SEARCH FOR: SABA

Few people are as important and pivotal as Saba is in the Chicago rap scene, no pun intended. From the very early moments in his career until now, he has changed so many people’s lives with his music, sharing some very tough, introspective moments of his life with his listeners, and this has done so much for so many different fans. Not only this, but he has dealt with so many personal hardships over the last few years, but he doesn’t let these things slow him down, and although they’re things that cause him pain and heartbreak, he perseveres, and that’s one of the most prominent takeaways I have about who he is as a person, not just an artist. Care for Me came out back in 2018 and is still one of my favorite projects of the last decade, but I know he has a lot more to share, so finding out that his third studio album Few Good Things is finally set to release on February 4th of next year, I couldn’t be more ecstatic. Although this seems like it’s still so far in the future, Saba continued his hot streak today with the release of a brand-new …

Saba and PIVOT GANG may have came to Kenny Beats’ incredible freestyle series The Cave with some of the best content I’ve seen and heard on the show. “Do what I want, I don’t fit in a box,” Saba says, and rightfully so. Saba and PIVOT GANG as a whole are an incredibly unique partnership, and each time I hear something by the group I become more of a fan. So when Kenny Beats announced that they’d be the next guest on the show, I couldn’t wait. They certainly didn’t disappoint, beginning the video with a philosophical conversation regarding the creative process and the nuances of musical production that give viewers an insight to just how intricate and talented these artists are. Kenny begins with some testing of various samples until he found one to fit the energy, and went to work. The beat allows the three PIVOT GANG members; Saba, Joseph Chilliams, and Frsh Waters, to deliver a three-verse masterpiece that could be turned into a studio hit, should it be released. The creativity and genuineness Kenny brings out of visiting artists is unmatched, and this weeks episode of the cave shows exactly that. Watch it on YouTube, below! …

If we’re being completely honest right now, Chicago is in a weird place musically. It just seems like this city has always had a specific sonic identity throughout the years that switches every now and then, but right now it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what that is. Back in the 2010s, there was soulful, upbeat music from people like Chance, Vic, Mick Jenkins, Saba, Alex Wiley, and more, while artists like Chief Keef, Lil Durk, Lil Bibby, and G Herbo were keeping the drill scene on lock. It just seems as if right now, there is no clearly defined sound that the city can call our own, but if nothing else, this is exciting because it opens things up to so many different styles, sounds, and possibilities, so I’m not complaining even slightly. While the drill scene has maybe cooled off slightly since Keef and Durk first helped it blow up almost a decade ago, Lil Zay Osama is here to make sure that this subgenre isn’t soon forgotten, and he’s making some of the most incredible drill music in the entire world, let alone the Windy City itself. As Zay ramps up the hype for Trench Baby 2 which …

Supergroups in music are rare to come by, so when one emerges you don’t wanna miss out. Today, I’m delighted to share the debut of Creogangg; an emerging Chicago trio consisting of the artists Kai, Menace4hire, and Senite. Inspired by the likes of Ghetto Sage (Saba, NoName, Smino) and the legendary Fugees, their base hip-hop and R&B sound would certainly make their influences proud. “Fone Kalls” is a track featured on KAI’s excellent new EP Steve’s Demo, which also serves as the star-studded opener to the project. Like any talented musical group, each member possesses their own signature persona and memorable sound qualities. On this record, KAI serves as the emcee; a lyrical cat whose bread and butter is illustrated via his surgically raw flow. KAI also displays his versatility by taking on the hook with a softer approach. Senite is the dual-artist; her ability to interchange from confident rapping to delicate vocals matches the mellow vibe of the song throughout. As for Menace4hire, his important role as the closer is carried out effortlessly via a rapid bar quickfire. Moreover, the Joss Andreo directed music video is fitting because it captures the immense chemistry shared between the gifted three. Friendship …

Kiraly Payne is somebody who I personally have been familiar with for the better half of a decade now, he’s been a part of the Chicago scene for a minute now, and I recently brought him by the Lyrical Lemonade office for a new interview on The Lemonade Stand! This was a great conversation where I spoke to Kiraly about plenty of topics including his appearance in our old LL cypher videos, being a part of the Outer(net) crew, his recent appearance with Saba in LA, his upcoming music releases, growing up in the Chicagoland area, attending Plainfield East + Plainfield North High Schools, his skills at the game Tekken and more. Get familiar with one of Chicago’s most talented spitters by watching this new interview!

