LcnsdbyROYALTY
New member
*reads the tracklist*
YESSSSSSSSSSSS! I've been saying that shit needed another verse.
YESSSSSSSSSSSS! I've been saying that shit needed another verse.
MeekMonizzLLLLLLe14
New member
i told yall niggas that song with ariana grande gon change the game
LcnsdbyROYALTY
New member
Bcotton5;7756471 said:
Who tha fuck asked you tho?
StillFaggyAF
New member
DetroitBoi313
New member
From Big Sean's album listening session last night
Kazeem Famuyide @RealLifeKaz
Big Sean's album does not disappoint at all. Flame emojis abound. #darkskyparadise
Kazeem Famuyide
@RealLifeKaz
The second Kanye/Big Sean record on the album is so crazy. Produced by La Flame
Kazeem Famuyide @RealLifeKaz
Also, the Big Sean/Chris Brown joint got huge potential. Just fire records all around. Probably his best since Detroit. #DarkSkyParadise
LowKeyUHTN
@LowKeyUHTN
Hearing Ye and Sean go back and forth on "All Your Fault"
LowKeyUHTN @LowKeyUHTN
Oh and Sean snapppppppped on the extended version of "Ransom" #DarkSkyParadise
Andrew Barber @fakeshoredrive
My two favorite records by far are "All Your Fault" f/ Kanye & produced by @CallMeMano & @OGWebbie. This should be the next single. Monster
Andrew Barber @fakeshoredrive
The other is "Play No Games," @BigSean f/ Breezy & Ty $. Fantastic Guy sample. Very Detroit sounding. Made me wanna get a pair of Buffys
Andrew Barber @fakeshoredrive
Just heard the new @BigSean album 'Dark Sky Paradise.' Very well put together and sequenced. A few HUGE potential singles. Gonna make noise.
LowKeyUHTN @LowKeyUHTN
I don't wanna gas, but Big Sean has some SHIT on his hands. #DarkSkyParadise
LowKeyUHTN @LowKeyUHTN
@ossycocotaso it's pretty much like his Detroit mixtape times 20
The DJBooth (DJ Z) @DJBooth ·
Thought 1: "Dark Sky Paradise is definitely Sean’s darkest work yet. It is also a more soulfully driven album then its predecessor."
The DJBooth (DJ Z) @DJBooth ·
Thought 2: "The Kanye and John Legend-assisted "One Man Can Change the World" is the standout track on the album. It's revelatory."
The DJBooth (DJ Z) @DJBooth ·
Thought 3: "“Blessings” is a great example of what to fully expect from the new album, which could elevate @BigSean into an upper echelon."
Kazeem Famuyide @RealLifeKaz
Big Sean's album does not disappoint at all. Flame emojis abound. #darkskyparadise
Kazeem Famuyide
@RealLifeKaz
The second Kanye/Big Sean record on the album is so crazy. Produced by La Flame
Kazeem Famuyide @RealLifeKaz
Also, the Big Sean/Chris Brown joint got huge potential. Just fire records all around. Probably his best since Detroit. #DarkSkyParadise
LowKeyUHTN
@LowKeyUHTN
Hearing Ye and Sean go back and forth on "All Your Fault"
LowKeyUHTN @LowKeyUHTN
Oh and Sean snapppppppped on the extended version of "Ransom" #DarkSkyParadise
Andrew Barber @fakeshoredrive
My two favorite records by far are "All Your Fault" f/ Kanye & produced by @CallMeMano & @OGWebbie. This should be the next single. Monster
Andrew Barber @fakeshoredrive
The other is "Play No Games," @BigSean f/ Breezy & Ty $. Fantastic Guy sample. Very Detroit sounding. Made me wanna get a pair of Buffys
Andrew Barber @fakeshoredrive
Just heard the new @BigSean album 'Dark Sky Paradise.' Very well put together and sequenced. A few HUGE potential singles. Gonna make noise.
