Big Sean is a man of many talents—and he’s balancing more than just his rap career these days. With his new album Better Me Than You out in the world and a self-help book titled Go Higher: Five Practices for Purpose, Success, and Inner Peace just hitting shelves, Sean is in full-on growth mode. Oh, and he’s also a new dad. No big deal.
The album is a wild mix of sounds and moods, from introspective tracks like “Apologize” to hard-hitting anthems like “Yes.” Sean’s goal was to capture every mood life throws at him. “It’s a really honest expression of the different layers of me developing as a person,” he says. “And still having fun with it.” He admits the songs don’t feel like self-help anthems as much as they do raw honesty. “It’s not that I was trying to be conscious—I was just being real.”
One of the most profound shifts in Sean’s life has been fatherhood, and it bleeds into the album, especially on the track “On Up.” Inspired by a Jodeci sample and co-produced by Key Wane, Sean says the song poured out of him in just 25 minutes. “I didn’t set out to write about my son, but that was just what was on my heart,” he admits. “It’s a message to my boy that he can always look back on.”
Setting boundaries is another recurring theme, both in the album and the book. “This year I really had to start setting boundaries,” he says, adding that it’s tough to do when it’s with people who never expected them. “That’s when relationships start falling apart, and you’ve got to figure out what’s more important—keeping the peace or protecting yourself.”
Creatively, Better Me Than You is a showcase of his growth as an artist. He gets introspective with tracks like “Black Void” featuring Thundercat and Aaron Allen Kane, while still keeping it light and catchy with tracks like “Yes.” Working with legends like Thundercat and producers like Malay (Frank Ocean) and Carter Lang (SZA) pushed him to explore new sonic territory. “It’s one of my proudest musical moments,” he says about “Black Void.”
As for the book, Sean is quick to point out it’s not an extension of the album. Instead, it’s a separate journey into his mindset and the practices that have helped him grow as a person. “I’ve been blessed to learn from some of the best minds inside and outside of music,” he says. “This book is me sharing what I’ve learned from them.”
One of the standout lyrics on the album—“You were supposed to be big bro but didn’t grow”—hits especially hard. It’s about accountability, Sean explains. “Some people just grow old without growing up,” he says. “I put a lot of that into ‘Apologize,’ where I combined the stories of five different people into one metaphorical person. That track really let me explore some open, raw emotions.”
In the end, Sean’s biggest takeaway from this era of his life is perspective. “Life’s short, man. The good times, the bad times—they’re all just moments. You’ve got to embrace them while they’re here.”
With Better Me Than You and Go Higher both reflecting his journey, Big Sean isn’t just spitting bars—he’s building bridges between his past and present, balancing life’s highs and lows with the kind of maturity that’s hard to fake. Whether he’s rapping or writing, it’s clear Sean’s on a mission to grow—and he’s taking us along for the ride.
Watch the interview above and then check out the video below.
