Big Sean Is Done Trying to Prove Himself

Big Sean isn’t holding onto things anymore.

The Detroit rapper has been through a roller coaster of life milestones in the last four years since he dropped his last album, Detroit 2. He and Jhené Aiko had their first child and he finally got out of his deal with GOOD Music. He’s also been actively fighting burnout as he works through several music projects, while writing a book at the same time. And now Sean, who is 36, is moving with a sense of assuredness that only comes after you’ve put in the internal work. His sixth studio album, Better Me Than You, sounds like he’s actively been working on letting go of grudges.

“I've been looking at [Better You Than Me] as a living, breathing being because I decided to put it out this week,” Big Sean tells Complex, just two days before he’s set to release his latest album. “I was going to keep holding onto it. I had a song with Nicki [Minaj] that I was working on. One of the Twenty88 [sequel] songs, I was like, ‘Oh, it kind of fits better on the album,’ but it wasn't all the way done yet. I kept pushing it back, and I'm just like, ‘Bro, let's just go.’ I got so much music that it's just starting to pile up, and I'm like, I want to get this out now and get in the habit of not being so attached to things.”

Better Me Than You has some similarities to Detroit 2; on both, he reflects on the challenges he has faced throughout his life and the necessary hurdles he had to jump over to elevate to new heights. Where they differ, however, is in what the hurdles are now, and the methods he’s using to get beyond them. The overarching theme on Better Me Than You is that you have to go through some shit to get to some shit—and Sean spends time on songs like “Boundaries” and “Apologize” breaking down what he does and doesn’t have space for in his life now, like deceitful friends and draining relationships. These stories are assisted by the album's ‘90s inspired, soulful beat selection—like when he samples Jodeci on “On Up”—thanks to collaborators such as Hit-Boy, Alchemist, and more.

While Big Sean is concerned about maintaining his peace in a chaotic rap world, he doesn’t care as much about proving himself to the next generation of rap fans who might not be familiar with some of his older work. After dropping his latest single, “Yes,” some social media users joked that he was a Baby Keem impersonation. There have also been running jokes about Kendrick Lamar stepping on his release dates by dropping music on the same day, like when his “Like That” verse was released on the same day as Sean’s “Precision.” Speculation and comments like these don’t bother Sean, though, because he knows the years of work he’s put in.

“There are always things that you can go into my discography and see that I'm literally just picking apart what I've already done,” he said. “But it ain't no disrespect to none of them. And even if I was inspired by Baby Keem, I would say that. I wouldn't be too proud to be like, ‘Oh yeah, I got that from Keem’ or whoever or whatever. That is what music is, too. People get inspired by people and you make it into your own, but that just wasn't the case this time.”

We talked to Big Sean about his sixth studio album, Better Me Than You, how he became good friends with movie director James Gunn, and his influence on rap.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

How have your emotions around the arrival of this album been different compared to albums of the past?
Every project is different. If I think about every single one, I was going through something completely different in my life every time, that's the beauty of life though. It's like it's never the same thing, and it is a forever-fleeting feeling. And when you realize that we are here for such a limited amount of time, it's like you just appreciate all the ups and downs and everything that comes with it. This may be the only time that we get to really feel and go through all of that. So I just embrace it all, man, and realize that every situation is an opportunity no matter what.

The title, Better Me Than You, instantly reminded me of “Lucky Me” off of Detroit 2 where you sarcastically go in on how you’re thankful for all of the obstacles you’ve experienced in your life because they made you stronger. Is there any correlation between that song and this album title?
That's funny because “Lucky Me,” it's kind of like a play on the phrase “lucky you,” but it is “lucky you” because you get to go through it. So yeah, there is a correlation and you're the only one who's ever asked that question. That's something that even my friends or that people that are in the studio with me every day have never asked. But yeah, the concept of the album is similar in the sense of Better Me Than You [means] that you're the one that gladly gets to go through all of the things in life that are changing your whole surroundings. So whether it's you breaking a generational curse for your family, moving your mama out the hood, whether it's the one that you got to take the extra pressure by having a hectic schedule. You're the one who has to just go through the stressful times because you're the one who's anointed enough to do it. You don't gotta do it, you get to do it. So to me, the whole point of the album is that when I'm holding my son, that's how I feel. And sometimes it's on dad, sometimes it's on his mom that we have to push through, but one day it's going to be on him, and when it is time for him to step up, he going to be understanding and handle it with pride.

How do you think fatherhood informed this project?
There isn’t a course to fatherhood that's like, “Oh, you got it.” It's like an ongoing learning process. Fatherhood has been the best experience and the newest experience that I've ever gone through. It's just a completely different thing. It's not like writing a book or making an album or whatever you would think it is. It’s the best thing that ever happened to me. 