LowKeyUHTN @LowKeyUHTN
I don't wanna gas, but Big Sean has some SHIT on his hands. #DarkSkyParadise
LowKeyUHTN @LowKeyUHTN
@ossycocotaso it's pretty much like his Detroit mixtape times 20
The DJBooth (DJ Z) @DJBooth ·
Thought 1: "Dark Sky Paradise is definitely Sean’s darkest work yet. It is also a more soulfully driven album then its predecessor."
The DJBooth (DJ Z) @DJBooth ·
Thought 2: "The Kanye and John Legend-assisted "One Man Can Change the World" is the standout track on the album. It's revelatory."
The DJBooth (DJ Z) @DJBooth ·
Thought 3: "“Blessings” is a great example of what to fully expect from the new album, which could elevate @BigSean into an upper echelon."
Last edited:
StillFaggyAF
New member
infamous114
Moderator
You did the same thing with the last album in regards to the listening session. I'll take the wait and see approach.
LcnsdbyROYALTY
New member
Niggas hypin up that second verse of Paradise and the album in general. Hopefully this shyt is beatin cuz that second album was disappointing as fuck outside of a few tracks
DetroitBoi313
New member
In a room that held fewer than 60 people sitting tucked away in one of L.A.’s most exclusive venues, The SoHo House, select members of the media were introduced to Big Sean’s highly anticipated follow up to 2013’s Hall Of Fame, his third LP Dark Sky Paradise. The general consensus: Big Sean is ready to make a real run for the throne.
The early evening session was hosted by Sean himself, and kicked off with a brief video montage of the “My Last” MC’s journey from his hometown of Detroit to the Hollywood Hills, followed by a few words about how the tumultuous events of this past year, specifically the loss of his grandmother, went into making an album laced with more passion and emotion than his previous work.
From the opening track, “Dark Sky (Skyscrapers),” it was clear that the G.O.O.D Music standout was on a different level, both lyrically and musically. And with a guest list that includes Lil Wayne, Drake and Kanye West, Sean was never once outshone on a track.
From a production standpoint, Dark Sky Paradise is versatile yet consistent, with hit men like DJ Mustard, Mike WiLL Made It, Boi-1da and, of course, Sean’s label boss, Yeezy (whose “All Your Fault” beat might be one of his all-time greats), all showing off some of their 2015-ready styles.
In a room full of oft-unimpressed Hollywood types luxuriating in velvet chairs, each with its own ottoman, people actually began applauding in between songs and turning up to some of the harder hitting joints.
With the Grammys in town, last year’s stars are being celebrated all weekend long, but on this night it may have been a preemptive celebration for a feat that might be more fulfilling than a Grammy: A hip-hop album that actually exceeds its own hype.
Dark Sky Paradise comes out 2.24.15. —Jake Rohn
http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2015/02/big-sean-previews-dark-sky-paradise-listening-party/
The early evening session was hosted by Sean himself, and kicked off with a brief video montage of the “My Last” MC’s journey from his hometown of Detroit to the Hollywood Hills, followed by a few words about how the tumultuous events of this past year, specifically the loss of his grandmother, went into making an album laced with more passion and emotion than his previous work.
From the opening track, “Dark Sky (Skyscrapers),” it was clear that the G.O.O.D Music standout was on a different level, both lyrically and musically. And with a guest list that includes Lil Wayne, Drake and Kanye West, Sean was never once outshone on a track.
From a production standpoint, Dark Sky Paradise is versatile yet consistent, with hit men like DJ Mustard, Mike WiLL Made It, Boi-1da and, of course, Sean’s label boss, Yeezy (whose “All Your Fault” beat might be one of his all-time greats), all showing off some of their 2015-ready styles.
In a room full of oft-unimpressed Hollywood types luxuriating in velvet chairs, each with its own ottoman, people actually began applauding in between songs and turning up to some of the harder hitting joints.
With the Grammys in town, last year’s stars are being celebrated all weekend long, but on this night it may have been a preemptive celebration for a feat that might be more fulfilling than a Grammy: A hip-hop album that actually exceeds its own hype.
