"Guap" is a song by American
hip hop recording artist
Big Sean
Sean Michael Leonard Anderson (born March 25, 1988), known professionally as Big Sean, is an American rapper. Anderson began his music career in 2007 and gained popularity in 2010 with his third mixtape '' Finally Famous Vol. 3: Big''. He then s ...
, released on October 26, 2012, as the lead single from his second
studio album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
''
Hall of Fame
A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...
'' (2013). The song was
produced by frequent collaborator
Key Wane
Dwane Marshall Weir II (born July 12, 1990) is an American hip hop/R&B producer and songwriter, professionally known as Key Wane. Wane has produced for artists such as Big Sean, Jazmine Sullivan, Beyoncé, Drake, Jhene Aiko, Wale, Lil Wayne, ...
and
Young Chop
Tyree Lamar Pittman (born November 14, 1993), better known by his stage name Young Chop, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. In 2012, he gained widespread recognition within the American hip hop community for producing Chief K ...
with additional production from Darhyl "Hey DJ" Camper Jr. and
Rob Kinelski
Robert Kinelski (born January 27, 1981) is an American mixing engineer, engineer, and record producer. He is best known for his engineering and mixing work for Billie Eilish, Finneas, Lil Dicky, Big Sean, Karol G, Joji, Beyoncé, and more. In 20 ...
. In addition to releasing the single, Big Sean also announced that his next album would be released on December 18, 2012, but it was later pushed back. The song features ad-libs from
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
and its producer Key Wane. It has peaked at number 21 on the US ''Billboard''
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart.
Background
The song's creation began in March or April 2012.
KeY Wane
Dwane Marshall Weir II (born July 12, 1990) is an American hip hop/R&B producer and songwriter, professionally known as Key Wane. Wane has produced for artists such as Big Sean, Jazmine Sullivan, Beyoncé, Drake, Jhene Aiko, Wale, Lil Wayne, ...
says that Big Sean flew him out to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
; they went to the studio and were working on the ''
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
'' mixtape and the album. Big Sean was quoted as saying, "Man I recorded these records on my phone about this really good song that I have an idea for." Then he texted Wane the reference; Wane listened to it and was quoted as saying, "Man this could be a really good song."
The word guap has its origins as a slang for money.
Big Sean described the song as "something that strikes an emotional chord in people."
He also said, "Everybody is about to go crazy, this is one of those good feelings, man."
The word "Guap" originated in New York.
Music video
The music video was shot in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
on November 18, 2012. Big Sean shut down Woodward Avenue and most of downtown to film the video. The video was released on December 16, 2012.
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
References
{{authority control
2012 singles
Big Sean songs
Songs written by Big Sean
Song recordings produced by Key Wane
Songs written by Eskeerdo
Songs written by Andrea Martin (musician)
2012 songs
GOOD Music singles
Def Jam Recordings singles
Songs written by Key Wane
Songs written by Young Chop