ''Billboard'' 200 and was led by the single " I Don't Fuck with You" (featuring

E-40 Earl Tywone Stevens (born November 15, 1967), better known by his stage name E-40, is an American rapper. Stevens is a founding member of the rap group The Click (band), The Click and the founder of Sick Wid It Records. He has released 27 stud ...

), which received octuple platinum certification by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA); each of the album's singles—"

Paradise In religion and folklore, paradise is a place of everlasting happiness, delight, and bliss. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical, eschatological, or both, often contrasted with the miseries of human ...

", " Blessings" (featuring

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals and creatures * A male duck * Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...

and Kanye West), " One Man Can Change the World" (featuring

John Legend John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He began his musical career working behind the scenes for other artists, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Every ...

and Kanye West), and " Play No Games" (featuring

Ty Dolla Sign Tyrone William Griffin Jr. (born April 13, 1982), known professionally as Ty Dolla Sign (stylized as Ty Dolla $ign or Ty$), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Griffin gai ...

and

)—also received platinum certification. His fourth and fifth albums, '' I Decided'' (2017) and '' Detroit 2'' (2020), both also debuted atop the chart; the former was supported by the single " Bounce Back", which peaked at number six on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and remains his highest-charting song. In the following year of the latter album's release, he dissociated with West and parted ways with GOOD Music. His sixth album, '' Better Me Than You'' (2024), moderately entered the ''Billboard'' 200 at number 25, and received mixed reviews.

Early life

Sean Michael Leonard Anderson was born on March 25, 1988, in

Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

to Myra and James Anderson. When he was three months old, he moved to

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

, where he was raised by his mother, a school teacher, and his grandmother. Anderson's grandmother, Mildred Leonard, served in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, and was one of the first ever black female captains in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

. He attended the Detroit Waldorf School and graduated from

Cass Technical High School Cass Technical High School (simply referred to as Cass Tech) is a four-year Public magnet high school in Midtown Detroit, Michigan, United States. from the University Cultural Center Association, retrieved June 9, 1001 It was established in 19 ...

with a 3.7 GPA.

Musical career

2005–2006: Career beginnings

In his later years in high school, Sean showed his rhyming skills on a weekly basis as part of a rap battle contest held by Detroit hip-hop station WHTD. In 2005,

was doing a radio interview at 102.7 FM. Hearing about this, Sean came to the station to meet West and perform freestyle. Initially, West was reluctant to hear him; however, he gave him sixteen bars to rap for him. According to Sean, West enjoyed his freestyle: "As we get to the entrance of the radio station ... we stopped in the middle of the doorway. He starts looking at me and bobbing his head." After the freestyle, Sean left West his demo tape. Two years later, West signed Big Sean to

. Sean has cited West,

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...

, The Notorious B.I.G., and

J Dilla James Dewitt Yancey (February 7, 1974 – February 10, 2006), better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer, composer and rapper. He emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michiga ...

as his influences.

2007–2010: Mixtapes and internet following

On September 30, 2007, Big Sean released his first official mixtape ''Finally Famous: The Mixtape''. His hit single, "Get'cha Some", produced by WrighTrax, attained media attention and led to articles in '' The Source'' and the '' Detroit Metro Times''. He also recorded a music video for "Get'cha Some", which was directed by

Hype Williams Harold "Hype" Williams (born August 1, 1970) is an American music video and film director, film producer, and screenwriter. Early life Williams was born in Queens. He is of mixed African-American and Honduran descent. He attended Adelphi Univ ...

. Sean released a second mixtape hosted by Mick Boogie on April 16, 2009, called ''UKNOWBIGSEAN''. It featured the songs "Million Dollars", "Get'cha Some" and "Supa Dupa". This mixtape includes 30 tracks. Sean released a third mixtape hosted by Don Cannon on August 31, 2010, called '' Finally Famous Vol. 3: BIG'', which features include major artists like Bun B, Chip tha Ripper, Curren$y,

Tyga Micheal Ray StevensonMicheal Ray Stevenson

, Mike Posner, Chuck Inglish, Asher Roth,

Dom Kennedy Dominic Ross Hunn (born August 22, 1984), better known by his stage name Dom Kennedy, is an American rapper. His fourth mixtape, ''From the Westside with Love'' (2010), was met with critical acclaim; its sequel, '' From the Westside with Love II' ...

and Chiddy Bang. The mixtape includes 20 tracks. A leak of his collaboration with Drake, "Made" made its way onto the Internet on April 30, 2010. During an interview with TheHipHopUpdate.com on May 1, Big Sean expressed his disappointment over the leak, calling it an unfinished version both musically and lyrically. Big Sean then stated on Facebook that his debut album, ''Finally Famous'' would be released on September 14, 2010. On August 31, Big Sean tweeted that the album was not coming out on that day, but that it would be coming out sometime in 2011.

