REVIEW - Big Sean: Better Me Than You

 Ayo, listen up! It's ya boy Denzel out here, droppin' that fresh review, straight off the press. Buckle up for safety cause y'all are gonna get taken on a mad wild ride. Straight outta the South Bronx, where they call our block "Wish a Sucka Would". Y'all know what I mean, word.

Gonna cut the flexing out for now cause yo, Big Sean came through with an album yesterday. With all that static between him and Kendrick, we figured Kendrick would drop something today or real soon, but nah, Kendrick’s still playin’ that silent assassin role, just waitin' to clap back when he’s called out.

Real talk though, Big Sean is straight jokes to me. Man’s just another puppet the industry built, spittin’ some of the corniest bars out there. Dude’s got potential but wastes it with lazy rhymes, wack punchlines, trash beats, and albums that sound like a teenage playlist on shuffle. This dude’s a diva, spoiled by the game, always rappin' about bread and chicks. If he actually pulls off a solid album, I’ll give him his props, but I ain’t holdin’ my breath. We’ll see what’s good though.

Pressure - Aight, this intro got some flavor with those random samples. Not bad.

Iconic - Here comes the bars. This soundin’ like Drake a lil’ bit. The beat is light as hell, geesh. The Funk Flex shoutout’s cool though. Rhymes are tight, but the subject matter's generic. It's alright, but that outro is kinda whatever.

Beats - 5/10  

Lyrics - 5/10  

10/20

Typecast - This beat is hittin’ harder. Lyrics are straight, but still got that Drake vibe. Whole track feels mad generic, like he’s tryna tell his life story but with no soul. Sean used to have more energy, now he just sounds tired.

Beats - 7/10  

Lyrics - 6/10  

13/20

Break the Cycle - Feels like more of the same. I like his flow in the first part, but damn, everything got the same flow, no real emotion. He’s tryna get deep in the second verse, but it just sounds corny and confused. Switches the flow a bit, thankfully. But this whole joint’s a snooze fest. That line about his mom being a Delta flight attendant? Trash.

Beats - 7/10  

Lyrics - 5/10  

12/20

Who You Are - Man, this sounds like Drake again. He raps harder here though. The beat’s pretty solid, way better than the other joints. But it’s just more raps about smashin' chicks. We’ve heard this all before, especially the "right stroke, left stroke" line. Yawn.

Beats - 8/10  

Lyrics - 5/10  

13/20

Yes - Starts with an acoustic guitar… okay. But those two opening lines? Dumb as hell. The intro's wack. He’s rapping harder, but it sounds forced. His hooks are basic, and naming the tracks after them is weak. Track gets better as it goes, the second verse got some fire. But the beat ain't doin' it justice. Now he’s braggin’ about sellin' his soul to throw up pyramids with Hov? Nah, that’s some clown talk. Now people thinkin’ you’re an industry plant got more ammo.

Beats - 6/10  

Lyrics - 6/10  

12/20

It Is What It Is - The beat’s nice, but Sean’s flow is boring as hell. But we ain’t here just for beats, we here for the lyrics. And they suck. All over the place and basic. The rhymes are lazy too. I’m done.

Beats - 5/10  

Lyrics - 6/10  

11/20

Apologize - Oh hell nah… this sounds like a modern-day version of “Playa Hater” off Biggie’s last joint. Straight garbage. Feels like Sean decided to sing in the shower 'cause his girl said it was dope. Then he rhymes "roll" four times in a row? Annoying as hell. I hope this ain’t serious. I’m here wonderin’ if I should laugh or get mad. This joint is mad sissy made, son can’t be for real, my gosh.

Beats - 3/10  

Lyrics - 4/10  

7/20

NB: I just peeped the chatter online while formattin' the review after I finished the snoozefest up here and they're sayin' this is a Kanye diss. Yo, if that's no front, this ish is straight wack.

Clarity - This skit is dumb as hell. Lyrics are whatever, nothing special. Mad depressing, weird attempt to be deep. The "clairvoyant" line is corny. Ends with a toast, “I wish y'all enough clarity to see what the fuck is really goin’ on." Hey, Medium Sean, I got a toast for you – may you learn that rappin’ like a soulless zombie is wack.

Beats - 4/10  

Lyrics - 2/10  

6/20

On Up - The beat’s got a nice funky sample, I’m feelin’ it. This joint’s pretty good. Lyrics are aight but delivered in the same deadpan voice. Then he starts ramblin’ like he forgot what he was tryna say. That killed a track with potential.

Beats - 8/10  

Lyrics - 5/10  

13/20

Something - This is so soft and sad, corny as hell. Lazy lyrics again. The beat sounds like it’s asleep. Sean’s ramblin' about his mental health issues, but it’s done so poorly, like he don’t know what he’s talkin' about. This ain’t it. Throw this joint in with your laundry, it’ll come out softer and sadder.