Dark Sky Paradise comes out 2.24.15. —Jake Rohn
http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2015/02/big-sean-previews-dark-sky-paradise-listening-party/
YoungChamp
New member
I might get clowned for this but his second album was way better than his first . I still bump it . He just hasn't reached upper echelon yet. We'll see if this album can take him there
DetroitBoi313
New member
Preview: We Heard Big Sean's 'Dark Sky Paradise' And It's Pretty Damn Great
Five things we learned from a first listen of Big Sean's Dark Sky Paradise
Scheduled in the midst of Grammy weekend in Los Angeles, the listening event for Big Sean’s Dark Sky Paradise is a hot ticket. Hosted at Soho House LA, the session caps at an exclusive 60 people, reserved for media, music industry folks, Big Sean and his mom, of course. But once you’ve got that golden RSVP—thanks Def Jam!—finding the small, plush theater is the hardest part.
You’ll run into Pharrell and Terrence J, separately, in the parking lot while making your way to the correct tower. (Later, Nicki Minaj and Meek Mill will stroll into the hotel’s restaurant, hand-in-hand). But once you wander into the West Hollywood hotel’s cinema room, Big Sean is the only star holding court. You’ll pick out your own red armchair, kick up your feet on a personal ottoman and set a flute of Moët & Chandon Rosé Impérial on your side table, while the G.O.O.D. Music vet introduces his third long-player, seemingly both proud and nervous.
“There are so many emotions in this album,” says the 26-year-old, with a looped video of gloomy clouds and the album title projected on a movie screen behind him. “From rapping about my grandma to different situations I went through, hitting so many low points and high points at the same time.” You feel those ups and downs through the 15-song playlist (including bonus tracks), but Dark Sky Paradise (out Feb. 24) is mostly a brooding affair. In just one listen, it’s clear that Big Sean has finally found the edge—and focus—his discography needed. Here are five early takeaways from the best and most cohesive album of his career. —John Kennedy (@youngJFK)
1. This is Big Sean at his darkest
Sean’s first two LPs, Finally Famous: The Album and Hall of Fame, are both built around vibrant turn-up smoothies, from “My Last” and “High” on the former to “Beware” and “Fire” on the latter. The sonic skies are much greyer here. “I Know,” a lethargic duet with Jhené Aiko, is produced by DJ Mustard yet void of the electro bounce for which he’s become known. An extended version of “Paradise,” originally leaked as a snippet by Sean as part of his four-song drop in September, sounds nothing like its title implies, dragging along with Mike WiLL Made It’s low-register tuba and synth sounds. Even when Sean toasts to prosperity with Drake on “Blessings,” there’s an overcast blocking out the suns rays (“Amen,” Drizzy’s 2012 collabo with Meek Mill, would be it’s musical inverse). Big Sean steps into the dark side and it works.
2. But there are bright spots
Lead single “I Don’t Fuck With You”—with it’s grade-A pettiness—is easily the most radiant record on DSP. But the clouds clear by closing tracks. Sean uses an optimistic piano key sound bed on “One Man Can Change The World” to eulogize his late grandmother, who passed away in December after having a stroke: “When I die I hope you teach me how to fly/All my life you been that angel in disguise.” It’s warm and genuine and... why are you still reading this? Go call your grandma and tell her you love her!
“Outro” just has that knock. Pounding drums. Light guitar strings. A sliced-up vocal sample. And a hook-free barrage of punchlines, including this clever couplet: “All these singer bitches know me/like do-re-mi/fa-so-la-ti-do, but dough come first, no late fees.” But once the run time elapses, fittingly, the sound of thunder rolls in and fades out.
3. Every guest holds his (or her) own
But there’s no “Control” moment on Dark Sky Paradise. In fact, Sean probably shines brightest on “Blessings” alongside hip-hop’s number one and two, Kanye West and Drake (in no particular order). Still, nothing is phoned in. Chris Brown and Ty Dolla $ign unite for another anthem (“Play No Games”). Sean trades bars with Kanye on the dope “All Your Fault.” Wayne shows he’s still got it on “Deep” (although his Cash Money shoutout dates the extended verse to sometime pre-Birdman beef). And ever since Detroit’s “I’m Gonna Be,” Sean and Jhené Aiko have been batting 1.000.
