Big Sean ends a notable 2013 summer with his star studded, sophomore album, Hall of Fame. Prior to the release of HOF, singles such as “Guap,” “Beware,” “Fire” and “Switch Up” all were solid, but no single could have hyped the album up more than “Control,” featuring Kendrick Lamar and Jay Electronica. With or without “Control,” however, Sean delivers an album worthy of favorable reviews and commercial success.
The album features superstar names like Nas, Young Jeezy, Kid Cudi, Lil Wayne, Common, 2 Chainz and Meek Mill. Even with the star studded album, Sean comes prepared with witty, humorous, materialistic, and energetic content that allows him to stand toe to toe with the aforementioned named. I got the sense while listening to HOF that he feels much more comfortable with his success and finally has a grasp on the feeling compared to his debut, Finally Famous, in 2011. Production on the album, like with most G.O.O.D. Music artists, is top notch with No ID, Travi$ Scott, and Key Wane to name a few.
The four singles leading up to the release have all received significant airplay: “Guap,” “Beware,” “Fire” and “Switch Up.” If I had to pick, I could also see the catchy comical song “MILF” eventually garnering some sort of buzz. The song features Juicy J and Nicki Minaj and yes, you guessed it, it’s about M.I.L.Fs (see Urban Dictionary for definition). Some of my personal favorites include “Toyota Music” and “First Chain.” The only track that stood out for me personally that I would have liked to see more of is “Ashley,” featuring Miguel. It is a tribute to his longtime ex-girlfriend, Ashley Marie, who ended their relationship in early 2013. The track stands out mainly because Seans tracks are extremely materialistic, where as “Ashley” remains very personal. Lyrically contains memories, dreams, wants/needs all involved in a relationship while remaining focused on becoming a world famous entertainer. There haven’t been many deep or emotional songs that Sean has released; I hope this is paving the way for new content because it is worth the listen.
Through the 15 song (18 deluxe) album, Big Sean does not disappoint. Getting signed by Kanye, getting his first chain, hitting on MILFS, acknowledging the Sierra Leone problem and caring for his hometown Detroit (he is notably concerned about the economic crisis), Sean has released a noteworthy album that will be remembered in his potentially long career.
Rating: 8.0/10