Is the cover art meant to be aura photography? Why did you choose to go with this and what is the symbolism of the glow coming from your chest?
No, it wasn't. But it's in that vein because you see that aura coming from my chest, but at the same time, the light, and then you see the colors of the album kind of mixed in the light. So the colors of the album do resemble the aura. The album represents the four elements of pressure, focus, clarity, and happiness. So all of those are mixed onto the cover as well. The four elements on the album just represent the four styles of songs. So there are songs that are pressure intense, like “Yes,” or even the intro. And then there are songs that I have moments of clarity on, and then there are songs that are about one specific thing that are focused. And then there are songs that are good and happy songs.

One of my favorite bars from you that I find myself quoting often in my head is, “Late nights mixed with early days, it’ll probably be this way until the pearly gates” from “Holy Key.” That’s a challenging lifestyle to lead, how do you fight getting burnout these days?
So I have been burnt out lately because I have chosen to take so much on by doing multiple music projects. So what I mean by that is my album, and then also cooking up with Alchemist too, and then also cooking up Twenty88 ideas, and then also writing a book that I feel super passionate about that I feel is super necessary for more than my audience or anyone. So I have been overdoing it, and I think that the other day when I was going on live and people were kind of posting this clip of me being super emotional, almost crying. So many people were checking on me, but I was actually happy. I was just emotional because I had just had [Covid-19] two days before that, and I was still sick, hadn't slept, and I just decided that I was going to put the album out this week. It was like a lot of just things. I was just having a real moment, and I'm sure a lot of people can identify who are working on something or who are fucking dealing with the heaviness of life sometimes. But it is something that is a constant balance, and I have been burnt out a few times in my life, and it's something I think that's unavoidable for people who have a mission. And I do feel like I'm on a mission.

I wasn’t expecting to hear Dwayne Johnson make a cameo on the album. When did y’all become friends?
I've been blessed enough to have these friends. Another friend of mine that's a random one probably is [director] James Gunn. He ended up being my neighbor for a while, and I don't want to say what event occurred, but an event occurred where the whole neighborhood was outside, and he's like, “Big Sean?” I'm like, “James Gunn, what the fuck?” We started connecting, and I'm an ultra comic nerd. And I was talking to him like, “Man, I just saw Guardians of the Galaxy, but I love how you changed it up from the comic book.” He was like, “Damn, come over and smoke a cigar with me and talk.” We ended up just kickin it, and he's like, “Man, come on set with me while I'm doing Superman.” Of course, I've been busy and haven't made it, but we've been in contact. That's my boy, though—not even playing like James Gunn is my dog.

The Rock is another person who I just would connect with, and I actually saw him at Hotel Bel-Air. That's how we met.It was one day I was doing something there and saw him there, and we just ended up connecting. And when the energy is right, it just turns into a friendship. So that voicemail wasn't for my album. That was an actual voicemail, and then when I put it on a song, I was like, “Yo, it kind of fits it,” and he was like, “It is perfect, bro.” I wasn’t trying to be thirsty, but he had just left me that as I was doing the song, so it almost felt like it was meant to be.

You said on “Million Pieces” that your dad had some unfulfilled dreams to be an actor. Do you think that could subconsciously be another reason you want to act in a superhero movie with The Rock, so your pops can live vicariously through you?
What's crazy is my mother was an actor even before my father. My mom was an actress who was doing a lot of commercials and things and lived in New York. My dad would be like, “Man, your mom bringing home $10,000 checks.” They lived in New York for 10 years, and then my mom moved to L.A. to pursue acting, but this was back in the ‘80s. There were only like three slots for Black women back then to be an actress. So anyway, she got pregnant with me while she was out in L.A. doing that, had me, and then ended up moving back to Detroit, because on top of that, she's the smartest woman in the world. 

So she has a degree from the University of Michigan, and then a master's from NYU. My dad even then was into acting, but later on in life, after he saw me do music, he's like, “Man, I feel like I could do this acting.” My dad is so dynamic. He has so much character, so much heart. My parents are getting a little up there in age, so he would get his ass beat for being on the wrong side of the train tracks growing up. My dad is a phenomenal, amazing guy, so he's dedicated. So as an actor, he's been doing a lot of plays around the city. He's been getting hired for things, he actually had a movie that was at Sundance as well that he had a small role in. But when I recorded the song, I said, “It never happened” at the time when I recorded it. But I'm proud of him for pursuing it and making it his reality as much as he can.

I mentioned “Holy Key” earlier, and another line that I often revisit in that verse is “I hear a little bit of me in all your favorite rappers.” What do you think your influence has been on the rap game?
My influence on the rap game is something that I don't like talking about because it comes off as like I am trying to find some type of credit. For me, the influence that I've had on people—and people know because they tell me when I see 'em face to face. You know what I mean? And that's from all sorts of rappers and people will be like, “Oh, the GOAT,” and people will come to me and be like, “Yo, bro, I appreciate you. I got that from you.” I do appreciate the impact I've had, and what's crazy is sometimes I even see that people think that I'm biting other people when it's like, “Wait a minute, this is my style from 10, 11 years ago.” And I kinda get that sometimes.

