Big Sean: Sean Don admits he's trying to improve himself with 'Better Me Than You' now streaming
Ready for new Big Sean fire? The newly released Better Me Than You album is out everywhere and celebrating the new drop, how about Sean Don dishing on the motivation behind the project with Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe? Say less.
From talking about what ignited the passion to put out both a new album and book to his need for self-improvement, there’s no holding back the Detroit native here. Peep some highlights from the Q&A and the interview is on demand right here.
Big Sean tells Apple Music about the inspirations behind his album and his book
Zane Lowe: So what is motivating you now? You've said so much and achieved so much, and success is at your fingertips at all times. So what brought you back to the creative process with a desire to make a body of work and say something substantial?
Big Sean: I was inspired to have fun, first and foremost, but I was also inspired by just the events that were going on in my life and the experiences that... You know, becoming a dad. I am a person who is very conscious. Every morning, I like to get my meditation on, I like to try and figure out how I can offer something to the world. And this album is just definitely me doing that in my own way. I was inspired enough to also write a book as well, so I'm writing a book that comes out in January. Yeah, so-
Zane Lowe: I know, congratulations, congratulations. I love that. And as someone who's benefited from the writings, and the teachings, and the audio teachings of people when I've needed it, again, we don't take this kind of work for granted, when someone steps in and has something to share. You've learned so much from people who have experienced life. What was it like to get into a place where you became a teacher as well to some degree, and you became someone who wanted to share your experiences with us?
Big Sean: Yeah. Well, I don't really look at myself as a teacher. I do look at myself more of just sharing what we go through, I think we all have a lot of information to give. And I have been so, I guess the word is blessed. I've been so fortunate to be around a lot of my heroes in all different fields, spiritually, musically, even some of my favourite athletes ever. It's like, I learned a lot from so many people, and so many great practises to get to where you want to be in your life, and how to live a life to where you attracting a life you really desire and the one that you can benefit from the most, because we're only here for such a short amount of time
Big Sean tells Apple Music about what’s important to him in his life
Big Sean: What is really important to me is the progression of myself and passing that on to my family and to my audience or to whoever I can, and enjoying your life, man. Because if we're here for such a short amount of time, this may be our only time as souls to progress ourselves, and to learn, and to go through the ups and downs. That's kind of like why, lately, when I do going through those, you go through the highs and the lows, and when I'm going through the lows, I kind of been learning to embrace them more, because that's where the growth happens. And that's where, once it's all said and done, we may not be able to go through that again, because we may not need it. We may just be beings of light and unplugged to the next part of ourselves. And so I really been looking at life a lot differently, but I also still been having fun with it.
Big Sean tells Apple Music about how he is having fun and not feeling the need to prove himself
Big Sean: And it's not that I'm trying to prove myself. I'm really trying to improve myself. So it's kind of a little bit of a different... Same word in there. I think Jhene said one time, "You're not trying to compete, you're trying to complete." And it's like, that's really what I'm on. I'm not really... There's nothing wrong with competing, but where I'm at, I'm just trying to do me, and express myself, and express the different sides of me. And I'm not a monk or nothing like that. I'm just somebody who I'm just living a life of sustaining, and doing what I got to do to get by, and doing what I got to do to thrive, and to be a great dad, and to be a great son, and to be a great partner, and to be a great team member, you know what I mean? So to me, this album is just a reflection of that, and it's still one of the most important parts of life is having fun, though, bro.
Big Sean tells Apple Music about whether he feels he finished the album
Zane Lowe: Was it hard to finish?
Big Sean: Well, I don't even know if it is finished, man, to be real with you, because it was hard to just stop and be like, "Man, let's just start giving it to the world." Because yeah, I had ideas that I was still working on, ideas that me and Alchemist were still cooking songs, that me and Nicky were working on a song that I still want to finish. There was a Twenty88 song that I thought fit well on my album that just didn't get all the way finished in time. So hopefully, I can get these things done, and if not-
Zane Lowe: So how did we get an album out of this, then? I mean, who or what prompted you to finally finish this record and be able to at least close the loop on this collection of songs?
Big Sean: Well, the thing was, I had been putting out music and I was just like, "Man, I don't want these songs that I put out to get stale. I don't want to keep pushing it back." I just kind of want to move forward. It's been years and years since I put some music out, and I also didn't want to rely on other people as well, you know what I mean? I didn't want to wait, in that sense. So it's like I'm at a point in my life where I just let things happen when they're supposed to happen. And I embraced that, and I embraced the other guy's time. And so I just felt like it was time. And when I did IG Live, and I was super emotional about it, because I had just decided then, a few days ago, that I was going to put my album out this week. And it was a real human moment for me, because I was very tired. I just had had COVID, and I was just going through a lot, man. And I was just thinking about all of the advice that when I was on the phone with my mom the night before, she gave me, and she was just like, "Baby, just go.”
