There are two things that determine a person’s success, talent and opportunity. Big Sean knows their value first hand. After years of perfecting his craft, when the opportunity to make his dreams come true had arisen, he was well-prepared. Taking time from his hectic schedule, the Good Music artist shared his childhood, inspirations, and arguably the most important day of his life.
We listened to all of your mixtapes and we are definitely impressed.
That’s the best. All I really ever ask is that people listen. That means the world.
When did you know that you wanted to be an artist and who inspired you?
I knew I wanted to a rapper when I was twelve. I stood in front of my class and said I wanted to be a rapper and my teacher was like “Aww hell no”… Called my mom and everything. What really inspired me was the girls. All of the girls at the time loved Mase, Puff Daddy, Biggie, and Tupac. That was really my inspiration. At twelve, all you are trying to do is be cool and get girls. That’s how it started, but as I got older I took it more seriously as an art form.
We did our research and discovered that you are a 90’s era Bad Boy fan. What was it about those artists that impressed you?
It was fresh. I felt that Mase was just like ‘that player.’ My whole personal is just that Detroit player. I love to make music that people love and can relate to it at the same time. Mase was such a player and he was slick with it. His wordplay was really good and he was just talking that fresh shit that people love to hear.
I really respected Big because he brought so much style to the game in the sense of rapping and his clothes. He was probably my biggest influence. I always try to bring new styles to the game. I brought that style of witty one word punchlines that Drake made more popular and Drake says that he got it from Big Sean. I was the first person to rock Pop Out chains. I wore sample in my first video. I always try to set trends and be that Detroit player because that’s what we do here.
We were out on location in Detroit on the set of Street Kings 2: Motor City and we noticed the wide gap between the rich and poor. How did it affect you as you were growing up?
That’s a great question because I grew up in the middle of West-side Detroit but I was bussed to to a private rich school everyday that specialized in art and poetry. It really helped mold me. I went to school with wealthy kids from different ethnic groups and came back to hood and hung with my homies. They were all good friends of mine. I was able to see the whole spectrum of my city. That’s something that most people don’t get to see. I’m sure it had a lot of impact on me as an artist because I can relate to both extremes.
You were one of few artists to honestly get a deal with help from a local radio station in this era. Tell our readers how you met Kanye West that led to you signing with Good Music.
When I was sixteen, my grandma bought me a car. Me and one of my best friends at the time drove to the radio station every Friday night. Emcees would gather up and battle, the winner would get on the air and rap for thirty minutes. It was the dopest shit ever. It was the best opportunity you could give a starving artist. Me and my homie became regulars on the show. We starting going every week for about a year.
Kanye was there promoting his first album and because of my relationship with the staff I was able to make it pass security with ease. When I met him, I was like “I’m an aspiring emcee. I do the show every Friday”. He was like “keep it up”. I said “Can I rap for you?” He said he didn’t have time and he was running late. I said “Please… You’re my hero.” Kanye changed his mind and said that he would listen to sixteen bars but I would have to do it as he was walking out. I spit my heart out because I knew it was my one chance… I was rapping like ten minutes straight. Before I realized, there was a crowd of people standing there and they started clapping. I handed Kanye my CD. The story goes on and on. It definitely wasn’t an overnight process.
How does it feel to be on a label with so many stars?
It’s a dream come true. I’m on a label with Common, Kudi, Pusha T, Mos Def… I felt pressure at first but then I remembered that I’m here for a reason. Nothing happens on accident. A lot of people say that I’m lucky. I say luck is when preparation meets opportunity. When I met Kanye West, if I was wack as hell, it wouldn’t have turned into anything. I had a chance and I was able to take full advantage of it.
– BE’N ORIGINAL
