NEWS
Big Sean has signed with new management, leaving his home of a decade, Roc Nation…sort of.
Billboard reported on Monday (July 29) that the Detroit rapper, who is readying the release of his album Better Me Than You, has signed a new deal with S10 Entertainment, the company run by Brandon Silverstein. Sean had been managed by Roc Nation for the past 10 years.
“Brandon shares the vision, understands where I’m headed, and I’m incredibly excited to work with him and the S10 team,” Sean told Billboard.
Silverstein weighed in as well: “Big Sean is an incredible talent who, even after topping charts, breaking records, winning awards and headlining across the world, is just getting started. I can’t wait for fans to hear the new music.”
The move is not as shocking as it might seem at first. S10, founded in 2017, is in fact a joint venture between Silverstein and…Roc Nation. Avex USA also recently invested.
S10’s other current management clients, per the company’s website, are Myke Towers and actress, model and singer Madison Bailey.
Notably, while the S10 news was shared only this week, the company has been trumpeting their relationship with Sean since the beginning of the month, referring to him as “S10’s Big Sean” in an Instagram post from July 4.
Whatever his management status, Big Sean is getting ready to release Better Me Than You on August 9. In the run-up, he recently explained some graphs that he used at the end of a trailer for the project.
The trailer for Better Me Than You dropped on July 18 – just a day after a version of the album was leaked online. The psychedelic clip was soundtracked by an unreleased song featuring a funky bass line, spacey synths and pounding percussion, and as mentioned, showed four pie-shaped graphs at the end.
In a new clip posted last week, Sean Don broke down what they mean.
“When I was making this album, I was going through I felt like the same four emotions, really,” he explained. “And I remember I sat down and I drew this chart one day that just represented how I was feeling. I hand-drew it and I was like man, I never really saw this chart before. I ended up getting it animated. and it’s four different charts that represent four different feelings, four different moods of the album, four different emotions that I was going through personally.”
He continued: “First of all, I was under a lot of pressure. But going through that pressure led to clarity, which led to me being able to focus on happiness and living in that happiness briefly, and then going right back to the pressure. But I drew these graphs out and it really just brought the album to life for me.”
NEWS
In a major setback for the UK summer festival season, global drinks brand Pepsi has confirmed it is ending its relationship with Wireless Festival. The move comes after strong political criticism and public reaction to the festival’s decision to book American rapper Kanye West, who is now legally known as Ye, as a headliner.
The situation intensified this week after Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke out against the booking, according to reporting from The Guardian. Starmer described the decision as "deeply concerning," pointing to the artist’s past antisemitic comments and his open praise of Nazi related figures as being at odds with the values of the United Kingdom. His remarks reflect a wider position within the government that antisemitism must always be challenged firmly to protect the Jewish community and maintain public safety.
Recent releases from the rapper have added further controversy. In the previous year, he drew global criticism after putting out a song called Heil Hitler and attempting to sell products displaying swastika imagery. Although West later apologized in the Wall Street Journal and said his actions were connected to a manic episode, many critics believe his influence still presents serious concerns.
The event, which is planned for July at Finsbury Park in London, is now dealing with growing uncertainty. Aside from losing a key sponsor, there are also questions about whether West will even be able to enter the country. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has the power to refuse entry if someone is considered not beneficial to the public good. These rules allow the Home Office to refuse visas to individuals whose behavior or connections could increase social tensions or encourage hate.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has already urged officials to impose a ban on his entry, while organizations such as the Board of Deputies of British Jews have described the booking as "deeply irresponsible." With a major sponsor stepping away and increasing calls for government action, organizers of Wireless Festival now face significant challenges in keeping the event moving forward.