4. The deluxe version is worth the extra $
Once you make it to the bonus tracks, the mood lifts. Melodies get a bit lighter. And Sean has some fun. On “Research” he vents about having Robocop for a GF, mocking: “These hoes be doing research/I swear, she like, ‘This piece of hair up in the sink ain’t come from me first,’” as his real-life wifey Ariana Grande floats all over the hook. He’s nostalgic on “Platinum & Wood” and the PARTYNEXTDOOR-featured “Deserve It.” The former reminisces on pre-fame high school days while the latter cleverly recalls a tale of a run-in with a woman named Alicia, a top-percentile baddest chick of his graduating class. (Cryptic moral of the story: Everything ain’t for everybody.)
5. This might be Big Sean’s best project to date
Dark Sky Paradise has a conciseness, honesty and confidence to rival his awesome freebie, Detroit. Sean’s unique flow hops on and off the tracks every now and again, but his wordplay is at its wittiest. I’ve only heard the album once, but it’s sounding like Sean’s potential and performance have finally intersected. See for yourself when DSP drops on Feb. 24. And grab the deluxe (see #4)!
http://www.vibe.com/article/preview-big-seans-dark-sky-paradise-album
Five things we learned from a first listen of Big Sean's Dark Sky Paradise
Scheduled in the midst of Grammy weekend in Los Angeles, the listening event for Big Sean’s Dark Sky Paradise is a hot ticket. Hosted at Soho House LA, the session caps at an exclusive 60 people, reserved for media, music industry folks, Big Sean and his mom, of course. But once you’ve got that golden RSVP—thanks Def Jam!—finding the small, plush theater is the hardest part.
You’ll run into Pharrell and Terrence J, separately, in the parking lot while making your way to the correct tower. (Later, Nicki Minaj and Meek Mill will stroll into the hotel’s restaurant, hand-in-hand). But once you wander into the West Hollywood hotel’s cinema room, Big Sean is the only star holding court. You’ll pick out your own red armchair, kick up your feet on a personal ottoman and set a flute of Moët & Chandon Rosé Impérial on your side table, while the G.O.O.D. Music vet introduces his third long-player, seemingly both proud and nervous.
“There are so many emotions in this album,” says the 26-year-old, with a looped video of gloomy clouds and the album title projected on a movie screen behind him. “From rapping about my grandma to different situations I went through, hitting so many low points and high points at the same time.” You feel those ups and downs through the 15-song playlist (including bonus tracks), but Dark Sky Paradise (out Feb. 24) is mostly a brooding affair. In just one listen, it’s clear that Big Sean has finally found the edge—and focus—his discography needed. Here are five early takeaways from the best and most cohesive album of his career. —John Kennedy (@youngJFK)
1. This is Big Sean at his darkest
Sean’s first two LPs, Finally Famous: The Album and Hall of Fame, are both built around vibrant turn-up smoothies, from “My Last” and “High” on the former to “Beware” and “Fire” on the latter. The sonic skies are much greyer here. “I Know,” a lethargic duet with Jhené Aiko, is produced by DJ Mustard yet void of the electro bounce for which he’s become known. An extended version of “Paradise,” originally leaked as a snippet by Sean as part of his four-song drop in September, sounds nothing like its title implies, dragging along with Mike WiLL Made It’s low-register tuba and synth sounds. Even when Sean toasts to prosperity with Drake on “Blessings,” there’s an overcast blocking out the suns rays (“Amen,” Drizzy’s 2012 collabo with Meek Mill, would be it’s musical inverse). Big Sean steps into the dark side and it works.
