When fans finally get a chance to hear Big Sean’s Dark Sky Paradise, they’ll find the bangers they’re accustomed to, but they’ll also get what could be his most personal and emotional song yet.
“One Man Can Change The World,” an anthemic track that features John Legend and Kanye West, is so powerful that it actually moved Big Sean to tears during a private Los Angeles listening session for his new album, which is due February 24.
The song was actually leaked online earlier this week, but has since been scrubbed from the Internet.
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“I just lost my grandma,” Sean said exclusively to MTV News. “So, right before she passed, I wrote this song. A major part of the song is about her. She never got a chance to hear it. It’s just an emotional thing. And I’ve got my mom here with me.
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Like many of us who’ve lost loved ones, Sean had a difficult time with his grandmother’s passing. Soon after she passed, the rapper hit Instagram with a post about her life, one that truly deserved recognition and celebration.
“I’m having a hard time accepting her death, but I must acknowledge my grandma’s life, a true hero,” Sean said in the post’s caption, which highlights her work as a black female Captain during World War II, a police officer, teacher and counselor.
That love, admiration and respect carried on to the track as he provides a brief biography through his rhymes. In the end, Sean said it was important for him to convey what he was feeling at the time. And while this might not be the only song his grandmother inspired (check songs like “Memories” for more), this might just be the most powerful one yet.
“It’s just a song that comes straight 100 percent from the heart,” Sean continued. “I hope people can enjoy it. And I really appreciate John Legend and Kanye West being a part of that.”
Sean’s Dark Sky Paradise is set to be released February 24.
