Big Sean has encouraged his fans to pursue “clarity” in a new PSA that prioritizes his mental health above all else.
In an Instagram post made on Friday (March 15), the “IDFWU” rapper — who cleared his Instagram of all posts, save for this one and the post announcing the birth of his son, perhaps in anticipation for the release of his upcoming album — waxed poetic on the importance of being clear in one’s mind, interspersed with snippets from what appears to be the recording sessions for his new album.
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“Clarity,” he began. “And really, re-establishing your clarity. It’s something I had to go over, myself. But I realize we’re all probably dealing with time moving so fast, and trying to keep up with ourselves. And I feel like that’s when it really helps the most.”
He continued: “I feel like when you really take the time to put that attention on your intention, that’s the quickest way to get to where you are now, to where you desire to be at, you know? […] Life changes all the time. And it’s alright to change with it. […] A lot of times, your ego gets in the way. But your heart knows, you know?”
“It’s alright to check in with yourself and ask: ‘Is this what you still desire?'” he concluded. “Just ask yourself: ‘How clear am I on this?’ You know? It’s okay to change your mind. It’s okay to make mistakes. It’s okay to learn your lessons. It’s okay to be human.”
Check out the full version of the heartfelt PSA below:
Elsewhere in the video, a blurred-out whiteboard containing what is presumed to be the tracklist for his new album can be spotted in one studio shot. And while a list of features is not revealed, the video does include cameo appearances from the likes of Tyler, The Creator, Timbaland, Hit-Boy, Alchemist and more.
Back in 2021, Big Sean got brutally honest about his mental health and admitted he’d contemplated suicide on numerous occasions — sometimes with a gun in his hand.
“I for sure contemplated suicide a lot of times, having guns in my hand, feeling it for real … planning it out to the point where I said: ‘Hey, if I do kill myself, at least my family will get this amount of money. I did this already,'” he told host Dr. Michael Eric Dyson. “Because I was just stressed out and not happy. I realized that OK, I need to stop everything I’m doing and figure this out or I’m going to self-destruct.”
He added: “I took the time off, canceled everything I was doing, sought therapy, connected with God more, spiritually grounded myself, and put myself first as a priority for the first time ever.”
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Earlier in the clip, Sean Don explained being from Detroit, he felt pressure to keep going full-steam ahead, even to his own detriment. He admits he felt like he couldn’t really take a break to focus on his mental health for fear of being labeled a “bitch” or “soft.”
“Those are the stigmas that have been placed on us growing up,” he explained. “If you a man and you not working hard, it’s like, ‘Ah you getting soft.’ So that was always in the back of my head, so I’m working exhausting myself for years and years and years. I couldn’t get through the day without feeling terrible.”
