The 80s was one of the best decades for television. During this period of time, writers had some of the best “coming of age” shows. One of my favorite shows was “The Wonder Years“. This show starred Fred Savage as Kevin Arnold and viewers got to see narrated episodes/glimpses into his life. This show won several awards, but one of it’s most impactful awards that the show received was a Peabody award in 1989. It won the award for “pushing the boundaries of the sitcom format and using new modes of storytelling.” Maybe this was Sean David Grant’s idea for naming his most recent album after the show. Maybe he wanted to push boundaries of hip hop through his unique mode of storytelling.
One way he achieves this goal is through his style and flow. His voice is very unique and the listener can hear how he can cleverly allow his words to linger as he asserts his alliteration in his cadence. One can hear a great example of this on his tracks “They Know” and “Honest With Me“.
Another way he does so is by his storytelling. We can hear a great ode to his “Winnie” on “Alfie“. We also hear him parlaying bars with his “Paul Pfeiffer” partner, Ric Sincere, on “Paper Weapons“. “Rated R Nights” also shows the dark side of Sean’s stories, showing his balance as a storyteller.
Lastly, he draws in the listener through his transparency. As we listen on tracks like ” Suffocating” and “Abandon“, we can hear his fears and issues with fame. This is a constant theme throughout the album.
Sean David Grants nails the wonder years concept. His tracks come off as relatable and show a mix of emotions ranging from being fragile to showing fury on the mic. I thank him for showing us his wonder years and hope there are many more to come. Spread The Soup!
You can check out the album >>>>HERE!