2011–2012: ''Finally Famous'' and ''Detroit''

In an interview on Conspiracy Worldwide Radio, Sean discussed the role

and No I.D. have had in the development of his first studio album's sonic direction as well as the challenges of being inside the studio with West. The album's

lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...

, " My Last", features vocals from

and was produced by No I.D. According to Amazon.com, Big Sean's ''Finally Famous'' was delayed by a week, with a tentative release date set for June 28. Big Sean revealed the cover art for his G.O.O.D. Music debut and explained that the one-week pushback was to be blamed on sample and feature clearance issues. The official tracklist was revealed on June 7. Big Sean Glasses

'' Finally Famous'', Sean's debut

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

, was released June 28, 2011, and spawned three

hit single A hit song, also known as a hit record, hit single, or simply hit, is a recorded song or instrumental that becomes broadly popular or well-known. Although ''hit song'' means any widely played or big-selling song, the specific term ''hit record'' ...

s; " My Last", " Marvin & Chardonnay" and " Dance (Ass)". The album featured

guest appearance The term guest appearance generally denotes the appearance of a guest in an artistic or pop-culture setting. The guests themselves (referred to as guest artists, featured artists, guest stars, or guest fighters, depending on context), are disting ...

s from

Lupe Fiasco Wasalu Muhammad Jaco (born February 16, 1982), better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco ( ), is an American rapper, record producer and Music education, music educator. Born and raised in Chicago, he gained mainstream recognition for his gue ...

Pharrell Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973), also known mononymously as Pharrell, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and fashion designer. He first became known as one half of the music production duo ...

, Roscoe Dash,

Wiz Khalifa Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and actor. Raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he signed with the local independent label Rostrum Records to re ...

, Chiddy Bang,

Rick Ross William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. An influential figure in modern Hip-hop, hip hop music, Rick Ross has become known for his "Wiktionary:booming, booming" vocal perfor ...

Pusha T Terrence LeVarr Thornton (born May 13, 1977), better known by his stage name Pusha T, is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as one half of the Virginia-based hip hop duo Clipse, which he formed with his older brother No Malice, Malice. M ...

, and included production from No I.D., The Legendary Traxster, Pop Wansel, Xaphoon Jones and

The Neptunes The Neptunes were an American record production duo composed of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, formed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1992. Williams often provided backing vocals and music video appearances on the duo's productions, while H ...

. When the songs "O.T.T.R." and "Flowers" were leaked in July 2011, speculation began of a new mixtape. Sean confirmed in an interview June 28, 2011, that a collaborative mixtape between him and "two other guys in hip-hop that are just killing it right now" will be released "in a couple of weeks".

and Curren$y, were the suspected featured rappers on the mixtape. However, Wiz Khalifa later confirmed that there would be no mixtape, claiming that the songs were created, "just for fun". In July 2011, Big Sean contributed two rap verses to Kelly Rowland's single Lay It on Me, from her Here I Am album. Big Sean collaborated with Hit-Boy in writing and producing the song. In September 2011, Big Sean confirmed in an interview with the ''Daily Tribune'' that he'll be working on his second album during the ''I Am Finally Famous Tour'' and plans to release the album sometime in 2012. On October 19, 2011, Kanye West announced on his Twitter plans for a Spring 2012

album release. On April 6, 2012, "

Mercy Mercy (Middle English, from Anglo-French , from Medieval Latin , "price paid, wages", from Latin , "merchandise") is benevolence, forgiveness, and kindness in a variety of ethical, religious, social, and legal contexts. In the social and le ...

", the

from the GOOD Music

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...

, '' Cruel Summer'', was released. The song, produced by newly signed in-house producer Lifted, features Big Sean along with Kanye West,

and southern rapper

2 Chainz Tauheed K. Epps (born September 12, 1977), known professionally as 2 Chainz (formerly Tity Boi), is an American rapper and actor. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, he gained recognition as one-half of the Southern hip-hop duo Playaz Ci ...

