Big Sean Declares Wiz Khalifa Dominated Mixtape Era

Big Sean made a name for himself as a rising Hip-Hop artist between 2007 and 2010 with the Finally Famous mixtape series. However, according to the Michigan native, Wiz Khalifa ruled over that period with his mixtape output.

Essence interviewed Big Sean for the cover of the magazine’s Of The ESSENCE. The Detroit-bred MC spoke about his appreciation for Khalifa’s musical work in the 2010s.

“To me, Wiz Khalifa dominated the mixtape era,” Big Sean stated. “That’s some of the best product right there—that Kush & Orange and Cabin Fever. Along with Dedication by Wayne.”

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Wiz Khalifa went on an impressive three-tape run with 2010’s Kush & Orange Juice, 2011’s Cabin Fever and 2012’s Taylor Allderdice. The Pittsburgh-bred Hip-Hop star plans to drop a sequel to Kush & Orange Juice which he has already crowned a classic.

Big Sean made waves with his three-volume Finally Famous streak. The former Kanye West protégé and G.O.O.D. Music representative also garnered critical acclaim for 2012’s Detroit mixtape. He later released Detroit 2 as a studio album in 2020.

In addition to Wiz Khalifa and Big Sean, other acts helped elevate Hip-Hop mixtapes between 2005 and 2015. Rappers like Lil Wayne (The Dedication), Drake (So Far Gone), Nicki Minaj (Beam Me Up Scotty), Future (Monster), J. Cole ( Friday Night Lights), Wale (The Mixtape About Nothing) and Nipsey Hussle (The Marathon) put out stellar bodies of work.