This is the first time Big Sean and Metro Boomin have collaborated on a full project.
Photo courtesy of GOOD Music
Big Sean’s latest album “Double or Nothing” may not have been what fans were expecting from one of hip-hop’s biggest names. The collaborative album with popular hip-hop producer Metro Boomin was released earlier this month.
In an era where artists suddenly announce new albums on social media, the release of new music without promotion has become pretty normal. This album felt rushed and was possibly released just for fun. What was missing from it was content and storytelling, something that Big Sean fans have become accustomed to hearing in his previous successful albums, “Dark Sky Paradise” and “I Decided.” Big Sean had a chance to validate himself as a top rapper, but this album completely failed to achieve that.
“Double or Nothing” begins with a banger in “Go Legend” featuring Travis Scott. It’s a song Big Sean previewed at Lollapalooza this past summer, which had everyone excited. Metro Boomin killed the beat and with Travis Scott on the hook, it fit well. The song is about the hard work the two put in to becoming legends. In the song, Big Sean says:
“When I was down, I swear they made me feel inferior, Judgin’ me by my outside, that’s just my exterior, Not seeing what I was made of, that’s my interior, Didn’t let that sh*t break me, instead, I broke the barriers”
The next song, “Big Bidness” featuring 2 Chainz is another song worth listening to. The beat flows perfectly with Big Sean and 2 Chainz as the two go into their big business mentality. Sean claims to have never choked when put on the spot. This is the man who came up to Kanye West as a high school kid and started rapping in front of him for ten straight minutes. West then decided he would sign the young rapper.
The next set of songs are okay but are very forgettable unless they are replayed multiple times. “Who Stopping Me” has a “Narcos” feel to it, but it may take about six listens to fully get into the song. “Pull Up & Wreck” featuring 21 Savage is average. 21 Savage sounds better in this song than Big Sean does. “So Good” featuring Kash Doll was Big Sean going back to a time when he would write very sexual songs. It just goes to show that this album is not as serious as his past albums.
Big Sean does have some notable lines in other songs. For example, in “Savage Time” he talks about giving President Donald Trump contaminated water from Flint.
The sleeper song on the album is “No Hearts, No Love.” This might be the album’s best song. The beat is perfectly in sync with every line Big Sean says. It flows flawlessly as he talks about putting in hard work to get out of poverty.
“Double or Nothing” is not an album that can make someone visualize a story or constantly intake deep lyrics. It is not necessarily a party album either. He drops some societal bars in a few songs, but for the most part, he wanted to make an album worth jamming out to.
The album is not horrible, but for Big Sean’s skill level, it could have been much better.
