Big Sean Cites Eminem Collab As A "Full Circle Moment" For His Career

image

Big Sean is a humble guy. He brags a lot in his raps, but he's generally considered to be one of the coolest rappers of his generation when it comes to personability. He's deferential to the people who inspired him, even when they aren't reciprocating (i.e. Kanye West). Sean has always held Eminem in high regard, especially given their shared hometown of Detroit. Big Sean and Em collaborated on the single "Tobey" earlier this year, and the former made it clear that it was a huge deal for him.

Big Sean talked about the collaboration on the VMA's red carpet. Eminem performed at the event, and Sean Don took the time to give the Detroit legend his flowers. "I’m happy to be a part of that album as well. For sure, for sure," he told Billboard. Sean also revealed that The Slim Shady LP was the first album he ever bought. He idolized Eminem, and felt that working on The Death of Slim Shady was a nice bit of symmetry for him personally. "It was the first album I bought from Costco with my birthday money," the rapper recalled. "That was way back. To be on The Death of Slim Shady was a full-circle moment."

 

Big Sean Claims The Slim Shady LP Was His First CD

A lot has changed in the 25 years since The Slim Shady LP dropped. Sean has had a stellar career, one that Eminem himself has praised. Em cited Big Sean, alongside J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar, as the artists who inspire him to keep rapping in 2022. "What I hyper-focus on is people like Kendrick Lamar, Joyner Lucas, J. Cole and Big Sean," he told People Magazine. "Watching them and how the f*ck they're doing their sh*t. Because they're also focused on being the best rappers."

Big Sean also talked about the reception to his own album at the VMAs. Better Me Than You has not performed as well as the rapper's previous releases. Well, that's putting it mildly. It garnered the lowest selling first week sales of his entire career, at just 22K. Despite this disappointing stat, Big Sean remains steadfast in the album's quality. "Its a fire a*s album," he told VMA reporters. "Slightly being a little slept on to me but you know the fans is locked in."

COMMENTS

Leave a comment

English Teacher’s ‘This Could Be Texas’ re-enters UK top 40 following Mercury Prize win

image

English Teacher‘s debut album ‘This Could Be Texas‘ has re-entered the UK Top 40 following their Mercury Prize win.

The Leeds four-piece recently snagged the prestigious music prize at the ceremony held earlier this month at Abbey Road Studios.

They warded off competition from the likes of Charli XCXCMATGhettsThe Last Dinner PartyCorinne Bailey RaeBeth GibbonsBarry Can’t Swim and more with their debut album, ‘This Could Be Texas’.

Now, UK record labels association the BPI has reported an increased demand for the record. The BPI (which also organises the Mercury Prize) claimed that ‘This Could Be Texas’ gained a 1,073 per cent increase in sales in the week after the ceremony – its best chart performance since it was released in April this year.

Other albums by Mercury Prize nominees BERWYN, Corinne Bailey Rae and corto.alto also saw sales increases of over 100 per cent.

Lily Fontaine of English Teacher performs on stage at Electric Brixton on May 29, 2024 in London, England.
Lily Fontaine of English Teacher performs on stage at Electric Brixton on May 29, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Gus Stewart/Redferns/Getty)

NME spoke to the band shortly after their win, where they said they would “continue to be honest” about their struggles as a band.

“It was never a conscious [choice] to be like ‘We’re going to be one of those bands that does that’,” frontwoman Lily Fontaine explained. “It’s just that when we get asked questions about those things, we’re always going to be honest. If we continue to be put in situations where we’re asked about that, we will continue to be honest about it.”

NME also spoke to the band for The Cover, where they hinted at their debut album and what was to come: “I feel like the next set of songs will truly reflect where we are now,” guitarist Lewis Whiting shared. “We don’t want to sit within one sound; there’s some huge-sounding ballads coming up. We’ve got a point to prove.”

We also reviewed their debut, awarding it a full five stars: “What you have in ‘This Could Be Texas’ is everything you want from a debut; a truly original effort from start to finish, an adventure in sound and words, and a landmark statement. Poised for big things? Who knows if this industry even allows that anymore. Here are a band already dealing in brilliance, though – who dare to dream and have it pay off.

“Not everyone gets to go to space, but at least English Teacher make it a damn site more interesting being stuck down here.”

COMMENTS

Leave a comment