By Korina Lopez, USA TODAY
Finally Famous: That's the title of Big Sean's debut album, new this week, which features collaborations with Kanye West, Wiz Khalifa, Lupe Fiasco and John Legend. He's on tour with Khalifa and his single, My Last, features Chris Brown. But he wasn't always so well connected. The album title refers to years of hard work and trying times. And a chance encounter with Kanye West.
Handout
Big Sean grew up in Detroit, near Eminem's old stomping grounds in Detroit.
Handout
Big Sean grew up in Detroit, near Eminem's old stomping grounds in Detroit.
The Kanye connection: For the 23-year-old, whose real name is Sean Anderson, meeting West was a dream come true. "I had a job working as a telemarketer, and I was standing in line at the bank waiting to cash my $120 check when my friend called to tell me that Kanye was at the radio station (102.7 FM in Detroit)," says Big Sean, who was a junior in high school at the time, "I left without cashing my check, went home to grab my demo CD and went to the station." What happened next is the stuff of dreams. "He walked by me and I was nervous, but I thought, this is your shot, so I ran up to him and right before a security guard slammed me, I asked him if I could rap for him," he says. "He said, 'You have 16 bars,' which is the equivalent of a verse, 'and you have to do it while we're walking.'" Those 16 bars turned into 10 minutes after West stopped, started bobbing his head and even ad libbed. "I was so scared, I was rapping to the pavement, but when I looked up, I saw a big crowd had gathered. And everyone cheered," Big Sean says. "It was my moment."
Leading up: That pivotal point wasn't just luck. "The radio station let me in the door because I was doing a show the night before and I said I forgot my phone," he says. Anderson and his then-best friend, Pat (rapper Pat Piff), had been winning weekly rap battles at the station. "It's funny, we rapped against people much older than us, and we just kept winning for a year," he says. "So we were able to keep coming back."
Different paths: While Anderson's ambition kept him focused on music, Pat took another route. A few months after meeting West, his label, G.O.O.D. Music, flew the pair to New York City to perform for the execs. "Pretty soon after that meeting, we graduated high school and Pat moved away for a couple of years," Big Sean says. "He got involved with the wrong crowd, making bad decisions and that took a toll on our relationship." In 2005, Sean was signed to Kanye's label. The label passed on signing Pat. "We'll always be friends, but he's just not in the same state of mind as me. I've cried in front of grown men about it."
Keeping the faith: "I gave up everything, my scholarships to Michigan State, just for the idea that Kanye would call me," he says. "Instead of going out and living on my own, I stayed at my mom's house. I went through some of the toughest times of my life for this, but it makes now seem so much sweeter." When he felt like giving up, Big Sean's mother kept him going. "She would pay for my studio sessions, she gave me inspiring books like The Alchemist to read," he says. "You know, when I told one of my high school teachers that I wanted to be a musician, she told me I was throwing my life away. Now that same teacher wants me to come back and speak to the school about being successful."
Coming up: Big Sean has plenty of plans. "After this tour with Wiz, I'm going to go on my own tour," he says. "I also am doing a bunch of fashion collaborations, like with Adidas. When I'm home I cook my own dinner, all organic," he says. "Maybe I'll have my own cooking show."
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