Big Sean secures his place in hip-hop with “Hall of Fame” album

Octavis Lawson
MC 301-01

Big Sean tries to secure his place in Hip-Hop with the long awaited follow-up to his debut album, “Hall of Fame.”
It was only three years ago when Sean debuted his critically acclaimed, “Finally Famous 3” and showed the world that he wasn’t “Just ‘Ye’s (Kanye’s) Protege”.
Now the stage is his and Sean greatly displays his maturity, growth and range as an artist as he steps into the spotlight after taking center stage on the G.O.O.D. Music compilation, “Cruel Summer.”
HOF opens with “Nothing is Stopping You” and Sean quickly tells his listeners how dedication and perseverance can make dreams come to fruition.
He exclaims that “Parents always tried to keep me home/But I can’t get paid from the crib so I be gone ‘til we on”.
On the album’s third single “Beware” Sean shows his ability to make more conceptual songs as he raps as a scorned past love and says that “I keep my phone on silent ever since you got a ring”.
Midway through the album, the Detroit emcee even displays his comical side with the Nicki Minaj and Juicy J assisted track, “Milf”.
The Ying Yang Twin inspired-tune features comical bars from Sean mockingly telling kids, “You wake up, I’m back, Eating up all your snacks/ Don’t ask for help with your math, ain’t my fault you cant add.”
Nicki even joins the fun on her verse depicting a ratchet, sex-crazed mother.
Sean easily hold’s his own throughout the album despite numerous guess appearances from Hip-Hop veterans such as Nas, Common and Lil’ Wayne among others.
HOF’s R&B collaborators, Jhene Aiko, Ellie Goulding, James Fauntleroy & Miguel, blend seamlessly with Kanye’s Protege with the last brilliantly shining on one of the true stand out tracks, “Ashley.”
On the compelling single-worthy track Sean and Miguel tells a story of the good and bad times of relationships.
In the end, “Hall of Fame” allows Big Sean to show his growth and contains a variety of moods. The only problem is that the album comes across more as a mixtape rather than an album and ironically enough his latest mixtape, “Detroit”, sounded more like an album, as it was seemingly more conceptually and fundamentally constructed.
“HOF” still suffers some growing pains as a sophomore effort and consequently would earn a Five out of Five as a mixtape, but is only above average as an album.
As Sean says on the Outro, “I still ain’t got it all figured out/ Fact is the only thing I really figured out/ Is that I’ll never have it all figured out.”