I Decided - Album Review

2017 has just started and good albums are already out. One of them is I Decided by Big Sean. Big Sean is not a new kid on the block. He’s been on the rap scene since about 2010, but really blew in songs like “My Last” with Chris Brown and “Marvin and Chardonnay” with Roscoe Dash and Kanye West. However, the Big Sean from “Marvin and Chardonnay” is not the same Big Sean who wrote I Decided. A lot of growth in his music and subject matter can be seen in this album.

I Decided is a studio album reflecting on various decisions that he made in his life. There is a plethora of emotion in this album, much like Dark Sky Paradise. Songs like “Sunday Morning Jetpack” show Sean’s sensitive side as he reflects on his childhood memories. Verses like, "This feel like the family dinners that we used to have on Sunday / With Grandma in the kitchen making rum cake / Or this spread she used to do for Thanksgiving, man."

Bounce Back is his radio single for this album. This song takes the listener back to Big Sean's roots. Bounce Back is full of witty lines and the clever wordplay that Big Sean is know for, like "Yeah, I call shots while you call off / Never takin' summer or fall off / When you stay that committed to it, you just fall down and never fall off." Read those line slowly as the meaning might go over your head.

What you will not find on this album are Big Sean’s infamous ad libs such as “Boi” and  “I do it.” Those are missing from this album and I think that is an improvement. I Decided definitely shows a maturing in his music. “Sacrifices” which is one of the best tracks on this album. “Sacrifices” is a reflective piece on the sacrifices that had to be made for Big Sean and Migos to become successful artists. "I get it my way from Friday to Friday / My girl is a mix of Aaliyah and Sade / I came a long way from that Marvin and Chardonnay."

“No Favors” features Detroit legend Eminem. Getting Eminem on a track is definitely legendary for Big Sean since Em is nearly retired. Eminem speaks out against Donald Trump, "Donald Trump is a bitch / I’ll make his whole brand go under." Meanwhile, Big Sean speaks about social injustices, "The D to Flint, kids who get sick with lead / Others get hit with the lead."

It is not surprising to see Big Sean to speak on the Flint, Michigan crisis as he was one of the first Hip Hop artists to support the people of Flint.

In this album, Big Sean has decided to shed his youthful image for a more mature look. He traded his usual punch lines for hard hitting lyrics. This album can be played without skipping tracks, which is rare in our era of “mumble rap”. I enjoyed giving this album a listen and would encourage others do the same.

Tracks To Listen To: Bounce Back, No Favors, Sacrifices, Sunday Morning Jet Pack and Bigger Than Me