• March 25, 1988
• Hip-hop artist Big Sean was born Sean Michael Leonard Anderson in Santa Monica, California. He was raised by his mother and grandmother in Detroit, Michigan.
• Sean caught his big break when he approached Kanye West, who was doing an interview in Detroit, and performed a freestyle for him. West signed him to his GOOD Music label two years later, in 2007.
• Sean had a son named Noah with his longtime girlfriend, Jhené Aiko, in 2022. They met in 2012 and started dating in 2016 when they released an album together called Twenty88.
• Before taking up with Jhené Aiko, Sean was romantically linked to actress Naya Rivera and singer Ariana Grande. Sean first met Grande at KIIS-FM's 2012 Wango Tango concert.
• Sean's debut album, Finally Famous, debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 and #2 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts in 2011.
• Through his charity, The Sean Anderson Foundation, Sean delivered 1,000 turkeys, along with a variety of canned vegetables, in his native Detroit just before Thanksgiving in 2014. He also gave a speech at the local River Rouge High School about the importance of giving.
• Big Sean became the first rapper to rap at the White House when he performed his duet with Ariana Grande, "Right There," during the 2014 White House Easter Egg Roll.
• Big Sean doesn't jot down his lyrics in a notebook. He told Zane Lowe on his Beats 1 show that instead everything just "flows through" him as if undergoing a "stream of consciousness" when he's in the studio.
  
  The rapper added: "I have a reference mic in the studio, meaning I have a mic in the booth, and I kind of have a karaoke-looking mic that's outside the booth that can catch all of my references. That's how I come up with most of my music."
• Big Sean received the key to the city of Detroit on April 1, 2017 in honor of his "inspiring Detroit youth" through his philanthropic work. The 29-year-old Detroit native became the youngest person to be awarded with the city's key.
• His first book, Go Higher: Five Practices for Purpose, Success, and Inner Peace, was published on January 21, 2025. It serves as an interactive guidebook aimed at helping readers maintain daily mental wellness.
• Big Sean's grandmother, Mildred V. Leonard, was one of the first Black female captains in World War II, serving in the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. She was a major inspiration in his life, instilling in him the values of hard work, perseverance, and self-belief. One of his most personal songs, "One Man Can Change the World," was inspired by her impact on his life.

Comments

More Songfacts:

RosannaToto

"Rosanna" by Toto got its name from the actress Rosanna Arquette, who was dating Toto keyboard player Steve Porcaro.

Summer BreezeSeals & Crofts

On the surface, "Summer Breeze" by Seals & Crofts is just a song about a guy coming home from work, but the duo claimed it had a deeper meaning about finding direction in one's personal life.

Stop Your SobbingPretenders

"Stop Your Sobbing" was first recorded by The Kinks in 1964. It became the Pretenders first single 15 years later, leading to a relationship between Ray Davies and Chrissie Hynde.

YYZRush

The instrumental "YYZ" by Rush got its title from the transmitter code for Lester B. Pearson International Airport in Toronto, near where the band is from.

KatmanduBob Seger

Katmandu, the capital of Nepal, was the archetype for faraway mysticism when Bob Seger wrote a song about it in 1975.

3 AMMatchbox Twenty

The Matchbox Twenty song "3 AM" is about the difficult times lead singer Rob Thomas spent caring for his mother, who had cancer.

Editor's Picks

Jon Foreman of SwitchfootSongwriter Interviews

Switchfoot's frontman and main songwriter on what inspires the songs and how he got the freedom to say exactly what he means.

Bands Named After Real People (Who Aren't In The Band)Song Writing

How a gym teacher, a janitor, and a junkie became part of some very famous band names.

Tony Joe WhiteSongwriter Interviews

The writer of "Rainy Night in Georgia" and "Polk Salad Annie" explains how he cooks up his Louisiana swamp rock.

Cheerleaders In Music VideosSong Writing

It started with a bouncy MTV classic. Nirvana and MCR made them scary, then Gwen, Avril and Madonna put on the pom poms.

Spooner OldhamSongwriter Interviews

His keyboard work helped define the Muscle Shoals sound and make him an integral part of many Neil Young recordings. Spooner is also an accomplished songwriter, whose hits include "I'm Your Puppet" and "Cry Like A Baby."

Into The Great Wide Open: Made-up MusiciansSong Writing

Eddie (played by Johnny Depp in the video) found fame fleeting, but Chuck Berry's made-up musician fared better.