Big Sean on Music Industry Betrayals and Battling His Own Demons
Rapper and author Big Sean takes us on a journey from his mixtape days in Detroit, to signing with Kanye West's GOOD Music, to overcoming obstacles and becoming the artist he always wanted to be.
In this episode, Sean sits down with Noah Callahan-Bever to discuss his lessons learned in the music industry, and explain how patience and persistence are paramount. From a string of successful mixtapes, to breaking through on radio, to overcoming writer's block and coming out on the other side as an author, Sean has persisted and established himself as a mainstay in music and culture for nearly two decades. And it all started with one idea.
IDEA GENERATION is a 360° media platform catering to the creative class which exists to educate and inspire the mavericks of tomorrow.
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Chapters
0:00 - 2:06 Intro / the power of "yes"
2:07 - 4:10 Growing up
4:11 - 7:41 Detroit music scene
7:42 - 8:44 How to keep pushing forward
8:45 - 10:46 Losing faith in music
10:47 - 11:34 How important is it to take risks?
11:35 - 12:50 Depression and how he overcame it
12:51 - 17:09 First GOOD Music paycheck
17:10 - 17:53 What is success?
17:54 - 21:45 Navigating the music industry
21:46 - 23:33 Big Sean studio tour
22:34 - 25:09 The struggles of making albums
25:10 - 27:22 How can you tell a good idea from a bad idea
27:23 - 29:10 Adderall addiction
29:11 - 30:54 Writer's block
30:55 - 35:23 Checkpoints in life / new perspective
35:24 - 37:02 Balancing being an artist and a father
37:03 - 40:34 New album process / Virgil's influence
40:35 - 41:24 Is there an age limit on rap?
41:25 - 42:04 Has Big Sean ever failed?
42:05 - 45:20 Thoughts on Kanye West's comments on Drink Champs
Idea GenerationIdeas are the global currency of the 21st century. But how do you come up with one? How do you execute it? How do you operationalize that process and replicate it again and again?
We are Creatives, Innovators and Entrepreneurs on a quest to answer these questions and develop a blueprint to success in the creative space for generations to come.
Idea Generation is a 360° media platform catering to the creative class which exists to educate and inspire the mavericks of tomorrow. And in no coincidence, the brand about creative entrepreneurship is itself an independent exercise in creative entrepreneurship. We’ve got a whole slate of exciting new products cooking, but kindly enjoy our first salvo for now! And please, if you’ve ever had a big idea or dreamed of building a business on the back of your creativity, join us on this ride.
Welcome to IDEA GENERATION.