2. But there are bright spots
Lead single “I Don’t Fuck With You”—with it’s grade-A pettiness—is easily the most radiant record on DSP. But the clouds clear by closing tracks. Sean uses an optimistic piano key sound bed on “One Man Can Change The World” to eulogize his late grandmother, who passed away in December after having a stroke: “When I die I hope you teach me how to fly/All my life you been that angel in disguise.” It’s warm and genuine and... why are you still reading this? Go call your grandma and tell her you love her!
“Outro” just has that knock. Pounding drums. Light guitar strings. A sliced-up vocal sample. And a hook-free barrage of punchlines, including this clever couplet: “All these singer bitches know me/like do-re-mi/fa-so-la-ti-do, but dough come first, no late fees.” But once the run time elapses, fittingly, the sound of thunder rolls in and fades out.
3. Every guest holds his (or her) own
But there’s no “Control” moment on Dark Sky Paradise. In fact, Sean probably shines brightest on “Blessings” alongside hip-hop’s number one and two, Kanye West and Drake (in no particular order). Still, nothing is phoned in. Chris Brown and Ty Dolla $ign unite for another anthem (“Play No Games”). Sean trades bars with Kanye on the dope “All Your Fault.” Wayne shows he’s still got it on “Deep” (although his Cash Money shoutout dates the extended verse to sometime pre-Birdman beef). And ever since Detroit’s “I’m Gonna Be,” Sean and Jhené Aiko have been batting 1.000.
4. The deluxe version is worth the extra $
Once you make it to the bonus tracks, the mood lifts. Melodies get a bit lighter. And Sean has some fun. On “Research” he vents about having Robocop for a GF, mocking: “These hoes be doing research/I swear, she like, ‘This piece of hair up in the sink ain’t come from me first,’” as his real-life wifey Ariana Grande floats all over the hook. He’s nostalgic on “Platinum & Wood” and the PARTYNEXTDOOR-featured “Deserve It.” The former reminisces on pre-fame high school days while the latter cleverly recalls a tale of a run-in with a woman named Alicia, a top-percentile baddest chick of his graduating class. (Cryptic moral of the story: Everything ain’t for everybody.)
5. This might be Big Sean’s best project to date
Dark Sky Paradise has a conciseness, honesty and confidence to rival his awesome freebie, Detroit. Sean’s unique flow hops on and off the tracks every now and again, but his wordplay is at its wittiest. I’ve only heard the album once, but it’s sounding like Sean’s potential and performance have finally intersected. See for yourself when DSP drops on Feb. 24. And grab the deluxe (see #4)!
http://www.vibe.com/article/preview-big-seans-dark-sky-paradise-album
DetroitBoi313
New member
PREVIEW: BIG SEAN’S “DARK SKY PARADISE” SERVES AS HIS COMING OUT PARTY
This past weekend was a pretty eventful one for Big Sean. As the Grammy Awards rolled through Los Angeles, it was the California born-Detroit raised G.O.O.D. Music mainstay that made one of the biggest impressions of anyone throughout the weekend. Although Kanye West’s antics during and after the popular awards show, it was his protege that got most of the people talking throughout the weekend.
It started on Friday afternoon when Sean invited select members of the media and industry folks to listen to his brand new album, Dark Sky Paradise in it’s entirety. The listening session, which took place in Soho House in Los Angeles, started off with a video montage that chronicled the rappers journey from his humble beginnings and rapping for Kanye West outside of a radio station to where he is now. Narrated by the MC and devoid of any background music, the video really hammered home Sean’s trials and tribulations since the release of his critically-panned yet moderately commercially successful sophomore album, Hall Of Fame.
He would touch on his failed engagement with Naya Rivera, the passing of his grandmother, falling for Ariana Grande, and his own struggles for growth as a solo artist. The album has a decidedly more focused and serious tone that hasn’t been seen since the release of his masterful mixtape, Detroit. The loss of his grandmother seems to be the focal point of Sean’s growth, which he briefly speaks on in his single, “Blessings.”