Chicago is obviously a special place, but it can also be a ruthless monster, unfortunately. While there are so many incredible artists rising within the music scene here, there are few groups that are as iconic and pivotal as Pivot Gang, and real fans know this. While Saba might be the most notable of the group, there are so many different talents within the crew that you might be missing out on. Unfortunately, things have been extremely tough after the passing of Squeak, a legendary figure within Chicago, but Pivot never seems to give up no matter how hard things may be. Nonetheless, out of this entire group, Joseph Chilliams is one of my favorite emcees because he thinks outside of the box and truly tries things out that others tend to avoid, constantly pushing the limit while seeing outcomes that are as impressive as it gets. Most recently, Joseph decided to release a brand-new song entitled “I Ain’t Been Outside”, and if you are somehow not familiar with this Windy City spitter, this is the perfect record to familiarize yourself with him. Within the instrumental, some buoyant, consistent synths continuously rotate as the beat unfolds, leading us into some …

Back at the start of May, we announced our third annual Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash music festival lineup, the all hip-hop festival that takes place right here in Chicago. At the time of the announcement, we received a ton of positive feedback regarding the lineup, but we knew that the updated lineup was going to make it that much better. Today we are extremely proud to announce that we have updated our lineup with artists, Don Toliver and Saba! Obviously, Don Toliver has played a big part in Lyrical Lemonade this year with the music videos we have directed for “His & Hers” as well as “Lemonade”. He is one of the brightest young stars in the entire music world, he was widely requested by our fanbase, and we also felt like he was the missing piece to the festival and are very excited to add him to our lineup! Chicago native Saba is without a doubt one of the best rappers that the city has to offer, we here at Lyrical Lemonade have been massive fans of him since he released Comfort Zone back in 2014, and he has grown tremendously since then. Here at the office, Saba was considered …

O apologize because I am a couple of weeks late to this article, but sometime in the middle of May, Nascent recruited Duckwrth and Saba for an amazing new song/visual for “Lock It Up. Nascent is somebody that I have known about for some years now, he is a talented producer and from what good friends of mine like femdot tell me, a great person. On this release here, Nascent created a substantial instrumental, one that you could listen to by itself on repeat for hours if you wanted to. When you get two specials artists like Duckwrth and Saba on a beat like this, you can only expect greatness, and that’s exactly what we received. Do yourself a favor and watch this new visual below!

Obviously, being a fan of any and all music in general, I’m always on the lookout for the next upcoming act that captures my attention and steals the show. As for rap and hip-hop, I just personally tend to lean towards some more ignorant, bass-heavy tracks that aren’t necessarily full of substance, and although this is my personal preference oftentimes, when someone who makes completely different kinds of music than this stands out to me, I have to shine a spotlight on them as soon as I get the chance. I was recently put onto SoloSam, an artist I don’t know much about, but when I saw that he released an Ayo Okesanya and Peripheral Projects-directed music video for his song “Traffic Jam”, I had to tune in without a doubt in my mind. As this visual begins, Sam wakes up in a panic in the driver’s seat of his car in the middle of nowhere. As he gets out, he opens the hood and realizes that something is wrong, and when he tries to call someone for help, his phone doesn’t get reception in the barren landscape that he is stuck in. Walking up the road to find some …

The collaborative bliss that ensues when singer-songwriter Saba Abraha and producer De’Jour Thomas connect is always something special. To no surprise, their latest work, in the form of Saba Abraha’s new single, “Entice,” is as exceptional as her previous work and a big step forward for the talented musician. Absent for a year, Saba appears to have been growing, as a person and an artist, refining her sound and spirit to deliver a palpable example of her intimate songwriting. Her new single, “Entice,” is a mid-tempo production that exudes growth. Saba’s lush vocals glide over the De’Jour Thomas production with ease as she chronicles her newly found spirit, describing how she is no longer the woman she once was. This step into something bigger and brighter is an enduring message that completely engulfs you when listening, fueling your own need to shed the un-serving wears of life. “Entice” is Saba Abraha’s first single in some time, and her return leaves me, and I’m sure many of you, hopeful for an influx of new music from the compelling R&B storyteller. Saba Abraha had the below to say about her new single, saying, “Entice is a sayonara to all of the people and habits …