Review: Big Sean, "Dark Sky Paradise"

Big Sean: Dark Sky Paradise 

G.O.O.D. Music

Released February 24th 2015

Big Sean has been a polarizing figure in hip-hop for a few years now, following several mixtapes and two albums prior to his new LP, Dark Sky Paradise, which happens to be his best one yet. This may sound like high praise for someone like Sean with a decent body of work, but his last two albums (Finally Famous: The Album and Hall of Fame) experienced lukewarm critical reception, typically spawning a few big singles like "Dance (A$$)" and "Beware" and then fading into obscurity for anyone but serious Sean fans. 

I have never been a massive Sean fan, my first exposure being through "Dance" and some of his poppy singles that he's appeared on over the years. When I began to dig a bit deeper into hip-hop, I came across his more renowned verses on songs like "Mercy" and "Looking for Trouble," and though these small bits and pieces certainly showcased Sean's potential, most of the songs I checked out afterward usually disappointed me enough that I wouldn't bother pursuing any of his other work. 

This changed when someone told me to listen to his 2012 mixtape Detroit, which featured excellent tracks like "24k of Gold" with J Cole and "Life Should Go On" with Wale. The tape was filled with warm production by Key Wane and a soulful feel that Sean had never quite achieved on Finally Famous and still didn't when Hall of Fame dropped.

Dark Sky Paradise changes that trend. Gone are some of the filler songs from Hall of Fame like the forgettable and somewhat embarassing "MILF" and all-out pop from Finally Famous like "Dance." Instead, Sean finds himself trading verses with Kanye and rapping over incredible production from powerhouses like Mike Will Made-It, DJ Dahi, and, of course, Key Wane.

The album's first single "I Don't Fuck With You" didn't mesh with everyone when it released back in September, but it immediately got me excited for the album. The bouncy DJ Mustard beat combined with DJ Dahi and Kanye's soulful intro and outro, along with the catchy hook and a killer E-40 verse, made it the quintessential pop-rap song. Fortunately for those who weren't fans of the song Dark Sky Paradise largely strays away from this sound.

Sean moved away from the bright production on Hall of Fame songs like "Fire" and chooses instead to go over darker production on "Paradise" and "Deep," making the rapper seem less like a faceless pop artist and opening him up to the listener. The high point of the album is easily "All Your Fault" featuring Kanye West, in which both G.O.O.D. artists go back and forth over a soul sample and vocals from Travi$ Scott. The feel of the song is unprecedented for Sean, and rapping-wise he keeps up with Kanye as they aggressively trade lines in the third verse. This song follows another standout track, "Blessings" featuring Drake. Drake provides both his name and an interesting flow to the song, but "All Your Fault" still manages to come out on top.

I have so many praises to sing for this album, but it's not without it's problems. The middle of the album is bogged down with songs like "Win Some, Lose Some" which comes off as completely unnecessary and "Play No Games," which I mostly skip since I'm not a huge fan of Chris Brown or Ty Dolla $ign. That said, the overall feel and pace of the album comes off much better than Sean's previous LP efforts and hopefully paints a brighter picture for his future career than Hall of Fame did.

This album is hands-down Sean's best yet. If you're a hardened Sean hater, the album may not change your opinion, but it's worth checking out some of the bigger singles if you're looking for a few great songs with the biggest current names in hip-hop. While I would have liked to see some more guest verses from other names in the game, I'm excited to see the direction that Sean takes next. He proved on Dark Sky Paradise that he has the skill to go up against some of the biggest names in hip-hop and hold his own, and we'll see if he continues to prove that.

Worth a listen?

Yes 

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