Today (March 27), Big Sean looked back on his legacy while performing a medley of hits for NPR’s “Tiny Desk Concert” series. The Detroit native did a 25-minute live rendition of 14 tracks from his discography.
Beginning with 2010’s “Memories,” Sean transitioned into “Nothing Is Stopping You” while highlighting the challenges he faced during his Hall of Fame era. “I remember it was a stressful time for me because when my second album dropped, it didn’t do as well as my first album,” the artist said. “The point in bringing that up is don’t let people place their curse on you of what they want you to be or who they think you are.”
Sean also performed “Blessings,” “My Last,” “Marvin & Chardonnay,” “Beware,” and “Bounce Back,” among others. In the description of the video, NPR dubbed it “one of the longest setlists in ‘Tiny Desk’ history.”
Before closing with “I Don’t F**k With You,” Sean remarked on the moment’s importance. “This is something my kids can look back on, something my family can look back on, and see where dad was at, see where I was at in my career at this point in time,” he explained. The rapper also gave a shout-out to his band members, which included Eryn Allen Kane, Thaddeus Dixon, and DJ Mo Beatz, to mention a few.
“Big Sean’s ‘Tiny Desk’ is good,” wrote producer Chase N. Cashe on Twitter. Another person shared, “Y’all gonna put some respect on Big Sean’s name.”
Elsewhere, one user penned, “Big Sean got hits, but y’all love to disrespect him as if he wasn’t putting that [Ye’s] record label on the map. He’s finally getting his flowers. Love that for him.” Peep more reactions below.
Earlier this month, Sean dropped his Three 6 Mafia-sampling single “Precision.” The song is expected to appear on his forthcoming studio album.