Big Sean: Tiny Desk Concert
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Published 2024-03-27
Most artists who play the Tiny Desk leave behind a small memento to live on the shelves. Big Sean gave us his special Detroit Tigers/J Dilla baseball cap, an item that speaks to who he is as an artist. Sean doesn't allow too much time to pass without reminding you of his native Detroit and his most recent freestyle samples an instrumental from the late great J Dilla. Sean pushed our boundaries, presenting one of the longest setlists in Tiny Desk history, but was also extremely gracious and collaborative with our team. This wasn't just another appearance for him. "It's something my kids can look back on, something my family can look back on to see where I was at in my career," he said before closing with the rambunctious "I Don't F*** With You."
Sean Anderson's journey from a high-pitched kid pining for the attention of Ye to one of the most respected lyricists and hitmakers in hip-hop is cleverly packed into this Tiny Desk concert. One of my favorite moments was when he touched on his background as a blog-era emcee. Most of the current kings and queens of hip-hop came up in the same era and it's hard to fathom what the culture would be without that class. Every word and song of his performance was deliberate: from "Memories," right up to the world premiere of "On Up," a song dedicated to his son, Noah, with whom he shares with singer Jhené Aiko, who also gets a bit of shine during his set.
SET LIST
"Memories"
"Nothing Is Stopping You"
"Blessings"
"Play No Games"
"Light"
"My Last"
"Marvin & Chardonnay"
"All Me"
"Beware"
"I Know"
"Bounce Back"
"One Man Can Change The World"
"On Up"
"I Don't F*** With You"
MUSICIANS
Big Sean: lead vocals
Thaddeus Dixon: keys, musical direction
Amaire Johnson: keys
Henry McDaniel: drums
Micah Moffett: bass guitar, key bass
DJ Mo Beatz: DJ
Samoht: vocals
Ashly Williams: vocals
Eryn Allen Kane: vocals
George Lovett: vocals
Lady Jess: violin
Ariel Byrd: violin
Jerome Gordon: viola
Johnny Walker, Jr.: cello
TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Bobby Carter
Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant
Audio Technical Director: Neil Tevault
Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern, Kara Frame, Alanté Serene
Audio Engineers: Josephine Nyounai
Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
Photographer: Michael Zamora
Tiny Desk Copy Editor: Hazel Cills
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
#tinydesk #nprmusic #bigsean
All Comments (21)
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Whoever in the NPR team who thought to put Big Sean on Tiny Desk is a genius and thank you personally
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Using this comment section to give Big Sean his flowers 💐💐💐. Been listening since 2008 and it’s great to see him get a Tiny Desk. What a great set list.
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he genuinely looks so happy performing 😭✨
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Big sean is like everybody's homie. He's genuine. No pretentious
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his breath control, his enunciation, his talent, his aura is amazing. you cant take away HIS LIGHT
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Sean and Wale are the most criminally underrated artist of my time. Give these men the flowers NOW!!
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The lightskinned backup singer was having the time of her life in here
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Play No Games is such an underrated song
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0:21 Memories, (Part II) 1:24 Nothin is stopping you 3:24 Blessings 5:14 Play no games 6:58 Light 9:14 Supa Dupa lemonade 10:08 My Last 11:57 Marvin & Chardonnay 12:34 All me 14:16 Beware 14:55 I know 16:47 Bounce Back 18:35 One man can change 19:20 On up (new album) 22:57 I don’t f*** You Put some respect on Big Sean🙌
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The background singers were just as amazing as Big Sean!!
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Man this was like a time capsule , from my HS days to now as a 32yr old with kids. One of great artists I had the privilege of growing up with thru his music. Blessings🙏🏾
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Bounce Back performance felt personal. Sean said you gonna put some respect on my name KENDRICK
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Big Sean lowkey got more hits than alot of the popular rappers out today. he just doesn’t get pushed in everyone’s faces on tik tok like certain others. his catalog is full of great songs that you can play at parties but also emotional songs that express who he is and what he really cares about without promoting negativity like killing other black men or doing/dealing drugs.
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We deserve another Big Sean and Jhene album
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I used to listen to Big Sean when I was 63, and now I'm 17. This will forever be a classic.
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Big Sean is from the era where. You couldn’t put out a song unless it was a hit. Every last song he has ever done was a hit. He is one of my favorite artists. I’m so proud of him.
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Sean is CRIMINALLY UNDERRATED
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Eryn Allen Kane being apart of this brings me so much joy.
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This is one of my favourite Tiny Desk performances, the transitions, the band, vocalists and his effortless performance 😭🔥. Big Sean deserves his flowers 💐🙏🔥.
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Shoutout everyone here from the Finally Famous days. We all done came a long way!