The album begins with the lo-fi produced “Dark Sky (Skyscrapers).” Much like on the intro for Detroit, and intros of his past work, Sean catches you up on what you may have missed about his journey. Sure by now, you know all about how he got here (rapping for ‘Ye at a radio station, album pushbacks, mixtape delays, eventual success), but this is the first intro where he specifically states why he’s here. In the past, he’s always spoke about how proud he was of his grandmother and the strength that she showed throughout her life. Mildred V. Leonard, who passed away at the age of 93 this past December, is as inspirational as it gets. She was black female Captain in World War 2 and was a police officer in the city of Detroit. When Sean dives deep into his own consciousness to find strength in his life, he often times mentions the strength her grandmother had in a time when it wasn’t easy to have it. That is driven home on the album’s intro, which sonically serves as an interlude to “Blessings,” featuring Drake.
The third song which features Kanye West and distant adlibs from Travis $cott is titled “All Your Fault.” Produced by West, OG Webbie and Mano, it is an early stand-out on the album. Riding off of the momentum of “Blessings,” it features ‘Ye and Sean trading verses back and forth in the style of their early hit “Marvin Gaye & Chardonnay” but without the cheekiness of their earlier collaborations. The song features the soulful production precision of earlier West music with the hard-hitting energy of recent G.O.O.D. collaborations like “Mercy” and “Clique.” That song leads right into the E-40 featured hit “IDFWU.”
The massive “IDFWU” is followed by a song which has the potential to be just as big a hit for Sean called “Play No Games.” Produced by Key Wane and featuring Chris Brown and Ty Dolla $ign, the song has just as much soul as anything Sean has put out in his career. Much like all the collaborations on this album, and contrary to his past work, Sean doesn’t let the feature artists of the song overpower him on the record. Brown and Ty’s contributions to the records are mostly there to enhance. While Brown handles hook duties on the record, Ty Dolla brings it home at the end with a memorable bridge that drew a round of applause once the song ended in the theater. It was one of those songs that you hear once and knew that you were going to hear it over and over again in the coming months.
“Deep” was a record that I wasn’t crazy about as it started. However, a memorable Lil Wayne verse saved all of that at the very end. While most would probably think Wayne would take his spot to talk about how great he is, he dedicated the entire verse to Sean’s lyrical prowess. He explains in vivd detail why Sean doesn’t get as much credit as he deserves, pointing mostly to his clean cut image devoid of any tattoos or gang affiliations. Wayne says that if Sean was more like the Young Money maestro, alluding to his own criminal past, tattoos, and gang signs, that Sean would be more celebrated. He details how hard it is for a young rapper to bare his soul on records about family, fame, betrayal and love while ending his stanzas with “man, that s**t deep” like a lyrical comma.
The soulful tone throughout the album hits a crescendo on “One Man Can Change The World” featuring West and John Legend. While this Kanye feature is a lot more subdued than the earlier “All Your Fault,” John Legend does his John Legend thing where he makes us pass around a collection plate mid-song. If this writer was executive producing this album, he would’ve ended the album right there on this track. However, Sean’s “Outro” serves as a nice bookend to a project that serves as his best work since Detroit. In many aspects, it is better than Detroit because of the cohesion and the laser-like focus on this record. It seems like Sean refused to stick to one flow on each song and when he uses one verse to ride the beat, he almost always on cue goes for a double-time verse on his next stanza.
The bonus cuts have a decidedly different tone than the rest of the album. Although the songs are good, you can tell that they didn’t fit with the desired theme of Dark Sky Paradise. The PARTYNEXTDOOR-featured “Deserve It” has the OVO Sound crooner in more of a rapping pocket than a singing pocket. While the fun-loving “Research,” featuring Sean’s main squeeze Ariana Grande, has just as much single-potential as any song on the album. “Research” serves as an anthem for people in relationships who live in a social age of finding out everything about a person you are romantically interested in on the internet, in your cell phone, or through mutual friends. Sean turns the tables on women in the song who fish for something wrong in phones, DMs and more while name-dropping famous artists that a women he may have met that may have been linked with. Artists like Trey Songz, Drake and Chris Brown are rapped about by Sean, in which he mentions that they might all laugh and giggle when he would bring a girl around, knowing that she may have been “loving the crew” in more ways than one.
