The Warm Up marked Big Sean’s second concert at UCSB, having performed previously at 2011’s Welcome Back concert. (Lance Sanchez / Daily Nexus)
After the chaos and charm of yet another Deltopia, students were treated to a highly anticipated performance from six-time Grammy nominated rapper Big Sean, who made his highly anticipated return to the Thunderdome on Saturday, April 5.
This year’s concert marked the 10th annual installation, with past performers including Flo Milli, JPEGMAFIA and Vince Staples. 2025’s show marked a return to UCSB for Big Sean, who previously performed at UCSB’s Associated Students Program Board’s (ASPB) Welcome Back concert in 2011. Organized by ASPB, The Warm Up aims to provide a safe yet entertaining alternative for Deltopia celebrations, according to ASPB’s Special Event Coordinator and fourth year communication major Grace Freese.
“Program Board wanted to put on a concert to give students something to do so that they didn’t just have to be in their house avoiding the noise. It’s also just a super fun way to connect with students at UCSB and bring more music to the community,” Freese detailed.
Sean Anderson, known professionally as Big Sean, has collaborated with nearly every rapper in the industry, including a plethora of Hot 100 singles with artists such as Drake, 21 Savage and E-40. The latter features on the rapper’s most famous track, 2014’s “I Don’t Fuck With You,” which was later featured in a variety of films and television series. Sean is also known for 2017’s “Bounce Back,” which peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned the performer a nomination for Best Rap Performance at the 2018 Grammy Awards.
The show was originally scheduled to feature Michigan-based rapper BabyTron as the opening act. However, ASPB announced shortly before gates opened that BabyTron would no longer be featured at The Warm Up concert due to “unforeseen circumstances.”
The absence of BabyTron did not seem to deter the crowd, with lines forming outside the Thunderdome well before 8 p.m. ASPB reported being “about a 100 tickets shy” from selling out the event entirely. The show was instead opened with a brief performance from Sean’s DJ Mo Beatz, who worked his way through a series of recent hits from Kendrick Lamar, Lil Uzi Vert, Travis Scott and Tyler, the Creator. Mo Beatz made sure to hype up the crowd before Big Sean’s entrance, entertaining with a series of beat drops and calls for applause.
Arriving on stage at exactly 9:30 p.m., Big Sean breezed through a loaded setlist with over a decade worth of material in less than an hour. Opening up his return to the Thunderdome with the 2014 track “Paradise,” the rapper demonstrated his impressive speed, racing through lyrics with excellent control and breathwork.
“I don’t know where you guys were in 2011 or 2012, but I only think it’s right that we take it out to day one,” the rapper said, alluding to his 2011 performance before launching into 2013’s “Beware,” which the Thunderdome was eager to sing along to.
Sean consistently praised the crowd’s involvement and noise level throughout the night, applauding UCSB for its location and party culture. “It’s been a while since I’ve been out of college, but this is the right one,” he declared. “I came here to have a good fucking time tonight and party with you guys.”
Lance Sanchez / Daily Nexus
The rapper additionally complimented the location of the Thunderdome, labeling the performance and venue as “real rap shit.”
“There’s no screens, no nothing — it’s just me, you, the microphone, the DJ and I’m fucking loving this shit,” Sean said. Indeed, the lack of any aesthetics and background, besides a fog machine that bellowed purple smoke throughout the night, helped make the night feel much more intimate than a typical show.
The rapper’s intermissions between songs also stood out as a highlight of the night, with Big Sean asking the audience questions on their own hometowns and sharing experiences from his youth and storied career. The rapper spoke at length on his experience being friends with late rapper Nipsey Hussle, recently becoming a father and writing a best-selling book “Go Higher: Five Practices for Purpose, Success, and Inner Peace” which was released in January.
“Ever since I was 11 years old, I wanted to be a rapper,” Sean shared. “It’s the only thing that I ever really wanted to be honestly. Life is so short … never look back on life wishing you woulda, coulda, shoulda, didn’t do anything.”
“I remember I was real cool with Nipsey Hussle when he passed away. A lot of people we lost … It taught me how fast life moves. Never put off something that you can do later on. One of the things that I’ve always wanted to do was write a book … So I wrote my first book and I’m a national bestseller now.” Big Sean then signed and gave away copies of the book, even throwing some to eager audience members who had climbed on each other’s shoulders to make the perfect catch.
The rapper then launched the performance into what he referred to as “the next level,” which included a run of notable originals “All Me,” “Blessings” and “Bounce Back,” alongside a cover of Chief Keef classic “I Don’t Like.” Big Sean even added his own line to the song, telling the crowd that, “UCSB, that’s that shit I do like.”
Lance Sanchez / Daily Nexus
Big Sean ended the night with a highly anticipated performance of “I Don’t Fuck With You,” a moment that was meet with rapturous applause and the immediate, delighted repeating of profanities. The rapper repeated the now-iconic chorus multiple times, with fans thrilled to repeat it back to him. Certainly a way to burn off the stress and chaos of another Deltopia, Big Sean’s performance provided a thrilling outlet for students to let loose and let it go.
As his performance came to a close, Sean thanked the crowd for “quite the experience” and left students with one last piece of advice before stepping off stage and officially ending Deltopia weekend.
“My one wish … I just want you guys to be mindful, realize where you’re at, be grateful and have fun. The most beautiful thing about life, the best and worst part is that everything is temporary,” Sean said.
This article appeared in the April 10 print edition of the Daily Nexus.
