Big Sean Reveals Grandmother’s Connection To New Tyler Perry Film

Big Sean’s connection to Tyler Perry’s forthcoming film, The Six Triple Eight, is deeply personal, tied to his late grandmother’s role in one of the most remarkable, yet often overlooked, chapters of American history.

The rapper, who attended the Los Angeles premiere of the film, revealed that his grandmother was one of the 855 African American women who served in the 6888 Central Postal Directory Battalion during World War II.

This battalion, which was tasked with sorting and delivering mail to soldiers overseas, was the first and only all-Black, all-female unit in the U.S. Army during the war.

“I told Tyler Perry how thankful I was because it’s such an overlooked crucial piece of American history and Black history,” Big Sean shared with The Hollywood Reporter during the premiere. His voice echoed a sense of pride and gratitude as he reflected on the sacrifices of the women in the battalion, including his grandmother, who passed away in 2014.

The emotional weight of the night was made even more profound as Big Sean stood on the red carpet holding a photo of his late grandmother.

“I’m just proud of them,” he continued. “Not just my grandmother, proud of all of them. I’m happy to be raised by such strong Black women that are embedded in my DNA and I’m forever grateful for it. It’s a super emotional night.”

The film, directed by Tyler Perry, chronicles the incredible story of these women, with Kerry Washington starring as Charity Adams, the commanding officer of the 6888 Battalion and the highest-ranking African American woman in the Army at the time.

Perry, who was moved by the story after meeting one of the surviving members, Lena King, shared how the script practically wrote itself after their conversation.

“The script took two weeks to write and that’s because when I sat down with Lena King — I flew to Vegas immediately to meet with her,” the entertainment mogul recalled.

“She’s 99 years old, I didn’t know what to expect but she was in her right mind, she was clear, she sat with me and told me this story about her and Abram and I thought, ‘There’s the way in,’ and we started from there,” Perry said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

The heartfelt conversation with King provided the inspiration Perry needed, and soon after, the story of the 6888 was brought to life on screen. The Six Triple Eight is produced by Nicole Avant, among others, and will be available to audiences on Netflix Dec. 6.

Through the film, Tyler Perry, Kerry Washington, and the rest of the cast and crew bring much-needed attention to this unsung chapter of history, honoring the legacy of the women who served in the 6888 Battalion.