The Detroit rapper met Ye when he was 16 & for two years Kanye would send him beats before Sean would rap & sent them back for critiques.
As a teenager, Big Sean was putting in the work to make sure his voice was heard. He’s admired in the music industry and beyond, but he began his career as a kid from Detroit with a pipe dream that materialized thanks to never taking no for an answer and a little help from Kanye West. During his appearance on Behind Every Man, Sean Don recalled battle rapping for a local radio station when he was 16-years-old and soon, Kanye West was in the Motor City promoting his sophomore studio album Late Registration which would make for a chance meeting.
“I was ready for the world,” said Sean. “Kanye walks out the room looking like a superhero. It was like, crazy. I just remember being so nervous, but I had enough confidence to walk up to him, tell him that he was my hero.” Big Sean then begged for the opportunity to rap for West on the spot. Kanye agreed, but he only gave Sean 16 bars and told him that he needed to rap while they were leaving the radio station.
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“I start rappin’ and the 16 bars turned into 10 minutes,” Sean added. West asked for a CD and seemed impressed by Big Sean‘s talents, but he didn’t sign him immediately because he claimed he had too many artists on his G.O.O.D. Music label. Sean’s brother said that for two years, Ye would send Sean beats, Big Sean would rap over them and send them back, and Kanye would return with critiques.
After growing frustrated because there was no movement in his career, Sean was gifted with a book about the Law of Attraction that he says changed his life. Check out a clip of Sean on Behind Every Man below.