As a 10-year-old in Detroit, Big Sean would rap along with Notorious B.I.G. songs on the family TV. Now he’s a major star himself: His third album, Dark Sky Paradise, topped Billboard’s albums chart by selling 173,000 copies. Critics and fans have hailed the LP, executive-produced by Sean’s mentor Kanye West, as a big step up from his first two albums – and Sean agrees. “People from Jay Z to Kanye tell me, ‘I can hear you getting better,’ ” he says. “That’s tight.”
West plays a big role on the set, adding vocals and/or beats to the hit “IDFWU,” the emotional “One Man Can Change the World” and more. “He always brings the best out of me,” Sean says. Also present, on the bonus track “Research,” is Sean’s girlfriend,…
