Big Sean Becomes The Youngest Person To Receive The Key To Detroit

On Saturday afternoon (April 1st, 2017), Mayor Mike Duggan presented 29-year-old rapper Big Sean with the key to the city of Detroit, making Sean the youngest person to ever receive the honor.Sean was spotlighted for “inspiring Detroit youth” through his philanthropic work, introducing Detroit students to specialized curriculum while also promoting higher education.

While presenting the award to Sean in front of a crowd that included about 100 kids, Mayor Duggan emphasized the importance and significance of the rare honor.

“It’s only given out to our most special citizens so they know that they’re always in the heart of Detroit,” he said. “Since I’ve been mayor, I’ve given out two of these. The first was to Berry Gordy when they bought Motown: The Musical here. The second, I gave out to Stevie Wonder, when we renamed the street he grew up […] And now we’re going to give out the third […] Sean this is your reminder that every time you leave Detroit, you can always bounce back.”

Sean and his mother, Myra Anderson, launched the Mogul Prep pilot in 2015. It aimed to teach children about the wide range of entertainment industry jobs, while also providing skills that can be utilized in any field. Sean has also raised about $100,000 to support those who were affected by the Flint, Michigan, water crisis.