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Big Sean says Nipsey Hussle's passing made such an impact on his life that he had to step away from making music.
The Detroit native recently opened up about his mental health struggles during a joint conversation with Usher on ABC News' "All Access" with Linsey Davis. Davis asked Sean why he decided to fight his depression by going to therapy. He said he wasn't trying to become an advocate for mental health; he just wanted to talk to someone about what was going on in his life.
“It felt like I hit a wall and I either had to climb over it, or it was gonna fall on me and crush me,” he said.
"I had to rediscover myself," Sean continued. "I didn't even know what I liked anymore. I didn't even know what I was into anymore. I had been so about my work that I lost touch with the person that I was. I think that led to a deep battle with depression, deeper than I had experienced when I was a teenager... and I didn't know how to deal with it."
Following Hussle's death in 2019, Big Sean said he took some time away from the music industry to "reaffirm his faith" and "put myself first." In between his Detroit 2 project and his 2024 album, Better Me Than You, Sean focused more on eating healthy, exercising in the gym, and meditation. He added that the experience helped him realize how deeply connected the mind, body and soul are.
Big Sean and Nipsey Hussle came up at the same time and were both featured as XXL Freshmen in 2010. After Nip was shot and killed in front of The Marathon Clothing in 2019, Sean debuted their collaboration "Deep Reverence," produced by Hit-Boy and G. Ry, which features a posthumous verse from Nip. The song was nominated for Best Rap Performance at the 63rd Grammy Awards.