A Deep Dive on Big Sean's 'Dark Sky Paradise': Liner Notes

Did you know Big Sean almost never released the biggest song of his career?

He was feeling unsure about “I Don’t Fuck With You,” and when he played it for Beyoncé, she told him she thought it was "a little disrespectful.”

Then Jay-Z stepped in. He loved the song, arguing that people would understand Sean was just having fun. Hov felt so strongly that he texted Sean for weeks, telling him, "Every day you're not putting that song out, you're losing."

Fortunately, Sean listened to Jay-Z’s advice, and the rest is history. It went on to get over a billion streams, becoming the centerpiece to his 2015 album Dark Sky Paradise.

10 years later, the chart-topping album has been pressed on special clear vinyl for the 10-year anniversary, available only on Complex. To celebrate, we’re dedicating this week’s edition of Liner Notes to a deep dive on Dark Sky Paradise.

A Note From the Artist

In a 2015 interview with GQ, Big Sean explained what Dark Sky Paradise means to him. “It is darker than any album I’ve ever done,” he said. “And I went through some dark times just like we all do, with relationships, personal relationships, romantic relationships, creatively. I feel like I had to dig myself out of a hole creatively and bounce back hard.”

Speaking on the creative process, he added, “I built a recording studio in my house. I had Kanye and a lot of other people come through. It enabled me to live the music out. Almost every feature and producer came through, and we recorded it mostly at night. But throughout all of it, despite all the dark and crazy times I’ve been through, I still feel this is paradise. I’ve come a long way from that two family flat, and spending my last 40 dollars on studio sessions. That title means a lot to me, and once you hear the album you’ll understand it even more.”

Collaborators

The features on this album are insane. Big Sean got verses from Drake, Lil Wayne, Kanye West, and Jhené Aiko, to name just a few. And the production is even crazier. To get the triumphant and atmospheric sound he was going for, Big Sean tapped the best producers in the world. It was executive produced by Kanye, who was joined by A-list producers like Mike Will Made It, DJ Mustard, Mike Dean, DJ Dahi, and T-Minus. In hindsight, there’s no way this album could have failed.

Lyrics

Is anyone better at making motivational rap songs than Big Sean?

On the intro “Dark Sky,” he raps about how he literally went from a basement to skyscrapers, and throughout the album, he's honest about the hard work and challenges that led to his success, repeatedly preaching the power of manifestation.

Like on the third verse of “Blessings” when he raps:

“Always down for the cause, never down for the count
I guess when your stars align, you do like the solar system and plan it out
So I'm going over time on the overtime
Yeah, I'm that invested, but you can't attest it
Million-dollar goals, managed to manifest it”

A lot of artists rap about their triumphs, but not many take their listeners through the challenging road to success quite like Big Sean. How could you hear these lyrics and not want to run through a wall?

Exclusive Vinyl Pressing

In honor of the album's 10-year anniversary, Big Sean pressed a special 2LP deluxe vinyl edition of Dark Sky Paradise. The clear vinyl variant is available exclusively on Complex. Supplies are limited. Get yours here before they're gone.