Did you see the memes of people trying to say you were biting Baby Keem’s flow on your song “Yes?” What do you think when you see comments like that?
I don't really think too much about it. I remember one time I was hooping in this community court, and these kids were playing some songs I did, and they were playing “All Me” where I’m like “Hoe shut the fuck up.” And I remember one of the kids was like, “Oh, did you get that from Baby Keem?” But the kid had to be like, I don't know, 14. My point is that I just don't read too much into it, man. But there are always things that you can go into my discography and see that I'm literally just picking apart what I've already done. But it ain't no disrespect to none of them. And even if I was inspired by Baby Keem, I would say that, I wouldn't be too proud to be like, “Oh yeah, I got that from Keem” or whoever or whatever. That is what music is too. People get inspired by people and you make it into your own, but that just wasn't the case this time. But if it was, I would be like, “Yeah.”

And people still deserve props. You don't understand how hard it is to make something out of music. It is one of the most spiritual things, besides making a life. You're making it out of nothing essentially. And you leave with a whole creation that has a vibration to it. It has a whole meaning, it can resonate with somebody. So there is no room to hate on none of that shit, bro. I am sending love to everybody. Whoever they say, I sound like, it is all love.

On “Wire Me” you reference talking to the Mayor Mike Duggan about getting 42 Dugg out of prison, What role did you play in his freedom?
I don't know if I played a role in getting 42 Dugg out, but I definitely was talking to the mayor, and I'm cool with all the city officials in Detroit, and I'm just like, “Yo, what we got to do to get bro out? This is ridiculous.” It was funny, right before 42 got locked up, we were spending a lot of time together. He was out in [Las] Vegas with me when I did some shows. He was out there doing his thing, just talking more, building more. He was like, “Yo, how can I get more into [the sports teams],” I work a lot with the sports teams. I really fuck with him, I'm glad he made it out. I'm not saying I had anything to do with it either, but I'm just saying that it was definitely on my mind, and I definitely did bring it up [to the city officials].

You close “Wire Me” with “It ain’t a diss if this shit facts.” That feels like a purposeful way to end the album, and it reminds me of you leaving your number on the outro of Dark Skies Paradise. Why did you want to end the album on that note?
So it's not the outro on the album as of yet, because right now, conceptually, I got this song I did with Kaytranada called “My Life” as the last song. That kind of concludes the album from a conceptual standpoint, and it's basically more so saying it is the light at the end of the tunnel, and I wanted to end it like that. But then, after I had already turned it in and was releasing it, I was like, I kind of do want to go one more step further and maybe even add an alternate ending, how they do with movies and stuff to the album.

I've been looking at [the album] as a living, breathing being because I decided to put it out this week. I was going to keep holding onto it. I had a song with Nicki [Minaj] that I was working on. One of the Twenty88 songs, I was like, “Oh, it kind of fits better on the album,” but it wasn't all the way done yet. I kept pushing it back, and I'm just like, “Bro, let's just go.” I got so much music that it's just starting to pile up, and I'm like, I want to get this off now and get in the habit of not being so attached to things.

Who were you referencing when you said that “You’re seeing niggas getting drowned out because they can’t switch up the flows?”
To be real with you, when I thought of the bar, I just thought it was clever. I just see a lot of times where people get bored with people's flows. Sometimes it's the same flow. I've seen that in a lot of artists.

Were you sending a jab at Lil Yachty with that “lil boat” line?
I wasn’t talking about [Lil Yachty]. Yachty is on the album as well. On “Yes,” he’s doing adlibs with me. I'm glad you said that, no I'm not taking a jab at Yachty. It was like a whole double entendre. [If I was referencing him] that would have been a whole other entendre [Laughs]. He was in the studio with me while I was making the album. He actually has a verse on [“Yes”] too. I might throw it on there later.

This album is so personal, do you care where it charts or how it sells first week?
I mean, I care, but at the same time, I've also had back to back to back No. 1 albums. So more importantly, I just want the people who fuck with me to have new music from me. If I did care so much about those numbers, I probably would've waited and had more features and more of that. But honestly, I'm tired of playing that game. I kind of just want to make music for my listeners, people who fuck with me. There's a lot of people who love me. There's a lot of people who fucking hate me too. I think the success is just making the music to me, and everything else is cherries on top. Of course I would love to be No. 1 and do all these amazing things, but I'm winning regardless, bro. 

Even when I was looking at all of that old Drake footage coming out and Travis Scott doing his 10 years with Days Before Rodeo, I just realized that I was there for that. And back then I was still doing it, and I wasn't even a new artist then. I'm like 16 years in, bro. At this point, I've already got to a level of success that I kind of just can't even base it off of that anymore. I would if it was my first album or my second album or my third album or my fourth album. But it's like when you get to your fifth and sixth, it's like who knows what's going to happen. But I do know that I'm glad I'm putting it out in the world. I don't have a big radio single. I just didn't play it that way this time. I am just going off of feeling.