Dark Sky Paradise is the newest project by the G.O.O.D. Music affiliate Big Sean.

Sean has a lot to offer the rap game with his unique rhyme pattern/flow, creative punch lines, all around style, and the fact that his mentor is Kanye West – but his studio albums lack an overarching theme.

This is not a necessary attribute for rap albums to have, but with the company that he keeps, it is expected of him.

This album, just like his last album Hall of Fame, has one or two stand out solo performances, but most of the tracks that are worth listening to were either released early and ruined by the radio (IDFWU), or were stand outs because of the features, or both.

This album could have been one of the best mixtapes of the year, but because it was released as a studio LP, the hype lessens a bit.

As far as the sound goes, it is an extremely well-produced project. Since he was signed by G.O.O.D. Music, the quality isn’t something that Big Sean needs to worry about. The biggest worry for Sean in this album is the lack of metaphors for him to describe how much he has compared to his Detroit up-bringing.

The inclusion of these types of rhymes are what got Sean discovered in the first place, but is progression too much to ask for?

I hate to pigeonhole Big Sean by saying that features and mixtapes are where his career needs to stay, but at this rate he must adapt or die (in hip-hop fan terms). When I say die, I mean it in terms of lovers of hip-hop because the only other option is to make his albums strictly for radio plays, which plenty of rappers have made some what of a career out of, but that is not how G.O.O.D. Music rolls nor should it be the way that Big Sean rolls.

This album has plenty to offer anyone who needs music to fill time or do homework, but if you’re looking for something memorable, look elsewhere.