Since being featured on the 10 Freshmen for ’10 cover in March 2010, Detroit MC Big Sean’s been making the best of a great situation. He’s appeared on songs with his mentor Kanye West alongside Beyoncé and legendary Gap Band front man Charlie Wilson (“See Me Now”) and Dipset (“Christmas in Harlem”). He recently released the Chris Brown-featured "My Last," the first single off of his debut album, Finally Famous. Between shows and putting the final stages of recording his debut (scheduled for a late spring/early summer release), the Midwest native checked in with XXLMag.com to speak on life as an XXL Freshman '10 alumnus and offer some pointers to the 2011 class. —Dan Reagans

As an artist what’s it been like being on GOOD Music?

Man it’s incredible. I’ve really seen it change shape and take form into being a very prestigious legendary label, and I’m excited to be a part of it. I feel like we’re a real family. I feel like being next to people like Common, ‘Ye, Cudi, Pusha, Cyhi, and everybody it’s just legendary and I’m excited to be a part of history.

So what’s it like working with Kanye in the studio?

It’s nerve-wracking as shit, he’s definitely a perfectionist and he’s definitely nerve-wracking because he’s so passionate about the music you know,  but it really makes you so much better. It definitely made me way better just as an artist. It’s really made me step my game up as a rapper and I think you can see the growth in my music. If you listen to my music from like a year ago to now. I really feel like I’ve come into my own as artist.

You hooked up with Chris Brown for your new single “My Last.” How did that song concept come about?

Well, with “My Last,” it was just me on it at first. I wrote the whole song and me and Chris Brown are homies. He came to one of my shows a while ago and I was surprised as hell. I was like, “Man, what the fuck is Chris Brown doing here? [laughs] He was like, “Yo, I fucks with your music, let’s work.” I thought he was bullshitin’ because I didn’t really know dude and to me Chris Brown is one of the biggest artists, but he reached back out to me and we got in the studio, and did some work together. I’m a fan of his, he’s a fan of mines. We did a lot of songs together. We also did a song for his album and of course he’s on mines. He just added to it, and just brought it to a whole other level of helping it become a great song. I feel that song so much as my first single because I don’t think it follows too many trends on the radio right now, and it’s something that feels really good and even though it’s about going out and doing it like it’s your last it also has a underlying message for somebody who’s really worked hard for that position. It’s just a real motivational song and a great party record at the same time.

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Who else did you work with on your album? Have you came up with a title yet?

The title as of now is gonna be called Finally Famous. I may at the last minute add a subtitle to it because that’s also the name of my mixtape series I did. That’s something I really wanna brand as a lifestyle because that’s what I believe in. When you're famous you're recognized for doing something, and I always put finally in front of it because I feel like this shit's what we’ve been grinding and working for all these years, and that can relate to anybody. As far as production majority of it was done by No I.D. which I feel is not even fair because he’s just so damn good and he’s such an O.G. and he’s seen music come full circle. He really has a great perspective on music and is definitely one of my mentors. Of course Kanye put his foot in it and Pharrell put some work in. As far as features Mike Posner’s on there, The-Dream and a couple [of] others but not too many features. I really wanted to keep it to the story of my life from someone realizing what they wanna do, and starting to live out their dreams, and falling in and out of love, partying, and shit people can really relate to. It's real life shit that people are gonna be able to smoke to, cry to, have sex to. That’s really the best type of music period.

You had some appearances Wiz Khalifa’s Cabin Fever. How was it collaborating with him?

Awwww man. Wiz Khalifa’s my homie. He always says he reached out to me in '07 on Myspace, but I definitely don’t remember that. He said that’s how long he’s been fucking wit me. I remember one time he came to Detroit and I reached out to him like, "Yo, if you ever need anything let me know," and we’ve just been homies. I was at his crib out in LA and we was just kicking it and vibing and he was like, "Yo, hop on these songs, and I just did it quick as hell and that’s just how it happened and he ended up putting it out like two days later. We got a lot of more work coming soon. I got a mixtape with Mike Posner coming too.


How significant was the Freshmen '10 cover for you and how do you feel about the latest class?

XXL was the first big magazine that gave me the opportunity to be on a cover and that was a dream come true. The opportunity is something that you have to use to your advantage. You don’t depend on it, but you can refer to it and it definitely gives you a big boost to the world. You have to take it into your own hands after that. It was definitely one of the greatest looks of my career and I appreciate you guys, and even after that issue. Y'all always show me love. As far as this class I’m hype about it. Of course GOOD Music is on there representing hard with Cyhi, my homie Mac Miller who I’m really excited about. I think he’s dope and he’s so fucking young too and spits his ass off. Lil B who’s swagged out to the fucking max. I definitely fuck with Lil B heavy. Big K.R.I.T. [is] dope as hell. YG that’s my homie. I’m pretty sure Fred Da Godson is dope too. I really feel that everyone who gets on that cover deserves it. It’s never by accident. It’s because those people deserve it. Lil Twist definitely has a big fan base and he’s another dope one out here young as hell doing it. Kendrick Lamar is one of my personal favorites for sure, me and him actually got some work coming out. Meek Mill is monstrous with the shit he’s doing. I’m proud and happy that he got that deal with Maybach, that was definitely a good move for him. Diggy [Simmons] I’m really interested into seeing what he does. That kid has mad swag. I feel like Yelawolf is one of the only people to ever get a cover back to back, he’s swagged for that. I’m really excited.

Anything else you want to add?

Go support my first single "My Last." It's on iTunes. I’m just excited. I’m one the most humble people in the world. I talk a lot of shit in my raps, but I’m really just thankful that people listen, man. Thank you.

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