Big Sean tried to hype his second LP as a work of quality hip-hop, saying the record would not be for the club and that it would feature skits to give it a "classic feel" (because what better way to get your record viewed as a classic than by explicitly stating that it is), only to be overshadowed by Kendrick Lamar's "Control" verse and to have album sales underwhelm expectations. This would be a shame if Sean's rhymes lived up to the record's production and his own hype. But - surprise surprise - the "A$$" rapper cannot deliver serious hip-hop goods.
Lyrically, Sean suffers from the common problem of not having all that much to say, and his often weak bars fall flat. When he raps "And I never cheated" and quickly adds "okay, maybe once, twice" on "Beware," he sounds not only clumsy but pretty lame. Technique-wise, his rhymes often suffer from scattered flow and poor use of cadence. Kendrick says he tries to use his voice like an instrument, and if this is the case with all rappers - and I believe it is - Sean sounds like he should relearn his scales.
However, with his charismatic presence and all-star production, Hall of Fame does have its moments. He evokes genuine nostalgia on "First Chain," soulful romance with help from Miguel on "Ashley," and gets the trunk rattling on the look-at-me-I-got-CREAM banger "It's Time." But he ruins the latter song's ending with a thoughtful reflection on the economic hellscape that is his hometown. It's not that it's hard to empathize with Detroit's problems, it's that the social commentary is so unexpected, and uncharacteristic, for Sean.
At the core of it there are basically two kinds of rappers: thoughtful rappers, and ignorant (I believe it's pronounced "ignant") rappers. Although some emcees have successfully juggled these two techniques - Kanye, Eminem, every member of NWA - Sean will always be a care-free party rapper. But nothing on Hall of Fame sounds quite as fun as rhyming "ass-state" with "ass-quake." And his philosophical musings on "All Figured Out" sounds like he's reaching to be something he is not, and probably never will be.
While not a wholly bad effort, Hall of Fame is really nothing special, and for generic modern day hip-hop, there are other artists you could do better with. And no, this record doesn't even come close to aligning him with history's best emcees. In fact, it sounds more like an album from a guy most of us will have all but forgotten in about five years.
Grade: C+
