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Dej Jam RecordingsBig Sean is preparing to drop his new album, Detroit 2 — a concept he hasn’t revisited since his mixtape days.
In a new Vulture interview, the rapper said, “it was something I always wanted to do.”
“When I was making Detroit 2, I felt like I was returning to my roots but with a stronger foundation,” Sean said. “I feel like my roots got even deeper. Not only did I reconnect with myself, I reconnected with my passion and my hunger. The music reminded me of the Detroit mixtape while I was making it.
Big Sean noticed he began to do all the things he did with his 2012 mixtape, such as journaling, which led him to no longer “feeling restricted.”
In preparation for Detroit 2, an album that’s been two years in the making, Sean recalled a conversation with legendary Detroit musician Stevie Wonder about the history of Motown Records, which gave “Black music and Black people an identity in music.”
“I was in the studio with Stevie Wonder playing him my album. We were working on some stuff, and he inspired me to do music that’s not necessarily on this album,” Sean recalls. “After this album, I don’t think that I’m going to be done again for a long time. I’m inspired to keep going. I’m not taking another three-year hiatus.”
Sean hopes people can relate to this album no matter whether they’re from, understanding his city’s hustle mentality. “That’s what I love about being from Detroit: It’s like I had to really earn my way,” the “Blessings” rapper added.
Detroit 2 arrives Friday, September 4th.
By Rachel George
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