Ranking Big Sean & Wale’s Collaborations
Big Sean’s and Wale’s careers will always be intertwined. As two of the torchbearers during the blog era (2008–2011), they are partially credited for pushing hip-hop in a new direction. They were named 2010 XXL Freshmen in arguably the most loaded class ever.
Sean Don and Folarin have come a long way since the early days, when Big Sean opened up for Wale on tour. Wale couldn’t afford to pay Sean, so the Detroit MC was forced to get creative with his sleeping arrangements: he’d sometimes sleep in the car, a Chrysler owned by a friend’s mom, or he’d scrounge up enough money for a one-bed hotel room and throw a blanket in the bathtub.
Having said all that, it’s a bit surprising that these two haven’t collaborated more often. But whenever they get together, it usually makes for a memorable work of art. Most recently, they linked up for “Guard Your Heart,” which appears on Big Sean’s new album, Detroit 2. Here are my rankings for all of Wale and Sean’s collabs— let me know if I’ve forgotten any!
8. What Yo Name Is?(Remix) w/ Kirko Bangz & Bun B:
I don’t know who needs to hear this, but Kirko Bangz may be the most underrated hookmaker ever. Can we get this man on some choruses in 2020? Anyway… Bun B’s verse takes the cake on “What Yo Name Is (Remix)”, over both Wale’s and Big Sean’s verses — which is why this track is ranked 8th on the list. Definitely could’ve done without this headscratcher (not a pun, I swear) of a line from Big Sean, “She sucked my dick while I’m on a call, now I just call that headphone.”
7. Future w/ Ace Hood, Meek Mill & Vado:
First thing’s first: Wale blacks out on this joint. Maybach’s poetic genius spits, “That white whip sit like a slight wrist slit/Suicide shit, you can buy shit if you write this shit/Right this minute, they say I’m buzzing hard/My driver’s out of this world, you playing bumper cars.”
Sean does his thing too, going for one of his trademark “stacking paper” similes, plus a heartfelt verse-ender, “My pockets got paper on paper/This shit just look like a novel/Hundred thousand worth of ice on me now/But it don’t feel half as good as grandma saying she’s proud.”
6. Slight Work w/ Diplo:
Probably Big Sean and Wale’s most famous collaboration, which most will remember as a radio/mainstream record from Wale’s 2011 debut album, Ambition. I hated the “Slight Work” beat when it first dropped (miss me with that fuckin’ slide whistle, lmao), but I’ll admit that it’s grown on me ever-so-slightly. “Slight Work” landed these guys crossover appeal with Diplo’s fanbase, so it was a smart business move. As for the verses here, I have zero complaints — this is vintage witty punchlines from both Sean and Ralph. FWIW, “Slight Work” is such a FIRE song title.
5. Take U Home w/Meek Mill:
A slept-on track from Meek Mill’s mixtape, Dreamchasers 2. Meek’s, Wale’s, and Sean’s respective verses encapsulate their lyrical styles from this period of time.
It’s worth noting “I try to love her in the physical, not literal” is a line that Wale uses in this track, but also in “Play Your Part,” a memorable cut from Rick Ross’ Ashes to Ashes mixtape.
4. First Class w/ B.o.B:
Big Sean’s time to black out! His delivery, flow and charisma on “First Class” is comparable to prime Weezy. “Welcome, welcome to the GOOD life/Heard you had a bad day, well lets make it a good night/But they say we ain’t BIG/Turn us to a Suge Knight,” he spits.
The production on “First Class” epitomizes the blog era: lower-than average audio quality, and a dreamy, twinkling beat, which you could picture any number of emcees from the era hopping on — Curren$y, Wiz, or Mac Miller would all sound at home on the hazy, nostalgic instrumental. Big shouts to B.o.B, too — another blog-era superstar who came in the game with his own style and, to keep it a buck, somebody who doesn’t get the proper credit (just ‘cuz B.o.B thinks the earth is flat, doesn’t mean we should diminish his body of work).
When I think about the concept of a Big Sean/Wale collab, my mind gravitates toward this happy, piano-laced instrumental. In a 2020 mired by tragedy and depression, “Life Should Go On” is a necessary pick-me-up. I recommend re-visiting this one from Big Sean’s 2012 mixtape, Detroit — this track is a hopeful/optimistic shot of musical espresso to keep you going. Come for the Ed Cota reference in Wale’s verse; stick around for the electric guitar riff on the second-half beat switch.
2. Guard Your Heart w/ Early Mac & Anderson .Paak:
I’m not sure which piano I fw more — the keys on “Life Should Go On” or the ones on “Guard Your Heart.”
Sheesh — Wale drops gems on this one. He spits, “Hold your head but guard your heart/Got tired of white silence, so the riots started/And the robbers robbed, you wylin’ ’cause yo’ product gone? We mad that Eric Garner, Breonna, Gianna father gone…” And later on, he takes shots at Drew Brees and Agent Orange, rapping, “Fuck the Saint quarterback ’cause he ain’t Saint Laurent… Yeah, I motivate, I don’t divide/45 a coward for practicing otherwise.”
- Wonder Why w/ Mike Posner:
“Wonder Why” landed on a couple different projects, but is probably most known for its appearance on Wale’s Back to the Feature mixtape, which in my mind is a classic from of the early 2010s.
The Big Sean x Mike Posner pairing is undefeated — the Detroit musicians never miss whenever they link up. When he’s able to conjure it, Big Sean has this rare ability to combine his elegant, off-kilter delivery with complex rhyme schemes and double entendrés. He pulls it out on this one, rapping, “I feel like I could be the 8th wonder of the world and the 9th is on the track bitch/On track ’til I go hoarse/Hear my voice, and they pray that they never hear the chorus/Cuz thinking logical to me was illogical/So I took impossible and turned it into optical/Seen blood, sweat and tears like a locker room.”
Oh, and Wale is the GOAT of sports references — no discussion: “How I maneuver through the studio is hallelujah/You dudes peak too early like Biakabutuka.” S/O to the former Panthers runningback, wherever you are.
