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Big Sean felt he had to pause his career while facing what he described as “a very deep battle of depression” after the loss of fellow rapper Nipsey Hussle.
Sean previously opened up about dealing with anxiety and depression around the time he released “Deep Reverence,” his 2021 track that included a posthumous verse from Nipsey Hussle. The song served as a tribute after Hussle’s passing and stands as one of the most heartfelt releases in Sean’s catalogue.
Speaking in a recent conversation with ABC News, the Detroit artist looked back on how much it meant to put something so personal out into the world.
Presenter Linsey Davis asked him about mental health often being “very taboo in the Black community,” and Sean admitted he had not fully grasped the significance of speaking so openly at the time.
He said: “I was just sharing what was going on in my life.
“I didn’t realise that I was being so vulnerable. I wasn’t trying to be a spokesperson for mental health per se.”
He shared that therapy became a crucial lifeline during a stretch he described as filled with “heavy ups and downs,” recalling a point where he felt completely overwhelmed.
Sean explained: “I either had to climb over it, or it was gonna fall on me and crush me.
“I had been so about my work that I lost touch with the person that I was. That led to a very deep battle of depression, deeper than I experienced when I was a teenager.”
According to Sean, stepping away from the spotlight became necessary in order to focus on healing.
He said: “I had to take time away from the music industry being my first obligation, and I had to put myself first.”
“Deep Reverence” first appeared on his fifth studio album Detroit 2, which arrived in 2020. The release marked his first solo project since 2017’s I Decided and featured guest appearances from Post Malone, A$AP Rocky, Meek Mill and Diddy.
On the album, Sean also revisited pivotal chapters of his life, including childhood experiences and being diagnosed with heart disease at 19. He reflects on that period in the song “Lucky Me,” where he credits holistic care for aiding his recovery.
The project followed a time of self reflection for the rapper, who also addressed long standing speculation about friction with Kendrick Lamar.
On “Deep Reverence,” he mentions reaching out to Lamar after Hussle’s death and suggests that rumours of tension were based on misinformation.
Detroit 2 was created as a follow up to his 2012 mixtape Detroit.