Beats - 4/10  

Lyrics - 4/10  

8/20

Black Void - Seems like this gon' be about lost love. The beat’s giving off some Figaro MF DOOM vibes but watered down with estrogen after hittin’ a spa. Yuck. Okay, the beat switched up, it’s better now.

Sean’s flowin’ a bit.

"You say you're on my team but I can't find your jersey."

Ayoooo son, hol' up! Miss me with that BS. This line is why Medium Sean’s a joke. Lines like this and worse pop up in his music outta nowhere.

The whole joint feels like a mashup of MF DOOM and Biz Markie’s “Make the Music With Your Mouth Biz,” if Biz and Marley Marl popped some melatonin before spittin' and mixin'. Sean had a concept but couldn’t explain it, so it just floats off. Man.

Beats - 4/10  

Lyrics - 5/10  

9/20

This and That - I swear the beats are gettin' worse. Plus this dude got some serious trust issues. This like the fifth or sixth track about his "muh brodas and muh homies and muh dawgs" plottin' on him. Dude must be mad paranoid.

Bryson Tiller came through, droppin’ his sing-songy radio filler trash.

Then Kodak Black stepped in. His verse is trash. Trash voice, trash lyrics, trash flow. Just horrible. Man needs to sell shoes or get on cereal boxes like Ice-T talkin’ about how Cheerios are good for your heart or some ish. Kodak is just horrible. His verse here? For cryin' out loud, I can’t believe people actually listen to this auditory cheese grater son calls his music. Straight up garbage.

Beats - 4/10  

Lyrics - 2/10  

6/20

Million Pieces - Again with the sad, soft lyrics, but the beat is fire. Wait... did I mishear a bar? Nope. Sean literally said, "When I'm dead I'll probably put my bones in museums."

Figure that out, y'all.

This beat is fire, shoulda gone to a better artist. I could see Guru or AZ killin' it.

Larry June’s verse is better but the beat owns him, not the other way around. He sounds half-asleep with Sean. I feel like I need to tuck these dudes in and send the beat to Nas or someone who’d murder it.

Beats - 8/10  

Lyrics - 4/10  

12/20

Get You Back - Another lust track. The way he objectifies women is wild. I mean, son found a way to rap about treatin' a girl like a sex doll and make it sound corny as hell. This is trash, straight up. Corny lines delivered with a straight face. Cash Cobain comes in with a generic verse, and they must’ve known this in production 'cause the beat does some tricks while he hums, but it don’t count for nothing.

Beats - 4/10  

Lyrics - 3/10  

7/20

Certified - I’m 'bout to check how people are feelin’ this online but the Don's holdin' back to avoid bias ya hear me? So far, this album is trash.

This beat’s fire, and I’m tappin’ my foot. NASAAN’s hook is annoying though. The rap is another joint about gettin' backstabbed. Son can’t decide if he wanna rap about traitors or chicks. NASAAN now rappin' and sounds like a kid with a cold. Get him outta here. Rhymes are basic and awkward.

Beats - 8/10  

Lyrics - 4/10  

12/20

Focus - Just a skit. Nothin’ to talk about.

Boundaries - More of the same. This is lame, straight up. Sean might be one of the saddest, most boring people in real life. People talk about J. Cole AKA Young Eeyore bein' sad and soft. Sean’s snatchin' that crown.

Beats - 5/10  

Lyrics - 3/10  

8/20

Precision - Hold up, where’d this fire come from all of a sudden?! This beat is straight flames, and Sean finally sounds alive! I actually fuck with this track heavy. When Sean brings the energy, he can really spit. This one’s heat.

Beats - 8/10  

Lyrics - 7/10  

15/20

My Life - And just like that, we’re back to the soft stuff. After that one banger, Sean’s back on this hand lotion and spa rap vibe. Sounds like Drake wrote this. Sigh. This track’s a lullaby, word, makin' me sleepy. Boring as hell.

Beats - 6/10  

Lyrics - 5/10  

11/20

Together Forever - This beat got some flavor, feels nice. Lyrics? Trash as usual. Another track about traitors and chicks. Oh, now I get it—The Alchemist cooked up this beat. No wonder it’s hittin’. But Medium Sean sounds like a sleepy Childish Gambino on this one.

Beats - 7/10  

Lyrics - 4/10  

11/20

Aight, let’s add this all up…

196/380

51%

 

Word is bond son, that album was a straight snoozefest. Not straight trash, but definitely not good either. I won’t completely roast it, but if I ever hear someone wanna bump this album, your boy's bringin’ blankets and a pillow 'cause it won’t be no listening party—it’ll be a straight-up sleepover. This music got zero soul, dead and dry like Ramses II’s mummy. I’ve never heard such bored, soulless rapping. A couple bangers mixed with straight mid or downright awful joints. And whatever the hell “Apologize” was? Should’ve come with a warning label for brain cell loss. I really wish K-Dot had stomped all over this weak-ass spa rap tape. If this is your vibe, don’t buy the album—just have someone read you the phone book. Same effect.

Best Track - Precision 

Worst Track - Apologise

Favourite Track - Precision