Sean Michael Leonard Anderson, better known by his professional name Big Sean, is a popular American rapper. Sean, currently signed to Kanye West's GOOD Music and Def Jam, has received several awards throughout his career including the MTV Music Awards and the BET Awards. He cites stars like Eminem and Kanye West as inspiration. The artist has released a total of four music albums to date.
He launched his career with his first official mixtape, "Finally Famous: The Mixtape". He gained popularity in 2011 after releasing his debut studio album, "Finally Famous", which was released by GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings.
Debuting at number three on the Billboard 200, the album was a commercial success, selling 87 copies in the US within its first week. His latest album "I Decided" was released in February 000. It was a huge success, reaching number one on the US Billboard 2017. Probably the best work of his entire career, it was also critically acclaimed.
He also made headlines because he was arrested in August 2011 after a teenage girl claimed she was sexually assaulted by a rapper during a concert. After a plea deal, Sean was fined $750.
Childhood and youth of Big Sean
Sean Michael Leonard Anderson was born on March 25, 1988 in Santa Monica, California, USA. His parents are Myra and James Anderson. Sean was raised by his mother, grandparents. From an early age, he was instilled with the principles of hard work and always tried to be a real man who would protect his family.
He attended the Detroit Waldorf School, where he studied from kindergarten through eighth grade. He later attended Cass Technical High School where he began to develop his musical career. He also made many friends and admirers and also earned the respect of his peers with his musical skills.
Sean developed a close relationship with Detroit's local radio station 102.7FM, where he showed off his rhyming skills weekly.
There he met Kanye West after a radio interview in 2005 and was given the opportunity to showcase his freestyle talent to Mr. West by gifting him a copy of his music and submitting many tracks for criticism.
After months of submitting songs and numerous meetings, Sean finally got a call from Kanye West himself, who said he wanted to sign him.
How did it start?
When Kanye West was doing a radio interview on 102.7 FM in 2005, Sean went to the station to meet him and did some freestyle. West was impressed, although he was not initially enthusiastic about it. However, two years later Sean was signed to West label GOOD Music.
Big Sean's first official mixtape "Finally Famous: The Mixtape" was released in September 2007. His single "Get'cha Some" was a hit and received a lot of media attention. He also recorded a music video for this song which was directed by Hype Williams. He also soon released his second and third mixtapes "UKNOWBIGSEAN" and "Finally Famous Volume 3: BIG", which were released in April 2009 and August 2010 respectively.
Big Sin albums
In June 2011, his debut studio album "Finally Famous" was released. The album, which featured guest stars such as Kanye West, Wiz Khalifa and Rick Ross, peaked at number three on the US Billboard 200 and was a commercial success. In its first week of release, the album sold 87 copies in the US.
In September 2011, he confirmed that he was working on his second studio album. "Mercy", the single from the album, was released in April 2012. The song peaked at number thirteen on the US Billboard 200 and received mostly positive reviews.
His second album Hall of Fame was finally released in August 2013. It debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 and sold 72 copies in its first week. It also received mostly positive reviews.
His third album "Dark Sky Paradise" was released in February 2015. With guest appearances from stars such as Kanye West, Ariana Grande and Chris Brown, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. It was also a commercial hit. As of December 2015, it has sold 350 copies in the US alone.
He collaborated with Jene Aiko on the studio album Twenty 88, which was released in April 2016. The album peaked at number five on the US Billboard 200. It was a commercial success and received mostly positive reviews.
Release of the album "I Decided"
In February 2017, Sean released his fourth album, I Decided. It was a commercial success, reaching number one on the US Billboard 200 and receiving mostly positive reviews.
In the following months, Sean also appeared on notable singles such as 21 Savage / Metro Boomin's "Pull Up N Wreck", Calvin Harris' "Feels" with Pharrell Williams and Katy Perry, and "Miracles (Someone Special)" with Coldplay. To complete his year, Sean joined forces with Metro Boomin for the collaborative album Double or Nothing.
Main works of Big Sean
Released in August 2013, Hall of Fame is one of Big Sean's most significant works. The album, which included singles such as "Fire" and "Beware", peaked at number three on the US Billboard 200.
It peaked at number 10 on the Canadian albums and number 56 on the UK charts. It was a commercial success, selling 72 copies in the US within its first week. It received mostly positive reviews.
Dark Sky Paradise, Sean's third album and one of his most important works, was released in February 2015. With singles such as "Dark Sky", "Blessings" and "Play No Games", the album became a huge hit, peaking at number 1 on the US Billboard 200. It also performed well in other countries: 28th Australian Albums, No. 29 Danish Albums, No. 23 New Zealand Albums, and No. 30 Norwegian Albums. The album was also a commercial success and received positive reviews.
Twenty88, a studio album released in 2016, is a collaboration between Big Sean and songwriter Jene Aiko. The album was a huge success, reaching #5 on the Billboard 200.
The album, which included singles such as "On the Way", "Selfish" and "Talk Show", sold 40 copies within the first week of its release. It peaked at No. 000 on the Australian Albums, No. 82 on the Canadian Albums, and No. 28 on the UK Albums. Reviews were mostly positive.
Big Sean Singer Awards and Achievements
Throughout his career, the singer has won a total of two BET awards, six BET Hip Hop awards and one MTV Video Music Award. He also received three nominations at the Billboard Music Awards and four at the Grammys.
Personal life
Big Sean once dated Ashley Marie, his high school sweetheart. However, the couple broke up in early 2013.
After some time, Sean began dating actress Naya Rivera. Their engagement was announced in October 2013. But the couple ended their relationship later. He also dated American singer Ariana Grande for some time, but their relationship did not last long either. Shop is currently dating Jen Aiko, with whom he recorded an album.
