It took a few years before Big Sean became 'Finally Famous.' As he reveals on MTV's 'This Is How I Made It,' the Detroit rapper had to work hard to prove to the record labels that he could be a proven star.

"The first party we threw was sold out, 800 people came through. The next one was like 1,000 people. We just kept doing it bigger and bigger and bigger," said Sean about his early grind. "Then, I put out another mixtape, 'Finally Famous Vol. 2,' that expanded my crowd a little bit more, but the label still wasn't really all the way behind me. So I put out another mixtape, 'Finally Famous Vol. 3.' That's when it kinda started to explode."

And the rest, they say, is history.

Since the release of 'Finally Famous,' Sean nabbed a No. 1 single with 'My Last' and moved two million copies of his booty anthem 'Dance (A--).' Outside of music, he has secured a sneaker deal with Adidas to launch his own 'Detroit Player' kicks.

Recently, Sean performed a hometown concert in his beloved city of Detroit. It was the biggest concert of his career and featured a slew of guests including Kanye West, who signed him to his label G.O.O.D. Music.

You can also catch Sean on the cover of XXL magazine's year-end issue. Next year, Sean will release his second album 'Hall of Fame: Memoirs of a Detroit Player.'

Overall, the 24-year-old rhyme-spitter can't believe how far he has come from his humble beginnings in Detroit to now being a superstar rapper.

"It's crazy when I look back because I went from asking the label, 'Hey, when we gonna get my situation right?' to them coming to me a year later being like, 'Yo, we need an album, we need a single!'" he says. "It just goes to show you what hard work does."

Watch the Big Sean 'Marvin & Chardonnay' Video Feat. Kanye West

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