Big Sean is more than just a rapper, he recently launched the Sean Anderson Foundation in his hometown with a mission he reflected in his Grammy-nominated track "One Man Can Change the World." The song paid homage to his deceased grandmother and depicted his philanthropic mantra.
"I had to rap about her because she was the one who inspired me. She was the one who showed me one man -- man meaning human being, male or female -- could change the world. You know, to make a difference," Big Sean says.Big Sean's mission for his foundation is simple: to improve the lives of young people.
"Whenever I think of Detroit or my city or the kids in Detroit, the youth of Detroit, I just think of myself,"
"It's just so easy to get caught up in the wrong things when you're young," he said. "Having somebody that you could look up to, whether it's a family member, whether it's a mentor, whether it's your favorite rapper, you know, whatever it is, I see the importance of showing people their inner potential."
"What's funny is I used to get in trouble for selling my CDs in the hallway. And you can just imagine what it feels like to be back, opening up a recording studio."
"You've got this young generation of millennials and, you know, in traditional education they weren't really being addressed," said Bryant McGhee, Cass band director. "This studio kind of really bridges that gap and it just brings whole other elements to education."
"For someone like Big Sean to come and invest in me ... it was unexpected but it's such a great asset," said Boutten.
"I've got to give back. That's my responsibility, you know. The city put me on, so I'm going to put the city on as much as I can."- Big Sean.