. Big Sean then announced his fourth mixtape would be titled "Detroit" and would serve as a lead-in to his second studio album. He then began promoting the mixtape, releasing short versions of the songs on his

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

page. On September 5, 2012, Big Sean released the mixtape ''

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

'' which features guest appearances from fellow rappers J. Cole,

Juicy J Jordan Michael Houston III (born April 5, 1975), known professionally as Juicy J, is an American rapper and record producer. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, he is a founding member of the Southern hip-hop group Three 6 Mafia, established ...

, King Chip,

French Montana Karim Kharbouch (Moroccan Arabic, Arabic: IPA pronunciation, æɾiːm χɑɾbuːʃ born November 9, 1984), better known by his stage name French Montana, is a Moroccan-American rapper. Born and raised in Morocco, he immigrated to New York ...

Royce da 5'9" Ryan Daniel Montgomery (born July 5, 1977), known professionally as Royce da 5'9" (or simply Royce 5'9"), is an American rapper. Best known for his association with fellow Detroit rapper Eminem, they became acquainted in 1997 and formed the hi ...

Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first music ...

and

Tyga Micheal Ray StevensonMicheal Ray Stevenson

2013–2015: ''Hall of Fame'' and ''Dark Sky Paradise''

Big Sean pushed back the release date of his second studio album ''

'', and it was eventually released on August 27, 2013. The album has skits to give it a "classic feel", and includes features from multiple artists, including

, Miguel, and

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air (S ...

. The album's production was primarily handled by No I.D., and Key Wane along with additional production from

Hit-Boy Chauncey Alexander Hollis Jr. (born May 21, 1987), known professionally as Hit-Boy, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He first signed with fellow producer Polow da Don in 2007 as in-house production staff for his l ...

, and Da Internz, Mike Dean, Travis Scott, Xaphoon Jones and Young Chop among others. Big Sean also stated in an interview that he was in the studio with fellow Detroit native

. Sean went on to say they made a "Detroit classic" but he is unsure if it will be on ''Hall of Fame'' because of "timing issues". ''Hall of Fame'' had spawned five singles, " Guap", " Switch Up" featuring

Common Common may refer to: As an Irish surname, it is anglicised from Irish Gaelic surname Ó Comáin. Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Com ...

, " Beware" featuring

and

, "

Fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a fuel in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. Flames, the most visible portion of the fire, are produced in the combustion re ...

", and "Ashley" featuring Miguel. A month prior to the release of ''Hall of Fame'', Big Sean told ''

Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...

'' that he had already begun work on his third album due to the inspiration from his new relationship. On September 12, 2014, Big Sean announced that he had signed a management deal with Roc Nation. Later that same day he released four new songs titled, " I Don't Fuck with You", "Paradise", "4th Quarter" and "Jit/Juke". Producers for these songs include,

Mike Will Made It Michael Len Williams II (born March 23, 1989), known professionally as Mike Will Made It (often stylized as Mike WiLL Made-It) or simply Mike Will, is an American record producer. He is best known for producing trap beats for several Southern hi ...

, DJ Mustard,

DJ Dahi Dacoury Dahi Natche (born March 10, 1983), known professionally as DJ Dahi or simply Dahi, is an American record producer, songwriter, disc jockey and singer from Inglewood, California. Working primarily in hip hop and R&B music, he has been ...

, Nate Fox, Da Internz, L&F, and Key Wane. "I Don't Fuck with You" was released to iTunes on September 19, 2014. In an interview with Sway Calloway, Sean confirmed that Lil Wayne will be featured on the album. Big Sean 2015

On January 25, 2015, various artists who worked on Big Sean's upcoming third studio album such as

, DJ Mustard,

, Travis Scott and

Ariana Grande Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Regarded as a pop icon and an influential figure in popular music, Grande is known for her four-octave vocal range, which extends into the whistle re ...

posted the album cover to

Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...

Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...

. The next day, Big Sean posted a trailer to his new album which revealed the album's release date as February 24, 2015. The album, '' Dark Sky Paradise'' debuted atop the ''Billboard'' 200 making it his first No. 1 album. He would lead with Video singles for songs entitled "IDFWU", "Blessings", "I Know", "One Man Can Change The World", and "Play No Games." As of February 1, 2016, ''Dark Sky Paradise'' was certified platinum. On December 31, 2015, Big Sean released a track recapping 2015, "What A Year (Ft. Pharrell Williams & Detail)".

