April 20, 2018
This young indie rapper is not who’d you expect to crawl out of the woodworks of Westside Chicago spitting bars about kicking it at his grandma’s crib. Not only did Saba grow up with the SaveMoney Crew, (Chance the Rapper, Joey Purp, Towkio, Vic Mensa, Thelonius Martin, Kami, BJ The Chicago Kid, and more) but he had similar experiences and a musical upbringing that mirrors other Chicago rappers who have consistently been topping the charts.
Saba peeked his head onto the scene in 2013 when Chance the Rapper invited him on for a verse on the hit “Everybody’s Something” from Acid Rap. The first time I ever saw Chance perform live, I remember the intro to this song playing, and I fully expected Saba to burst through the curtains mid-song and eloquently deliver his verse in the heartwarming song. I was disappointed (not because he blew his verse; he just wasn’t at the show). He collaborated again with Chance, Donnie Trumpet, (now Nico Segal) and the rest of The Social Experiment on their debut album Surf. Just about a year later, Chance hit Saba up again to sing the chorus of “Angels” off of his immensely successful Coloring Book. The two even performed the hit on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. During this time, for his first headlining tour, Saba was selling out venues in city after city performing his debut album that dropped at the end of 2016, Bucket List Project.
On this project, Saba pulled talent from the likes of Twista, Noname, Smino, Jean Deaux, Cam O’bi, and more. Like most debut albums, Saba uses this to focus on his past, his upbringing, and how he was molded into the person he now is. He also took a page from his indie background and injected a heavy dose of spirituality into this album. Rated well, Saba was compared to Kendrick Lamar by Consequence of Sound, who wrote: “Saba maintained a precocious mastery of his craft with windingly poetic flows over murky, subdued beats, not too far removed from Kendrick Lamar circa Section 80.”
That rating is something that is far too overlooked; imagine dropping your FIRST EVER ALBUM and being immediately compared to (inarguably) the BEST RAPPER OF OUR GENERATION. There was quite a buzz in the music community once this record was released, but unfortunately, many people who do not listen to the niche Chicago-style rap were deprived of this blessed record.
Saba released his second project, CARE FOR ME, just over a month ago and immediately before his second headlining North American tour. If I’m being honest with you, I had no idea that he was even dropping an album, much less that I would be able to go see this show for free. The album dropped on April 5th, and I experienced the album live just fifteen days later. Saba described his first thought of this album on Sway in the Morning, “I wanted to make something completely opposite of what I made before. Even though I wanted it to sound fun, it just came out super dark. You know, when you get stuck somewhere… clearly, this is what it’s gonna be. I was between a lot of emotions and I didn’t know what I wanted to convey, really. I was at one of the lowest points in my life when I made this album.” The skills in diaristic storytelling, embracing emotions, and exploring the strength of vulnerability that Saba has flexed since the beginning have reached a new height with this album. He combats with his faith, realizing that it is running out quicker than the sand in an upside-down hourglass while trying to keep a solid grip on God’s plan. As I stood there taking in the experience that was the Care For Me Tour, before even listening to the album in its entirety, I was shocked by the palpable growth of this rapper’s talent. Before Saba came onstage, the audience was blessed with performances from Tallahassee locals Cap 6 and Chicago native Joseph Chilliams. This was the second time I have seen Cap 6 perform, and it was even better than the first. In the words of my good friend Gianna, “Cap 6 is better than Migos. Big facts.” This group actually just released a new track called “Comatose,” and it’s a banger. https://soundcloud.com/ohtis-is-art/comatose
I hadn’t heard of Joseph Chilliams until I heard “Westside Part 3” from Bucket List Project. The first line I ever heard come out of this man’s mouth was “I’m from the part of the city where I was sitting on the front porch when I saw my first titty.” I knew immediately I was going to be a fan. He came out with his hands in the air, hips gyrating, living his best life. Playing mostly hits off of his album Henry Church, he captivated the crowd with his Mean Girls and Fergie references and had us going crazy by the end with his lines about the pH of women’s genitalia and ass-eating.
Even in Tallahassee, Florida, in 85-degree weather, Saba was seen sporting a classic Chicago-style ‘fit: long skinny jeans, boots, his signature jean jacket, complete with a beanie engulfing his head. I’ve got no clue how the man didn’t melt into a puddle onstage, but he managed to make his hour-long performance a magical experience for all in the venue. I knew this was going to be a different vibe than the last time I saw Saba’s (parts of) songs performed onstage immediately; his line on “Angels” is a joyful acknowledgement of the blessings in his life, the angels watching his back. The first line of “Life” from CARE FOR ME is a stoic, sad statement: “I got angels runnin ‘way.” I felt for Saba as he told tales of his cousin being brutally stabbed in a Chicago train. I felt for Saba as he battled with his feelings of isolation and trauma, whispering, “I’m so alone.” I felt for Saba as he stood onstage, vulnerable to the point of no return, sharing the paradoxes of feeling so secluded in the era where we have seen the most human connection and interaction of all time through digital and physical platforms. I felt for Saba as he looked out on the crowd, pleading with us silently to give him more. He was up there pouring out his entire being, and the audience refused to reciprocate the energy until his more well-known songs started to play. It could have been because the album was freshly released or because the people who showed up to the concert were only there because it was free, but I was embarrassed by the lack of energy in the audience. If you know me, though, you know that I was dancing the entire time, sweating through my shirt, and yelling the lyrics to every song I knew. I lost my voice that night.
The key point of the night was Saba performing “Stoney” and “Westside Part 3.” The intro chords to “Stoney” danced out of the speakers in the small, dark room as we were plastered up against other bodies, sharing space, sweat, and screams. The rise of the crowd as we all head banged in unison to, “Pull up in my bucket, and I’m feeling like ‘fuck it’!” was indescribable, as I’m sure there was more than enough matter behind every voice yelling, “I’m feeling like ‘fuck it’!” He ended the show with his most popular song (WP3) and he had the late Club Downunder bumping harder than I’ve ever seen. As the audience poured out of the doors, excited voices coaxed through irritated throats expressed their appreciation for the rapper. I wanted to ask why they couldn’t have shown him how much they enjoyed the show, but I didn’t.
This young artist’s success as a rapper and producer should in no way be credited to anything but his own personal talent and drive. Saba has remained independent of a major record label and has produced many of his own songs; those not produced solely by him usually only have a handful of other contributors. While he may not be as commercially successful as his fellow Chicagoan peers thus far, Saba’s genius is undeniable. CARE FOR ME is is one of the most uplifting, empowering, and emotional rap albums of the year.