New Music: Detroit 2 by Big Sean
- Killjoy Reviews
- Sep 15, 2020
- 2 min read
By Dylan Shulman
On his fifth solo studio album, Big Sean makes it about his roots and about his city. To be frank, I'm not very familiar with Big Sean's solo work but I do hear his features frequently. I do know that Big Sean isn't new to the rap game, and he holds a certain degree of status in the industry. This album is executive produced by Hit-Boy, a Grammy-winning artist who doesn't disappoint. The album consistently has strong instrumentals across the board. The album also has features from the likes of Travis Scott, Young Thug, Post Malone, Jhené Aiko (Big Sean's girlfriend), Lil Wayne, Eminem, Diddy, Nipsey Hussle (RIP), and an interlude from Stevie Wonder. With an all-star cast and crew, how could it fail? Still, the project seems far from greatness. Favorite tracks include "Wolves," "Lithuania (feat. Travis Scott)," and "FEED." Big Sean talks about sex, sitting on the couch, Detroit, and more, all while providing more than enough space for his features to shine. There really aren't any complete misses on the album because the features and instrumentals are all topnotch; but there's certainly a lot of mid here.
I struggled to get through this album. It bored me in a couple places, and Big Sean's rapping just doesn't hold my attention. The shining features helped me stay engaged, and I found myself liking the songs with the least Big Sean like "Lithuania" which is really a Travis track. He struggles with flow, adding in extra syllables and compensating with speed. That's impressive in its own right, however it doesn't remind me of a rapper who really can compete. As far as lyrics, Sean has me conflicted. On one hand I'm happy to listen to rap that isn't about money, violence, drugs and women, and on the other he really comes off as corny with his meditations and ultra-woke mentality. There's nothing special in the songwriting or delivery. The whole record just feels stagnant, yet it's supported by such great features and production it stays afloat. I mean, I can't deny "Friday Night Cypher" is ridiculously fun. My favorite track, "FEED," shows a minimalistic beat and real emotion in Sean's lyrics that stuck out to me.
I don't see much replay value here, and Big Sean is outshined at literally every turn. A solo album run by its features really doesn't feel like an album, does it?
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