“I Decided” Big Sean is a formidable rap talent

Sean Michael Leonard Anderson, aka Big Sean, is well known for his solo singles as well as extremely popular duets with artists such as Ariana Grande and Jhene Aiko. He released his fourth studio album on Feb. 3, “I Decided.,” looking to re-establish his rugged solo style.

As a general music enthusiast, I have heard of Big Sean multiple times, but could never commit to him as a fan. This album proved to me that he is as much of a lyricist as he is a pure musician. He surely does not receive enough recognition for his talent.

At a certain point in almost any musician's career, they release a “homecoming” sort of album. This was Anderson’s. Many of the recurring topics of the album were attributed to family life, his rollercoaster ride to the spotlight and recognition of his present fame.

His rise has been slow but progressive. Anderson signed with G.O.O.D. Music, a subsidiary of Universal Music founded by Kanye West. The second song on the album directly addresses the struggle to acquire success.

Despite the barriers of entry into entertainment, “Light” references Anderson’s persistence in pursuing his dream. In lyrics like “Nah the boy’s that bright / Even if you take away my life, you can’t take the light,” he metaphorically speaks about his talent as a “Light”, hence the title.

The replayability of this album is immense because each song has its own individual style and natural musicality.

My favorite song on the album has to be “Jump Out the Window.” Personally, I have a weird obsession with the combination of rap beats with piano. Anderson’s raspy vocals with Jeremih providing the contrasting smooth and soulful hook developed the song into a masterpiece.

Anderson showed a little Detroit love by collaborating with the infamous rapper Eminem on “No Favors.” This is not the first time the two have worked together, so they both provided this song with a more gangster rap feel in comparison to the rest of the album.

Big Sean managed to gain at least one new fan with his most recent release. In each one of his songs, he painted vivid pictures through metaphors. He incorporated beautiful contrast through a variation of music styles as well as differing voices. Currently, this is one of my favorite albums of the year.