Album Review: Big Sean – “Hall of Fame”

Hall of FameBy Preemo
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

Big Sean amassed a huge mainstream fan base after the release of his long-awaited debut album. The G.O.O.D. Music star made it clear he would never make fans wait that long again for him to release a new album. Hall of Fame was a long time coming, but when it came, it was right on time.

On a quest for greatness, Big Sean got the legendary Nas on the album. Big Sean rounded out the guest appearances with features from Nicki Minaj, James Fauntleroy, Jhene Aiko, Lil Wayne, Kid Cudi, Jeezy, Juicy J, and Miguel. There is no doubt in Big Sean’s ability to make good music, as he has always made hit records.

However, Big Sean is rarely able to step outside of his own box to challenge the game. In actuality, the biggest song off the album, “Control,” is credited as a Kendrick Lamar song, also featuring Jay Electronica. Despite how good the song is, Big Sean is overshadowed and it’s not even featured on the album due to sample clearances.

Hall of Fame continues the solid run of good music from Big Sean, but at this state in hip hop there are a lot of people making good music. The “Beware” single with Jhene Aiko and Lil Wayne should have been a radio darling, but for some reason, it never received that type of treatment from the radio. Other than that, Hall of Fame plays out like a Finally Famous sequel, of sorts, which was probably the intention, but that’s not quite a compliment.

Hip Hop Vibe’s Rating: 6/10

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