2016–2018: ''Twenty88'', ''I Decided'', and ''Double or Nothing''

On March 25, 2016, Big Sean released a track to celebrate his 28th birthday, "Get My Shit Together". Two days later he announced a self-titled album with

, as ''Twenty88'', scheduled to be released on April 1, 2016, exclusively on Tidal. The album was released on April 5, 2016, on Apple Music and Spotify. A week after the exclusive release of ''Twenty88'' on Tidal, Big Sean and Aiko released a 15-minute short film called ''Out of Love'', which is composed of several recordings from the album. Around the same month, upon the wake of the

Flint water crisis The Flint water crisis was a public health crisis from 2014 to 2019 which involved the drinking water for the city of Flint, Michigan, being contaminated with lead and possibly ''Legionella'' bacteria. In April 2014, during a financial crisis, ...

, Big Sean tweeted to the city's official Twitter account, asking if he could do anything to help, and later on donated $10,000. On October 31, 2016, Big Sean released " Bounce Back" as the lead single from his fourth studio album, '' I Decided'', which was released February 3, 2017. "Moves" was released as an instant-great on December 16, 2016. Sean consulted the advice of

Jay Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named the greatest rapper of all time by ''Billboard'' and '' Vibe'' i ...

and

Rick Rubin Frederick Jay Rubin (, ; born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer. He is a co-founder of Def Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings, and former co-president of Columbia Records. Rubin helped popularize hip hop by produci ...

while working on the album. Big Sean achieved his second number one album on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, as ''I Decided'' debuted at the top. It earned 151,000 equivalent album units in the week of February 9, according to Nielsen Music. 65,000 of the number were in pure album sales. As of April 18, 2017, ''I Decided'' was certified gold. Two months after the release of ''I Decided'', Big Sean was offered the official Key to the City of Detroit for his contribution to his own Sean Anderson foundation. On November 3, 2017, Sean and

Metro Boomin Leland Tyler Wayne (born September 16, 1993), known professionally as Metro Boomin, is an American record producer and music executive. Widely acclaimed for his dark and cinematic production style, he is regarded as one of the most influential p ...

released the single "Pull Up N Wreck", featuring 21 Savage. A month later, it was announced that Sean and Metro were to release a collaborative album titled ''Double or Nothing''. The album was released on December 8, 2017, which included features from Travis Scott,

, 21 Savage, Kash Doll,

Young Thug Jeffery Lamar Williams II (born August 16, 1991), known professionally as Young Thug, is an American rapper. Known for his eccentric vocal style and fashion, he is considered an influential figure in modern hip hop music, hip hop and trap music ...

, and Swae Lee, and included the single "Pull Up N Wreck". In 2017, Big Sean voiced the character of Terrence for an episode of

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

's animated series ''

Animals Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the biological kingdom Animalia (). With few exceptions, animals consume organic material, breathe oxygen, have myocytes and are able to move, can reproduce sexually, and grow from a ...

''.

2019–present: ''Detroit 2'', ''Better Me Than You'' and collaboration with The Alchemist

On July 24, 2019, Big Sean released his first solo single since 2017, "Overtime", produced by

, Key Wane, and the Tucker Brothers. In an interview with Beats 1 Radio, Sean said he was "returning to his roots" with the single ahead of his forthcoming album. On July 26, he released the song "Single Again", which includes background vocals from

and

. On August 26, he released the single "Bezerk" featuring ASAP Ferg, performing it at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards. On March 25 (Big Sean's 32nd birthday), he announced that his new record would be titled '' Detroit 2''. On August 25, he released the album's lead single, " Deep Reverence", featuring late rapper Nipsey Hussle. Later on in the year, Big Sean starred in the animated movie '' Trouble'' (also known as Dog Gone Trouble), alongside

Pamela Adlon Pamela Adlon ( ; ; born July 9, 1966) is an American-British actress. She is known for voicing Bobby Hill in the animated comedy series ''King of the Hill'' (1997–2010), for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award. She also voiced Baloo in '' Ju ...

and Lucy Hale. The movie was directed by Kevin Johnson. ''Detroit 2'' was released on September 4, 2020, and features collaborations with Eminem, Jhené Aiko, and Lil Wayne. The album debuted at number one on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' 200, marking his third number-one album. On September 17, 2020, Big Sean revealed in a

Reddit Reddit ( ) is an American Proprietary software, proprietary social news news aggregator, aggregation and Internet forum, forum Social media, social media platform. Registered users (commonly referred to as "redditors") submit content to the ...

