Big Sean kicks off party with set of hip-hop hits
Rapper performed half-hour set traversing his catalog
Big Sean was in his element Thursday night, whipping up a festive hometown performance to kick off NFL draft festivities in downtown Detroit.
Looking out over a sea of Detroit Lions’ Honolulu blue peppered with pockets of team colors from teams across the NFL’s other 31 markets, the homegrown rapper performed a halfhour set traversing his career catalog. It was part of an NFL draft that promised to lean hard into Detroit’s rich musical legacy — including an ESPN broadcast that launched Thursday night with a Smokey Robinson voiceover and Motown’s “Get Ready.”
With thousands packing the area around the hangar-sized bandshell at Cadillac Square, awaiting the 8 p.m. draft start, the atmosphere had the sizzling noise and anticipation of a big music festival.
Big Sean donned a bandana and Aidan Hutchinson Lions jersey for the occasion, acknowledging other fan bases on hand (“I see the Vikings, I see the Ravens, I see the Bears”) but drawing a roar when he shouted out the Lions
and coach Dan Campbell for their hot 2023-24 season.
“You gotta respect that,” Big Sean said, later vowing the team is ultimately Super Bowlbound: “The Lions are going to get their shot — I can feel it.”
He kicked off with a lively “Paradise” — wowing in-the-know fans with a rapid-fire a cappella — to launch a set that dipped back to his early years (“My Last”), included his latest single (“Precision”) and wrapped up with the resilient 2017 hit “Bounce Back.”
Big Sean spoke of his Detroit roots, noting that he attended Cass Tech and recorded near the very spot where he was performing Thursday.
“With all the craziness going on in the world right now, it’s a blessing we get to be in Detroit with the people we love,” said Big Sean, father of an 18-month-old son with his partner Jhene Aiko. He said Thursday he has begun work on his sixth album.
Hopes of an Eminem cameo seemed to fade as Big Sean wrapped up his set, but soon enough, he indeed appeared, sparking a crowd roar heard across downtown as he joined NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell onstage. They were soon joined by Lions stars Jared Goff, Aidan Hutchinson, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Hall of Famers Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson for one more crowd-pleasing moment just before the draft began.
The music will continue as the NFL draft rolls on, including performances by Detroit Youth Choir (Friday) and Bazzi (Saturday).