Big Sean gives Detroit first listen to new album

A cozy crowd of Detroit friends and family got first dibs on a listen to Big Sean's upcoming fourth album, a project long under wraps and in flux.

"I Decided," due Friday, was premiered Sunday night for a tight-knit audience of about 100 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD), ahead of a busy week that will include TV appearances, listening events in New York and Los Angeles, and and a series of pop-up retail events across the country.

"I love y'all," the rapper born Sean Anderson told a hometown audience that included his mom, dad, brother and high-school friends, along with members of Flint Chosen Choir, who appear on the album's closing track, "Bigger Than Me."

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Sunday night's event was the first unveiling of the full "I Decided," a reflective, nostalgic but assertive album of bangers and rap ballads — topped with a propulsive Eminem pairing that instantly ramped up the room's energy. The party followed months of build-up that included the singles "Bounce Back" and "Moves" along with a "Saturday Night Live" debut of "Sunday Morning Jetpack."

Big Sean greeted the cognac-sipping crowd in a coolly lit MOCAD space, talking up his love of Detroit and his hopes for the album before kicking off the 45-minute album session. Listening conditions in the makeshift space weren't ideal — Sean later apologized for the sound — but it was a chance for a friendly, supportive audience to check out a record he has described as a work about rebirth and staying grounded amid the temptations of fame.

With a pair of Michigan medallions dangling at his chest, the Cass Tech grad was clearly in his moment as he rapped along to the record and soaked up crowd response. Up first was the introspective, soul-tinged "The Light," followed by the hit "Bounce Back" and perhaps the night's most-awaited track, "No Favors," the high-energy Eminem collaboration that got one partygoer yelling, "The whole city's been waiting for this!"

Big Sean, clearly impatient with the sound at the edge of the room, soon moved to a spot at the center of the party, holding court as he greeted old friends and rapped along with cuts such as "Moves," "Halfway Off the Balcony," the rapid-flow "Sacrifices" and an adventurous "Voices in My Head," underlined by an eerie serpentine beat.

Toward the album's end, he looked around the room and hollered, "Where's my mom? Where's my mom?" Myra Anderson, the former Detroit schoolteacher, heard the call and made her way over, just in time to take in a personal, eye-to-eye performance of "Inspire Me" — part tribute, part apology, from son to mother. "I'm your baby / But you're still my baby" came the closing lines as the two embraced in an affectionate hug.

With an early morning flight to Los Angeles on tap, Big Sean quickly headed out after the album wrapped up, thanking the crowd and saying, "I'm gonna keep kicking that door open" for Detroit. The busy release week continues: His L.A. trip includes an "Ellen" taping that will air Tuesday, and he's set for a return visit to "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" on Tuesday night. Also in the wings are several pop-up merchandise shops this week in assorted U.S. cities, including Detroit, although the schedule hasn't been disclosed.