I would’ve been up there with Drake, Kendrick, and Cole, I just ain’t have the energy to compete - Big Sean

[Pegasus Jackson]

And I coulda played point guard for the Knicks if I was 6'3.

 

[Novembruh]

Big Sean won't even be on the Wale tier when it's all said and done if we being honest with ourselves

 

[NotAnFBIagent]

Platinum because 1M people bought your album is different beast than plat because only 50k people played your album over and over

How many people bought Nas and Future's last album

 

[dora_da_destroyer]

How many people bought Nas and Future's last album

Don’t know, I don’t brag nor care about sales of artists I like

 

[NotAnFBIagent]

Big Sean has 2 songs in the top 40 that are just him. Damn near everything he’s charted has had a feature (or multiple) or he’s a feature - you get record sales credits for being a feature - it’s why Rihanna has sold so much. Like great, Sean 100% is someone you’d like a verse from, that’s about it. He’s living proof of my critique he shoulda been in a group.

Don’t know, I don’t brag nor care about sales of artists I like

Is it oochie wally or is it one mic

 

[dora_da_destroyer]

Is it oochie wally or is it one mic

So a reply to you who was touting record sales, proving where his sales comes from, means I care about record sales of the people I listen to? You ain’t built for this. Stahp

 

[NotAnFBIagent]

So a reply to you who was touting record sales, proving where his sales comes from, means I care about record sales of the people I listen to? You ain’t built for this. Stahp

First it was he had no fans, now it's he only streams

Stop it slime

 

[PHamm]

Platinum is platinum. What's your point

Nope

 

[JYoung24]

Platinum is platinum. What's your point

Nah it's different levels bruh those were not plat when they were out in real time

 

[ISO]

Nicki is not bigger than Cole or Kendrick

Nicki has never went platinum off of just her own name. Meaning no features to boost streams/sales J.Cole did that shyt three times in a row.


Nicki has never sold more than 350k first week. Both Cole and Kendrick have 400k plus first weeks under their belts

Nicki has no album that has outsold either Forest Hills Drive or Damn

Nicki has no tour that has outgrossed either the Off Season Tour or The Big Steppers Tour

Nicki has done great for a female rap artist but to say she’s bigger than Cole or Kendrick is lunacy

She outstreams them both and is more famous than them and more influential there is no lunacy about it nikkas don’t even talk about Kendrick

 

[cartierhoe]

Let's put the Big Sean talk in perspective.
As a musician myself, I'm going to keep it very real:

Big Sean DID have a phenomenal career.

He DID "make it" as a musician.

He's wealthy, slept with starlets, owns a mansion etc.

Dude is an INCREDIBLE SUCCESS STORY.

If we're being honest.

However.
He's just not J. Cole, Kendrick or Drake.
And he NEVER, EVER was going to be.


He didn't have the DRIVE, he's not going to assemble a team of writers and producers to consistently
drop hits like Drake.

He didn't have the VISION, he's not going to put out sprawling, detailed musical works like Kendrick Lamar
or link with the visionaries in his own scene to execute those ideas (Flying Lotus, Kamasai Washington, Thundercat etc.)

He didn't have the CONSISTENCY of a J. Cole, J. Cole was focused on getting better each time, every album, his growth

into who he is NOW as a musician can literally be tracked from album to album.

Better delivery. Better singles. Better mixing/mastering. He consistently improved his product and in my mind J. Cole is without a doubt "most improved".


Saying "oh I could've been one of the greatest of all fukking time and the best in my generation" is fukking pure bullshyt.

He was positioned better than most any other musician (not just rapper) MUSICIAN ON THE ENTIRE PLANET to do so
and bro never did it.

And in 2024 going onward, I think it will literally never happen.

Which is fine because again, he is very, very successful.

This right here is the answer, very well put breh. I am a Big Sean fan and I can wholeheartedly agree with everything you put down. Dark Sky Paradise is his best work but he failed to build on that afterwards. It may also be something about him just hasn't made people gravitate towards him like the big 3 have. Drake has his vulnerability/being open about his relationships and the struggles that may come with that. Cole has his relatability, I went to college, here's what happened when I was in school crushing on this girl. Kendrick has his experience and heart, here's what it's like coming up in Compton, here's my experience as a black man from the west coast and the best way I can package it to you.

 

[Justise M]

I remember back when big Krit could have been mentioned with them.

Fell off in a major way