AMA that another Twenty88 album is "in the works". A track attributed to the project appeared on ''Detroit 2''. He has also announced that he plans on launching his own record label. On October 29, 2021, Big Sean announced on Twitter that after 14 years, he has stepped away from Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music label, saying "That's a forever brotherhood, but business wise, I had to start getting a bigger cut! I worked my way out that deal." West also claimed during a November 2021 Drink Champs podcast that signing Sean was the 'worst decision' of his entire career. In 2020, Big Sean starred in the Showtime series ''Twenties'' in the recurring role of Trsitan, an anti-social media character who learns the value of online connection. In October 2021, Big Sean released a collaborative extended play (EP) with record producer

titled '' What You Expect'', which peaked at number 76 on the ''Billboard'' 200. In February 2022, Big Sean released a duet single with American singer Queen Naija titled " Hate Our Love", which entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 88. It was intended to lead Naija's second studio album, which remains unreleased, leaving the song a non-album single. In that same month, Big Sean announced an upcoming Twenty88 album, and revealed that the album would include a collaboration with his then-girlfriend, Jhené Aiko. In September of that year, Sean re-released his mixtape ''Detroit'' to streaming platforms, in honor of its tenth anniversary. In July 2024, Big Sean released the collaborative single " Tobey" with fellow Detroit rappers

and BabyTron; it peaked at number 27 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and served as the second single for Eminem's twelfth album, '' The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce)''. Two weeks later, he performed a freestyle on the radio show ''On the Radar'', wherein he indirectly affronted his former label boss Kanye West. As a result, the near-entirety of an unreleased or upcoming Big Sean album was leaked by a user on X. Seemingly undeterred, he wrote on the platform himself later that month: before he announcing his sixth album, '' Better Me Than You'' to be released on August 9. Its lead single, "Yes" was released the following day of the post on July 19. Upon release, the album yielded moderate critical and commercial reception, debuting at number 25 on the ''Billboard'' 200. On September 6, 2024, Sean revealed that he was working with record producer The Alchemist on a collaborative album.

Personal life

Big Sean dated his high school sweetheart, Ashley Marie, whom he met when he was sixteen and started dating at nineteen until their break-up in early 2013. He subsequently began dating actress Naya Rivera, whom he first met on

; their relationship became public in April 2013. Sean and Rivera were engaged from October 2013 to April 2014. He dated singer

from October 2014 to April 2015. Big Sean has been in a relationship with singer

since 2016. In his 2020 song "Deep Reverence", he revealed that Aiko had previously experienced a miscarriage. Their son was born on November 8, 2022. On November 28, 2017, Big Sean purchased an 11,000 square foot home, with 7 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms home in

Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hil ...

. The house was previously owned by

Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985 as a merger of local bands L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band's "classic" line-up consisted of vocalist Axl R ...

guitarist

Slash Slash may refer to: * Slash (punctuation), the "/" character Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Slash (Marvel Comics) * Slash (''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'') Music * Harry Slash & The Slashtones, an American rock band * Nash th ...

. Originally listed at $11 million, Big Sean acquired it for $8.7 million. Big Sean has struggled with depression, canceling a tour in 2018. He credits therapy, a healthy lifestyle, exercise and taking a break from touring to refocus on his music as instrumental in his recovery.

Sean Anderson Foundation

In May 2012, Big Sean founded a nonprofit organization called the “Sean Anderson Foundation,” with the aim of helping underserved children and families in Detroit. Alongside direct donations to local institutions, primarily educational institutions, the foundation has created fundraising programs and partnered with other organizations. In 2016, the foundation launched #HealFlintKids to raise money for the Community Foundation of Greater Flint amid the Flint water crisis – the program raised $100,000. In 2015, the foundation launched Mogul Prep, which partnered high school students with music industry professionals. During the same year, the foundation donated a recording studio for students at Big Sean's alma mater, Cass Technical High School. Beginning in 2018, the foundation has hosted an annual weekend festival, called D.O.N. Weekend, with free events and performances for Detroit residents and usually by Detroit artists. In December 2018, Big Sean in partnership with Ally Financial, Thurgood Marshall College Fund & the Sean Anderson Foundation, created an annual scholarship competition for

