Detroit 2
| Big Sean
Detroit 2
Detroit 2 is the fifth studio album by American rapper Big Sean, released September 4, 2020, by GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings. It serves as a sequel to the 2012 mixtape Detroit. The album features guest appearances from Eminem, Royce da 5'9", Dwele, Post Malone, Travis Scott, Young Thug, Lil Wayne, Diddy, Kash Doll, and Nipsey Hussle, among others. -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Pitchfork
On his fifth solo album, Big Sean gets personal, leans on a slate of high-profile guests to provide most of the entertainment, and struggles to deliver anything that isn’t fundamentally embarrassing.
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Variety
Big Sean makes “Detroit 2” a real and righteous place, even if he has to use a handful of holy clichés to prove it.
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Consequence of Sound
The Motor City rapper returns with a renewed sense of self on this long-waited sequel.
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Vulture
Big Sean’s Detroit 2 Is a Career Best.
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Clash Magazine
‘Detroit 2’ has that passion, that willingness to progress. Equal parts entertaining and wide, it finds the rapper coming full circle, only to find himself once more.
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Legends Will Never Die
The singles leading up had me excited & as for the final product, this album definitely Big Sean’s best work in a while. Not only has the production improved compared to Dark Sky Paradise & I Decided., but you can definitely hear how much he’s matured in the past 13 years & it does a good job of recapturing the essence of that original Detroit tape.
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NME
this soulful collection finds the positive Detroit MC paying unabashed tribute to his hometown.
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The Post
Detroit 2 is mostly full of underwhelming, lackluster tracks that seem to not have any connection with one another, which is typically one thing that Sean can provide within an album. While there are a few solid tracks on the album, they can’t outweigh the damage he did with the others. With no common theme, no consistency, and no exceptional tracks, Detroit 2 fails to live up to any of the expectations it had.
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Ratings Game Music
I think it is his most complete and most dynamic body-of-work. Way to swing for the fences and hit a bunch of home runs, Sean!
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State Press
"Detroit 2" emphasizes his realization that Detroit will forever be his center, and home is what tethers and grounds us in this otherwise superficial world.
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All Music
The production is clean and engaging, with polished beats and the occasional glossy hook (the R&B-infused "Body Language") providing a contrast for Big Sean's visceral rhymes and urgently delivered performances.
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Medium
Detroit 2 definitely contains some of Big Sean’s best work, and I see myself returning to it a lot. My one criticism of the album is that it might lack some of the longevity and timeless hits that Big Sean is so great at creating. However, that’s something only time will tell. For now, I will continue to enjoy Detroit 2 and work “harder than my demons.”
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The Review
Amid introspection and apprehension, Big Sean’s versatility shines on “Detroit 2”.
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HipHop DX
Detroit 2 shows when Big Sean opens up and tells his story he’s an artist worthy of being in the conversation of the best of his era. He just needs to come back stronger with more airtight songs and not attempt to attract every audience that’s out there.
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Beats Per Minute
Is it Big Sean’s best work yet? Overall, it may well be. Yet, it’s hard not to picture what might have been with just a bit of critical trimming and a tad more reflection on just what it wanted to say, rather than solely what it wanted to be.
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Cillacritic
Big Sean did very well with this project and unlike Teyana Taylor’s album, this one has some songs that could spark up a room.
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KTSW 89.9
Sean is outshined by his collaborators and production on most of the album. Despite this, Detroit 2 is still one of the better projects Sean has released, although I will likely only return for a fourth of the songs.
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Southern Digest
Detroit 2 shows a respectable evolution in Big Sean’s sound since his debut in 2007, with his diverse musical inspiration being apparent. He perfectly encapsulates the magic of his home, and the never short-changing the myriad of sounds from the city.
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Caliber TV
In all, this album struck me differently than a lot of hip hop releases I hear nowadays because of how raw and serious every topic that contributes to the album’s overall theme is. Detroit 2 is a moment for Big Sean to put his versatility and emotions in the spotlight and do things he’s never done before.
