Most of us have our own hobbies, things that peak our interest, or things we generally just love to do. Maybe a hobby of yours came to mind. Let’s imagine for a moment that while doing your hobby (writing for example) you’re approached by your favorite author. Sounds pretty exciting right? Now imagine your favorite author wants to pay you millions of dollars to help you get the life you’ve always dreamed of. For us it’s simply fun to imagine, but for Detroit native Sean Michael Leonard Anderson it was a reality, and the world would soon be introduced to the 18 year old better known as Big Sean.
Who is Big Sean?
Preparing for the big stage at the age of 11, Sean began writing and rehearsing his first rap lyrics for his mom, who he’d later give credit as his #1 fan. In 2007, while he was still in high school, word of a famous rapper coming in town to do a radio interview was buzzing. When he learned the famous artist that was coming to town was the artist that he’d idolized for years, the artist that he was inspired by to make music in the first place. The thought of his favorite rapper visiting his city and not taking a shot at meeting him did not sit well. Sean made his mind up that he would not miss the opportunity to meet Kanye West. Armed with nothing but a made up story about leaving something in the radio studio from the day before and a head full of rhymes, Big Sean made his way to the radio station. Once he made it in and came face to face with his idol, he performed an impromptu audition for the rap superstar. Obviously pleased with the performance, Kanye signed the teenage high school student to a record deal and moved him to Los Angeles. Eager to make his presence known throughout the industry Big Sean soon released a trilogy of mixtapes and as a testament to his newfound fame, entitled them “Finally Famous 1, 2 and 3”. After honing his skills and building anticipation for an official studio album, “Finally Famous” the album was released in 2011 scoring Sean his first hits with “My Last” and “Marvin and Chardonnay” both of which spent at least 20 weeks on Billboard’s Hot 100. He went on to release 3 more studio albums between 2011 and 2017. All were able to produce charting hits but were released to mixed reviews by fans.
Something’s Missing
Sean went from being a high school kid living with his mom and a dream, to purchasing the former home of legendary Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash quicker than he could’ve expected. By now it was no longer a taste of fame he was experiencing, it was an entirely new lifestyle. Years spent crafting and fine tooling his art in efforts to have his voice heard by the masses. He now had fame, accolades, and more money than he could count: things he always wished for. To highlight the issue, I’ll pose a question: what does it mean when you reach inside yourself to bring inspiration and joy to others, but you come up empty? The hunger and drive that his rise to fame was fueled by had escaped him, and he didn’t know where to find it. In a recent interview with Apple Music, the rapper said, “I got to a point where I felt broken inside.” He went on to explain that after years of being in the spotlight and taking care of everyone around him that he forgot to take care of himself.
Now What?
A lot of us fall victim to the “rat race” that has become our world, to the point that we sometimes unknowingly neglect the most important person in the whole process: OURSELVES! To better understand his thoughts and feelings, Sean began regular visits to a therapist. The most courageous acts for anyone struggling with their own thoughts and the pressures from life is to acknowledge that they are not happy with the way they feel and seek or accept help. To some it seems simple enough, but to others, accustomed to being the person everyone comes to with their respective issues, the thought of taking time to understand your own thoughts can almost feel like a selfish one. To counter this thought, I always give the example of airplane safety emergency protocols. If you’ve ever flown, you’re familiar with the flight attendances’ instructions for an emergency; we’re told that if anything happens and our oxygen masks deploy, adults are to make sure their masks are secured before securing any children or anyone else that may need assistance. The logic behind this, is that we’re unable to effectively help anyone around us until we’ve first helped ourselves. It’s more of an injustice to the people you love, allowing yourself to run on fumes. If you have a family of 5 that relies on 1 car, the top priority of the family is the wellbeing of said vehicle. Therapy gave Sean an outlet that allowed him to explore his own feelings, while providing life tools, such as meditation that he could implement day to day. Before deciding to give therapy a try Big Sean went through what many would consider, a rough patch, in his career. He’d released a number of singles and collaborations projects that were not well received by his fans. In spring of 2018, his mentor Kanye West produced a string of 7 track albums for other friends and label mates, most notably: Kid Cudi, Teyana Tayler, and Nas. When the time came for Ye to produce a project for Sean, he was unable to find inspiration during his studio sessions. So instead of releasing an uninspired album he walked away from it all with hopes of rediscovering his passion for the music, but more importantly life itself.
