Big Sean & Gunna Are A Resilient Duo On “It Is What It Is”

Big Sean made sure to highlight a lot of relatable topics on his new album, Better Me Than You. It’s fair to say that everyone needs some extra motivation at times to get through a long day at work, a rough patch, and etc. Whatever the case may be, hip-hop music can typically be a place where listeners go to get a boost of adrenaline to conquer the day. Big Sean’s sixth studio album has a fair number of tracks like that, including his Gunna collab “It Is What It Is”.

This is the first time that we have ever heard these two together and it turns out they complement each other well. It helps that their styles aren’t drastically different, but nonetheless, it’s great to Sean looking to expand his horizons. On “It Is What It Is”, both MCs are talking about what they’ve done to block out the noise to get where they want to go in life. Sacrifice, taking baby steps, and removing certain people out their lives were just a few strategies they applied. Besides the topical focus, the beat is also a homerun, as Gunna’s most frequent producer Turbo shows up here. Him, along with Omar Grand, concoct a Hispanic/trap fusion with trumpets and punchy drum kicks. It’s woozy, grand in scale, and overall, just a great listen.

Understand, n****s came straight out the concrete, it wasn’t no beach with the breeze, you know? (Straight up)
Mobbin’ like ‘Pone, capeesh, you know?
‘Cause n****s need more than a piece, lil’ ho (God)
Took a long way to the top (Top)
Y’all too worried ’bout a fast track (Swerve)
Face all on the front page, I don’t give a f*** about no backlash