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Sputnik Music
The guy does have talent and skill, it just never translated into adequate songwriting. So yes, thanks to Tekashi 69's drop-off, Big Sean got a #1 album, but he doesn't deserve it.
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FM HipHop
As stated before, this album most definitely solidifies Big Sean as one of the elite wordsmiths of today. This is by far his best body of work. Peace to Big Sean for persevering and being honest and transparent. You are an inspiration. Stay blessed.
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Her Campus
Overall I would rate this album a 7/10, because of the clever lyricism from Big Sean and the featured artists, the uplifting subject matter, the experimental production, and the bold stylistic choices. I recommend you give the album a listen.
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The Needle Drop
Detroit 2 is far and away Big Sean's best album.
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Rolling Stone
On ‘Detroit 2,’ the rapper’s first solo album since 2017, he grapples with past struggles and offers a wide portfolio of feelgood solutions.
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Uproxx
Big Sean Shows How To Do A Sequel Right With The Refreshing ‘Detroit 2’.
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The Rice Thresher
“Detroit 2” is a sprawling but unified view of Big Sean’s love for his home. While some ideas could have been fleshed out more to create a more artistically unified composition, the overall effect of the album is strong and leaves the listener wanting more even after over an hour of music. The juxtaposition of different aspects of the human experience creates a multifaceted view of both Big Sean and Detroit that is definitely worth the listen.
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891 The Point
Detroit 2 definitely presents a story that you have to listen to fully, but the individual tracks could easily appeal to anyone who is a fan of rap, R&B, and/or hip-hop. Without a doubt if you are in the mood to take a journey through the rap game, you should give this album a listen.
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The Daily Nebraskan
“Detroit 2” has many enjoyable qualities, which ultimately makes the album a positive experience despite its glaring flaws. Big Sean is able to capture the undeniable spirit of Detroit, with sincere and unfeigned bars that have much more of an impact than other rappers who claim to have started from nothing. Big Sean delivers some of his best material to date, but some songs were better off on the cutting room floor.
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WXAC 91.3
Detroit 2 is ultimately emblematic of Big Sean’s musical versatility and the Motor City’s rugged liveliness (complimented by Dave Chappelle and Stevie Wonder’s non-musical interludes).
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Hit Up Ange
Big Sean has definitely attacked this project with the intentions of getting the credit he feels he deserves from the game, not every track hit perfectly but Big Sean has definitely proved he is not going to disappear anytime soon.
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The Heights
In a sense, it is a classic Big Sean album: composed in all aspects, lyrical and musical. He raises the bar for both himself and the genre of hip-hop. With features from other musical artists, including Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, Diddy, Nipsey Hussle, and more, Big Sean takes control of his own narrative on Detroit 2, but he also finds purpose as he reimagines Detroit in a new light.
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The Whit Online
I believe the pros of the album, like the raw emotion and great lyrics and beats, outweigh the tiny cons that stand out.
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The Indian Music Nerd
In music it’s a rare occurrence that a sequel is better but here it’s exactly that. Detroit 2 proves that Big Sean is on the same level as his contemporaries and that 2020 is his year.
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The Cultured Nerd
The listening experience of Detroit 2 is rather cumbersome and spotty, mainly due to Big Sean’s underwhelming singing on some of the deep cuts and a bloated track list but the album’s versatile production and quality features managed to keep it afloat in the grander scheme of things.
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Lazy Music Guru
While there are a good amount of tracks on here, there are a few skips on the record as well. I do enjoy some of the storytelling, but I believe the album could do without some of the stories, especially for the people who didn't grow up in Detroit.
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Trendsshe
On Detroit 2, the rapper’s fifth solo album and the ostensible sequel to his 2012 mixtape, Big Sean positions himself as an enlightened despot.
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