All in all, Dark Sky Paradise is a welcomed return to form for Sean who seemingly had the world in his hands in 2012. He refused to be out-rapped on any record on the G.O.O.D. Music collaboration album, Cruel Summer, and followed up those standout performances with what was arguably the best mixtape of that year in Detroit. While Hall Of Fame had its moments, it seemed to linger on entirely too long while a lot of the songs were heavy on features but wasn’t as lyrically dense as Detroit.
Dark Sky Paradise is concise, focused, and soulful. It’ll be hard to find fault in his latest work. Sean’s already a success, but this album should be the project that brings Sean to the upper-echelon of his rap peers. Drake took the first step and J. Cole joined him after the release of 2014 Forest Hills Drive. Only time will tell if this is Sean’s coming out party. It should be.
Dark Sky Paradise hits stores on February 24th, 2014.
http://thestashed.com/2015/02/10/preview-big-seans-dark-sky-paradise-serves-coming-party/
This past weekend was a pretty eventful one for Big Sean. As the Grammy Awards rolled through Los Angeles, it was the California born-Detroit raised G.O.O.D. Music mainstay that made one of the biggest impressions of anyone throughout the weekend. Although Kanye West’s antics during and after the popular awards show, it was his protege that got most of the people talking throughout the weekend.
It started on Friday afternoon when Sean invited select members of the media and industry folks to listen to his brand new album, Dark Sky Paradise in it’s entirety. The listening session, which took place in Soho House in Los Angeles, started off with a video montage that chronicled the rappers journey from his humble beginnings and rapping for Kanye West outside of a radio station to where he is now. Narrated by the MC and devoid of any background music, the video really hammered home Sean’s trials and tribulations since the release of his critically-panned yet moderately commercially successful sophomore album, Hall Of Fame.
He would touch on his failed engagement with Naya Rivera, the passing of his grandmother, falling for Ariana Grande, and his own struggles for growth as a solo artist. The album has a decidedly more focused and serious tone that hasn’t been seen since the release of his masterful mixtape, Detroit. The loss of his grandmother seems to be the focal point of Sean’s growth, which he briefly speaks on in his single, “Blessings.”
The album begins with the lo-fi produced “Dark Sky (Skyscrapers).” Much like on the intro for Detroit, and intros of his past work, Sean catches you up on what you may have missed about his journey. Sure by now, you know all about how he got here (rapping for ‘Ye at a radio station, album pushbacks, mixtape delays, eventual success), but this is the first intro where he specifically states why he’s here. In the past, he’s always spoke about how proud he was of his grandmother and the strength that she showed throughout her life. Mildred V. Leonard, who passed away at the age of 93 this past December, is as inspirational as it gets. She was black female Captain in World War 2 and was a police officer in the city of Detroit. When Sean dives deep into his own consciousness to find strength in his life, he often times mentions the strength her grandmother had in a time when it wasn’t easy to have it. That is driven home on the album’s intro, which sonically serves as an interlude to “Blessings,” featuring Drake.
The third song which features Kanye West and distant adlibs from Travis $cott is titled “All Your Fault.” Produced by West, OG Webbie and Mano, it is an early stand-out on the album. Riding off of the momentum of “Blessings,” it features ‘Ye and Sean trading verses back and forth in the style of their early hit “Marvin Gaye & Chardonnay” but without the cheekiness of their earlier collaborations. The song features the soulful production precision of earlier West music with the hard-hitting energy of recent G.O.O.D. collaborations like “Mercy” and “Clique.” That song leads right into the E-40 featured hit “IDFWU.”
