True Life: I Flew On A Private Jet With Big Sean On His Album Release Day
Big Sean hasn’t slept in two days. He sacrificed a snooze to record his latest “Me, Myself and I” freestyle early Monday morning, but now a sleepy Sean is regretting that decision just a little bit.
At 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday (Feb. 24) morning, and after a full day of radio engagements, an album listening party and a late-night show taping to promote his third studio LP, Dark Sky Paradise, Sean sprints across the runway at New Jersey’s Teterboro airport to board a private jet to Atlanta for half a day of radio promo.
After ATL, at around noon, it’s off to his native Detroit for more radio interviews and an in-store appearance. It doesn't look like the G.O.O.D. Music spitter will be getting much shuteye today, either.
I feel him, because this MTV News writer hasn’t gotten much sleep. The decision to attend Sunday night’s PRhyme concert in New York City left me with about three hours of rest before I had to wake up and head to MTV’s downtown Manhattan offices for work. At the time, flying with Big Sean on a private jet to Atlanta and Detroit wasn’t in the plans, but your plans pretty much go out the window when you get an invitation to FLY ON A PRIVATE JET WITH BIG SEAN!!!!
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I first met Sean in May 2009 at Drake’s very first New York City concert. Back then I was building a name for myself, working as an editor for XXL magazine and Sean was building a name for himself with free online mixtape releases. I was trying to write a profile on Sean for XXL, but ran into a few roadblocks from his label.
Sean probably doesn’t remember this, but after Drizzy got off stage, performing songs from his breakout So Far Gone mixtape, Sean, Kanye West and a few members of G.O.O.D. Music filed out of SOBs -- but not before I grabbed him by the shoulder, introduced myself and let him know that I was trying to land that interview.
The next time Sean and I would meet was at the 2010 XXL Freshman cover shoot. We’ve done a handful of interviews since then, but today’s interview will be the most exciting and it’s not just because we’re on a private jet.
Today, Sean released the best album in his catalog -- I mean he really nailed it. Dark Sky Paradise has everything a rap fan can ask for: hit records (“I Don’t F—k With You”), intense beats (“Paradise”) and mind-blowing rap lines.
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“I hop up on the beat like the ’08 me/ When we was ridin’ four deep, boy no AC/ Headed to the game for OK seats/ Now I’m courtside at OKC, I know KD,” from “Outro” is my current favorite.
Even through all of his sleepiness, Sean gets a jolt of energy when he logs onto iTunes and finds that DSP is at the top of the albums chart. “We’re no. 1,” he blurts out.
And just like that, Big Sean gets that boost that he needs. Hopefully, it will get him through the seven radio interviews (in two cities) he has lined up today. Stay tuned.