Home is Where the Heart is
Love has always played a guiding role in Sean’s life, whether it’s love from his family, or the love from a celebrity girlfriend. Sean’s love life has been anything but private; his last three serious relationships were with women experiencing superstardom as well. Women like former Nickelodeon child star turned Grammy award winning singer Ariana Grande, 3x Grammy nominated singer Jhene Aiko, and late star of the award winning tv series GLEE, Naya Rivera. Dating a pair of Grammy nominated singers and a tv star isn’t relatable to the majority. For the most, part you and I are able to enjoy a private relationship with our significant others. I can only speak for myself, but I’ve never walked by a news stand and saw a picture of me and my girlfriend on the front page of the National Examiner with the headline “Trouble in Paradise?”, and for that I’m thankful. The balancing act of work, school, personal life, and everything else that falls in between is enough for anyone to experience moments of anxiety, that can lead to feelings of claustrophobia or even worse, a potential panic attack. If these feelings make their way to you, it’s best to take some slow deep breaths, and mentally put yourself somewhere you feel safe and comfortable. For Big Sean there was only one place that brought him the comfort he’d been missing over the years. It just so happened the place he first discovered his love for music, would be the same place he would find the oxygen necessary to breathe life back into his music. Inspiration was all around him, speaking from a music standpoint, Detroit, Mi is historically known as the birthplace of Motown Records. The label that brought legendary acts such as Diane Ross, Stevie Wonder, and the incomparable Michael Jackson. Sean’s voyage back home proved to be beneficial to the survival of his career and more importantly, his mental health. After spending much needed time back home, and allowing himself time to reflect on life, he rediscovered his inspiration. Now with a renewed appreciation for life Big Sean was ready to work on his newest project, which he would endearingly title Detroit 2, as an ode to his hometown.
The Bounce Back
Working on past projects Sean had always used the same formula: write about events going on in his life and turn it into inspiration. The only difference was that his hiatus accumulated to 3 years of events by this time. One of the many benefits he’s able to take from his ongoing therapy sessions is a stronger ability to communicate thoughts and feelings which translate into his music. Sometimes we take our own value for granted by not allowing ourselves to grow due to circumstances, oblivious to the joy our growth brings to those that love and care for us. In a recent interview with Apple Music, Sean explained that “elevating yourself in all aspects can spread through the world”, acknowledging that before making a positive impact on those around us, we have to focus on being the best version of ourselves. It may sound simple enough but elevating yourself comes with its own set of obstacles; it’s a journey that requires a strong support system. When Sean found out that former wrestler and current Hollywood leading man Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was a fan of his music and followed him on Instagram, he sent a sample track to the movie star during the making of his upcoming album. Moments later The Rock posted a video of him working out to that same track. Big Sean said the actor told him, “A lot of people send me songs and they’re wack! But this one inspired me to get through my workout”. This moment of positive reassurance was what the rapper would continue to build on. Sean himself has been on his own self-proclaimed fitness journey and found that it’s brought him peace and increased his self-confidence.
Awareness and Acceptance
Lately there’s been an increase of hip-hop artists doing their part to help change the stigma of mental health. Rappers like LOGIC with his release of the song “1-800-273-8255” titled after the National Suicide Prevention Line as well as J. Cole offering an in depth look at the dangers of self-medicating and the benefits of meditation with his 2018 album “KOD”. Big Sean’s release of Detroit 2 on September 4th is projected to come in at #1 on Billboard charts, tackling conversations about self-care, personal issues with depression, and learning to find happiness within yourself. Since his reemergence over the past year or so, he’s made it his mission to start open dialogues advising anyone dealing with personal struggles whether mentally or emotionally to seek help and find a support system. He’s served on many open panels about these topics, spreading the word that none of us are ever truly alone, and if you feel that way, there’s nothing wrong with talking about it to someone. Like many artists, this year brought a halt to numerous music festivals they planned on attending; Sean was scheduled to perform at both Coachella and the Rolling Loud Festival. Instead of relaxing for those months he worked on putting the final touches to the album, bringing the total number of songs on the album to 21! When asked about the time gap between his last album and the latest, he said, “This is the longest I’ve ever gone without releasing a project” and also added, “but that’s because this is my best ever.” No one is immune to pressures of the world; things like depression, anxiety, and stress affect people worldwide every day. The truth is that it doesn’t have to end there. Acknowledging there’s an issue and accepting the help to better yourself can be the most rewarding action. Even if it means stepping away from something you love for a moment to make this life your best ever.
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