In an opening week of September that looked like a sweet treat to music fans all over; some hip-hop heads were left with a sour taste in their mouths. The world was biting their nails in anticipation for Lil Wayne’s return to the mixtape scene with “Dedication 4”. After numerous push-backs we finally received it. Some were satisfied; many were disappointed.
After “D4” all eyes were on G.O.O.D. Music’s Big Sean. We had two days to wait for the Motown emcee’s “Detroit” mixtape. But, Sean didn’t keep us waiting too long before giving us a little taste of his new project. On September 4th, “RWT” (Roll Weed Time) was released to the Internet in music video form.
“RWT” got the people talking. The trap-style track was filled with the kind of punchlines that have made Sean a household name. But, most importantly, it was a line referencing an unnamed copycat that got the Internet buzzing. Anderson raps:
I made a mil before twenty-five, man and I ain’t even no lie
Bitch I ain’t sayin’ that shit to brag neither, I’m sayin’ that to inspire
I’m like, damn boy, fuck you sayin’ boy?
Hatin’ on me, knowin’ that you is a fan boy
When I’m around you call me Cuz like we fam boy?
Rappin’ like me let’s me know that I’m the man boy
While the Twitterverse went crazy with predictions of who the shot was aimed at, it was clear that “Detroit” was going to be the centerpiece of a lot of talk for the week to come.
On September 5th, “Detroit” made its Internet debut. The mixtape was received well by fans and the “D4” comparisons ensued. But, while it is clear that “Detroit” is definitely the superior of the two projects, it is not without its flaws.
The free download contains 17 tracks (18 when including the buried bonus track “All I Know”). Three of these tracks are interludes by some big names in the rap world. Sean calls these tracks “stories”. We have “Story by Common”, “Story by Young Jeezy” and “Story by Snoop Lion” (Snoop Dogg). While this is an interesting way to create breaks in the tracklist, they do seem a bit out of place. All three of these people are not really from Detroit. It would’ve been more interesting to hear stories from people who are actually from Detroit (Eminem, Mike Posner, Danny Brown, etc.).
The actual songs contained within “Detroit” are good. But that’s all they are. We’ve heard most of this from the 24 year-old lyricist before. The tape is chocked-full of trap beats and boasting via the pen. Even the guest appearances are pretty predictable. Mike Posner (who I’d like to have heard more of), Chris Brown and Say It Ain’t Tone are all along for the ride again.
But, don’t get me wrong, “Detroit” is a quality mixtape. It’s when Sean slows it down is when he really starts to shine. On tracks like “Sellin Dreams”, “I’m Gonna Be”, “Once Biten, Twice Shy” and “100” we begin to feel exactly what Detroit is all about.
Bottom line: Big Sean has made the people of Detroit proud. Just seeing someone as big as Sean (no pun intended) name their mixtape “Detroit” and having it crack over 1.5 million views by day two is enough to make Motown happy. But, I would’ve liked to see a little more diversity in this mixtape. It just sounds a bit too similar to what Big Sean has been doing his whole career. It’s noted that this is his first mixtape not containing “Finally Famous” in the title. Therefore, I would’ve liked a couple more surprises on this project. “Detroit” is something for people to bump in the 313 on their way to a party, it’s just not something to vibe out to as you stare out into the city.