HBCU Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of serving African Americans. Most are in the Southern U ...

students called “Moguls in the Making.” In 2019, the foundation partnered with Boys & Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan, donating a second $100,000 recording studio to the club during that year's D.O.N. Weekend. Since 2012, the foundation has participated in the annual All Star Giveback on Thanksgiving, where it distributes turkeys, trimming and canned goods to Detroit residents. In May 2021, Big Sean, via his Sean Anderson Foundation, released a video series on wellness and mental health. The series was released during Mental Health Awareness Month and featured conversation between Big Sean and his mother, educator Myra Anderson, about the intersection between wellness and mental health, including topics like meditation, sleep and emotional freedom techniques.

Other ventures

In October 2008, Big Sean was featured in '' The Source'' and headlined the "Style" section of the magazine. He posed in the Winter 2008 Billionaire Boys Club lookbook, and is a consistent representative of Ti$A apparel. He has an endorsement deal with

Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized in all lowercase since 1949) is a German athletic apparel and footwear corporation headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany. It is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe, and the second largest in the ...

, through which he has released his own "Detroit Player" line of sneakers, and is a follower of the Rosewood clothing style. In 2013, Big Sean launched his own clothing company, Aura Gold. In 2018, Big Sean launched a shoe collection with PUMA, called Puma x Big Sean. The collection included a relaunch of the classic PUMA Suede, released on the shoe's 50th anniversary. In December 2020, Big Sean joined the NBA's Detroit Pistons as creative director of innovation. In that role, he leads the design of team apparel, with practice jerseys bearing his “Don Life” logo, and other non-game, community-driven initiatives. In December 2020, Big Sean joined McDonald's “Black & Positively Golden” mentorship program. The program offers scholarships for HBCU students.

Legal issues

On August 4, 2011, Big Sean was arrested for third-degree

sexual assault Sexual assault is an act of sexual abuse in which one intentionally Physical intimacy, sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or Coercion, coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their w ...

at a concert in Lewiston, New York. On October 26, he pleaded guilty to second-degree

unlawful imprisonment False imprisonment or unlawful imprisonment occurs when a person intentionally restricts another person's movement within any area without legal authority, justification, or the restrained person's permission. Actual physical restraint is n ...

, and was fined $750; the charges of third-degree sexual abuse were dropped as part of the

plea bargain A plea bargain, also known as a plea agreement or plea deal, is a legal arrangement in criminal law where the defendant agrees to plead guilty or no contest to a charge in exchange for concessions from the prosecutor. These concessions can include a ...

. Big Sean's attorney, Scott Leemon, stated that Sean "regrets any misunderstandings that occurred that day and reiterates he did not engage in any type of sexual misconduct."Big Sean Cleared of Sexual Assault Charges: Rapper accepts plea deal for wrongful imprisonment
Matthew Perpetua, ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'', October 27, 2011

Discography

;Studio albums * '' Finally Famous'' (2011) * ''

'' (2013) * '' Dark Sky Paradise'' (2015) * '' I Decided'' (2017) * '' Detroit 2'' (2020) * '' Better Me Than You'' (2024) ;Collaborative albums * '' Twenty88'' (2016) * '' Double or Nothing'' (2017) * ''SeanChemist'' (2025)

Filmography

Tours

;Headlining * I Am Finally Famous Tour (2011) * Detroit Tour (2013) * Hall of Fame Tour (2014) * I Decided Tour (2017) ;Supporting act * J. Cole – Forest Hills Drive Tour (2015) *

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. One of the List of music artists by net worth, wealthiest musicians in the world, List of awards and nominations received by Rihanna, her vario ...

–

Anti World Tour The Anti World Tour (stylized as ANTI World Tour) was the seventh concert tour by Barbadian singer Rihanna, in support of her eighth studio album, ''Anti (album), Anti'' (2016). The tour was announced on November 15, 2015 and began on March 12, ...

(2016)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Big Sean 1988 births Living people African-American male rappers 21st-century American male rappers Cass Technical High School alumni Def Jam Recordings artists GOOD Music artists Musicians from Santa Monica, California Rappers from Detroit Midwest hip-hop musicians MTV Video Music Award winners Rappers from Los Angeles Songwriters from California Songwriters from Michigan Waldorf school alumni 21st-century American rappers Pop rappers African-American male songwriters Record producers from California Record producers from Michigan African-American record producers American hip-hop record producers Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year winners