Big Sean
Sean Michael Leonard Anderson[2] (born March 25, 1988),[3] known professionally as Big Sean, is an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan. He met high-profile rapper Kanye West as a teenager, and signed with his record label GOOD Music, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings in 2007. He gained popularity following the release of his third mixtape, Finally Famous Vol. 3: Big (2010). His debut studio album, Finally Famous (2011) peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and spawned the Billboard Hot 100-top 40 singles "My Last" (featuring Chris Brown), "Marvin & Chardonnay" (featuring Kanye West and Roscoe Dash), and "Dance (Ass)" (remixed featuring Nicki Minaj). His second album, Hall of Fame (2013) was supported by the top 40 single "Beware" (featuring Lil Wayne and Jhené Aiko), and likewise peaked at number three on the Billboard 200.
Big Sean
Sean Michael Leonard Anderson
March 25, 1988
Santa Monica, California, U.S.
- Rapper
- songwriter
- actor
2007–present
- Don Life
- FF to Def
- Roc Nation
- Def Jam
- GOOD (former)[1]
1
His third album, Dark Sky Paradise (2015) debuted atop the US Billboard 200 and was led by the single "I Don't Fuck with You" (featuring E-40), which received octuple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA); each of the album's singles—"Paradise", "Blessings" (featuring Drake and Kanye West), "One Man Can Change the World" (featuring John Legend and Kanye West), and "Play No Games" (featuring Ty Dolla Sign and Chris Brown)—also received platinum certification. His fourth and fifth albums, I Decided (2017) and Detroit 2 (2020) likewise peaked atop the chart; the former was supported by the single "Bounce Back", which peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains his highest-charting song. In the year following the latter album's release, he dissociated with West and parted ways with GOOD Music.
Early life
Sean Michael Leonard Anderson was born on March 25, 1988, in Santa Monica, California[4] to Myra and James Anderson. When he was three months old, he moved to Detroit, Michigan, where he was raised by his mother, a school teacher, and his grandmother.[3][5] Anderson's grandmother, Mildred Leonard, served in World War II, and was one of the first ever black female captains in the United States Army.[6] He attended the Detroit Waldorf School and graduated from Cass Technical High School with a 3.7 GPA.[7]
Musical career
2005–2006: Career beginnings
In his later years in high school, Sean showed his rhyming skills on a weekly basis as part of a rap battle contest held by Detroit hip-hop station WHTD.[8] In 2005, Kanye West was doing a radio interview at 102.7 FM. Hearing about this, Sean came to the station to meet West and perform freestyle. Initially, West was reluctant to hear him; however, he gave him sixteen bars to rap for him. According to Sean, West enjoyed his freestyle: "As we get to the entrance of the radio station ... we stopped in the middle of the doorway. He starts looking at me and bobbing his head."[9] After the freestyle, Sean left West his demo tape. Two years later, West signed Big Sean to GOOD Music. Sean has cited West, Eminem, The Notorious B.I.G., and J Dilla as his influences.[10][11]
