The Detroit legend stopped by NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts for a special show. In a 25-minute performance, rapper Big Sean ran through his catalog, which contains an abundance of hits.
Sean opened with “Memories Part II” from his debut album, Finally Famous: The Album, which then made for a smooth transition into “Nothing Is Stopping You” from his sophomore album, Hall Of Fame. After performing this song, Sean shared an anecdote about this particular album. Although Hall Of Fame didn’t perform as well as Finally Famous, this motivated Sean to step up his craft.
“It was a stressful time for me, because when my second album dropped, it didn”t do as well as my first album,” said Sean. “And people was like ‘Oh, sophomore slump, it’s over for him. And then I was able to lock in and make my third album, which was Dark Sky Paradise, which is one of my biggest albums. So the point of even bringing that up is like, don’t let people place their curse on you of what they want you to be, or who they think you are.”
He proceeded to perform the Dark Sky Paradise fan-favorites “Blessed” and “Play No Games”
Of course, he threw it back with some of his breakthrough hits, including “My Last,” “Marvin And Chardonnay,” and his iconic verse from his Drake collaboration “All Me.” Elsewhere in the concert, he gave a triumphant performance of one of his biggest hits, “Bounce Back.” He closed with one of his most recognizable tracks, “I Don’t F*ck With You.”
Hearing these songs in stripped-back, acoustic renditions allowed for fans to focus on Sean’s sharp lyricism. Though Sean is often left out of GOAT conversations, his catalog proves that he warrants consideration.
You can watch the concert above.