The massive “IDFWU” is followed by a song which has the potential to be just as big a hit for Sean called “Play No Games.” Produced by Key Wane and featuring Chris Brown and Ty Dolla $ign, the song has just as much soul as anything Sean has put out in his career. Much like all the collaborations on this album, and contrary to his past work, Sean doesn’t let the feature artists of the song overpower him on the record. Brown and Ty’s contributions to the records are mostly there to enhance. While Brown handles hook duties on the record, Ty Dolla brings it home at the end with a memorable bridge that drew a round of applause once the song ended in the theater. It was one of those songs that you hear once and knew that you were going to hear it over and over again in the coming months.
“Deep” was a record that I wasn’t crazy about as it started. However, a memorable Lil Wayne verse saved all of that at the very end. While most would probably think Wayne would take his spot to talk about how great he is, he dedicated the entire verse to Sean’s lyrical prowess. He explains in vivd detail why Sean doesn’t get as much credit as he deserves, pointing mostly to his clean cut image devoid of any tattoos or gang affiliations. Wayne says that if Sean was more like the Young Money maestro, alluding to his own criminal past, tattoos, and gang signs, that Sean would be more celebrated. He details how hard it is for a young rapper to bare his soul on records about family, fame, betrayal and love while ending his stanzas with “man, that s**t deep” like a lyrical comma.
The soulful tone throughout the album hits a crescendo on “One Man Can Change The World” featuring West and John Legend. While this Kanye feature is a lot more subdued than the earlier “All Your Fault,” John Legend does his John Legend thing where he makes us pass around a collection plate mid-song. If this writer was executive producing this album, he would’ve ended the album right there on this track. However, Sean’s “Outro” serves as a nice bookend to a project that serves as his best work since Detroit. In many aspects, it is better than Detroit because of the cohesion and the laser-like focus on this record. It seems like Sean refused to stick to one flow on each song and when he uses one verse to ride the beat, he almost always on cue goes for a double-time verse on his next stanza.
The bonus cuts have a decidedly different tone than the rest of the album. Although the songs are good, you can tell that they didn’t fit with the desired theme of Dark Sky Paradise. The PARTYNEXTDOOR-featured “Deserve It” has the OVO Sound crooner in more of a rapping pocket than a singing pocket. While the fun-loving “Research,” featuring Sean’s main squeeze Ariana Grande, has just as much single-potential as any song on the album. “Research” serves as an anthem for people in relationships who live in a social age of finding out everything about a person you are romantically interested in on the internet, in your cell phone, or through mutual friends. Sean turns the tables on women in the song who fish for something wrong in phones, DMs and more while name-dropping famous artists that a women he may have met that may have been linked with. Artists like Trey Songz, Drake and Chris Brown are rapped about by Sean, in which he mentions that they might all laugh and giggle when he would bring a girl around, knowing that she may have been “loving the crew” in more ways than one.
All in all, Dark Sky Paradise is a welcomed return to form for Sean who seemingly had the world in his hands in 2012. He refused to be out-rapped on any record on the G.O.O.D. Music collaboration album, Cruel Summer, and followed up those standout performances with what was arguably the best mixtape of that year in Detroit. While Hall Of Fame had its moments, it seemed to linger on entirely too long while a lot of the songs were heavy on features but wasn’t as lyrically dense as Detroit.
Dark Sky Paradise is concise, focused, and soulful. It’ll be hard to find fault in his latest work. Sean’s already a success, but this album should be the project that brings Sean to the upper-echelon of his rap peers. Drake took the first step and J. Cole joined him after the release of 2014 Forest Hills Drive. Only time will tell if this is Sean’s coming out party. It should be.
Dark Sky Paradise hits stores on February 24th, 2014.
http://thestashed.com/2015/02/10/preview-big-seans-dark-sky-paradise-serves-coming-party/
DetroitBoi313
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Big Sean - One Man Can Change The World (ft Kanye West & John Legend)
http://www.sharebeast.com/wt9rvfk5c00s
https://soundcloud.com/cantsingh/big-sean-one-man-can-change-the-world-ft-kanye-west-john-legend
http://www.sharebeast.com/wt9rvfk5c00s
https://soundcloud.com/cantsingh/big-sean-one-man-can-change-the-world-ft-kanye-west-john-legend
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