Big Sean surprises, excites with latest album

Big Sean is a rapper with great potential and it has always been evident, from his first mixtape Finally Famous to his most recent album, 2015’s Dark Sky Paradise. He has always had the opportunity to be amongst the rapping elite, but factors hold Sean back from being great.

Sean’s biggest hits such as “Dance” are nothing but overplayed club songs with his ego scattered throughout. He’s rich, girls love him, he has a lot of money and he reminds listeners of that over and over again.

His projects have lacked a story or a narrative that listeners can truly get behind. That being said, Sean’s Dark Sky Paradise was a big step in the right direction. It has the typical Sean club songs, and scatters reminders of his ego across the album, but Sean also has a serious tone in many tracks on the album. Dark Sky Paradise provided a path for Sean to be one of the best rappers today, and with his latest album I Decided, Sean has finally reaches that destination.

I Decided is a truly pleasant surprise. In a year where major artists such as Drake, Eminem, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj and Jay-Z, all plan to release projects, I Decided was barely a blip on many people’s radars prior to its release. The people who did download the album mainly anticipated Eminem’s feature on the album. Surprisingly, the album was so much more than that.

I Decided rectifies all the issues with Big Sean and his music. The album has a great narrative. There are no weak tracks and the songs that sound like they could be played in the club have story and meaning behind them. Sean also dials down the ego and actually displays some signs of humility and empathy.

The album contains a narrative throughout the tracks of Sean as an older version of himself trying to correct the mistakes of his younger self. By the end of the album, Sean starts fresh, both in the narrative and in real life. This album feels like a rejuvenation for Sean’s career, a stepping stone for what he can do instead of an example of what he didn’t do.

The album contains no bad tracks. The album provides a blend of dark-toned trap beats with great rhymes and attention-grabbing flow, as well as heart-felt, almost gospel rhymes and sound. Standout tracks include “Hanging off the Balcony,” “Inspire Me,” “No Favors,” “Sacrifices” and “Bounce Back.” Eminem’s feature on “No Favors” and Migos’ feature on “Sacrifices” were not wasted. Every one of the aforementioned songs contains witty and clever wordplay to undoubtedly keep the listener engaged.

The early sequence of the tracklist proves to be an issue, albeit a minor one. The first song of the album, “Light” with Jeremih, is a soulful, almost gospel-like track, and it is followed by the dark-toned, up-beat track “Bounce Back.” If the listener plays the album on a shuffle, no problem. But for those listening to the album in sequence, it would be better for the “Light” to be followed by “Same Time Pt. 1.” That way, the album has a more congruent tone throughout. People who aren’t interested in the story of the music might find the skits between tracks as a little confusing and pointless. But, again, that depends on the listener.

Overall, Big Sean finally did it. He finally takes that leap forward into the current rapping elite, and I Decided is the jumping pad. The album is almost perfect, with no unplayable or mediocre tracks throughout, and the best songs on the album are truly great. For hip-hop fans, 2017 starts off strong with Big Sean’s I Decided, and it gets a eight out of 10.