SEARCH FOR: SABA

beloved Chicago group Pivot Gang have been teasing at the release of their album for some time now, and late last night they finally blessed their growing fanbase with the final project titled “You Can’t Sit With Us”. After streaming through the thirteen track offering a couple of times through I was happy with what I was hearing, the guys displayed unreal amounts of chemistry and created a cohesive tape, but that’s what should be expected by these brilliant & accomplished emcees. All of the songs provided feature some sort of variation of the Pivot Gang squad along with some sprinkled in features here and there from the likes of Smino, Femdot, Kari Faux, Mick Jenkins, Jean Deaux, Sylvan LaCue and last but not least, Benjamin Earl Turner. Stream this brand new project via Spotify below and if you like it be sure to support Pivot Gang by copping a ticket to catch Saba + the crew on tour here.

Chicago collective Pivot Gang have been showcasing their respective talents individually for a few years now, but, with the announce of their new project, it’s time for them to come together on some rap Power Rangers, Megazord type shit. Along with announcing their debut album, You Can’t Sit With Us, Pivot unleashed their latest single, “Bad Boys,” which hosts Joesph Chilliams, Saba, MfnMelo, and a guest appearance from Smino, each adding their own distinct flavors to the effort while still maintaining a cohesive, unapologetic vibe to the gritty effort. With such a talented roster, one of the most fun things about this album is going to be picking a favorite verse in each song. Here, I have to give the nod to Joseph Chilliams who showcases his knack for clever, uproarious one-liners. The way he uses humor is one of Chilliams’ biggest assets and I suspect, it’ll make him a fan favorite when the album drops; but really, with the whole gang along for the ride, it’ll be a pick your poison situation. You Can’t Sit With Us is set to drop on April 19th but is vailable for pre-order on iTunes right now.  

You’ve just been invited to a Pivot Gang studio session. Not sure what to do? Don’t trip—the Chicago crew’s latest cut comes with step-by-step instructions on how to not act a fool when in their presence. “Studio Ground Rules” is the latest posse cut to come from Chicago’s own Pivot Gang, and the squad offers up more of their signature charm, humor, and straight-forward rap style that fans have come to expect by now. They initiate a listener to how they like to run things in their dojo, stressing that they have little tolerance for bullshit once they’re locked in. Saba kicks things off by reminding us of just how creative he could get with one word, turning “hood” into a dozen different metaphors as if it’s nothing to him until he then passes the ball to Frsh Waters, who’s been giving us flashes of lyrical excellence since his return to the rap game last year. Waters’ contribution here is no exception either, as he holds his own with a verse that puts any doubts about his skills to rest. MFnMelo closes up the track with his unfazed, steady flow that’s as warm as it is intimidating, and the final …

Last year Noname recently one of my favorite albums of the year with Room 25, and a couple of days back she performed live on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon along side her frequent collaborators Smino and Saba! Noname is certainly no stranger to the limelight as she has performed on television a couple times prior to this, and sure enough Noname, her band and her team did a magnificent job at giving us a memorable + special moment for Chicago. Take a few minutes of your day to check out this awesome live performances below!

Noname’s Room 25 may have dropped last summer, but the Chicago poet and rapper is certainly not done basking in the light that her sophomore album has brought into the world. Following up her special homecoming New Year’s shows, Noname brought Room 25 to the Tonight Show stage last night to perform “Ace”. Flanked by Smino and Saba, the whole squad showed out and delivered a breathtaking live rendition of the track, striking me as one of those performances that gives you a renewed appreciation for the song. Smino’s melodies sound even more buttery while Noname attacks the mic possessed with a mix of bliss and gall, and once Saba comes in with his verse, the crowd immediately meets him with applause. This one is a gem, so be sure to watch the three artists perform “Ace” below:

While Chicago has been known as a reputable city in hip-hop for numerous years now, this revered position has not arrived without the constant innovation and hard work of the artists that so faithfully represent the prowess of their home city. It is these artists that we have to credit for this respected reputation, and we here at Lyrical Lemonade try to honor this in every way possible by constantly bringing new Chicago acts into our headlines here on our website. That said, 2018 has been yet another fantastic year for Chicago music, so we went ahead and compiled a list of our “Top 50 Chicago Projects” of the year. This now marks the third year that we have been putting out this list, and we believe that it’s safe to say this year’s list might just be the most solid one from top to bottom that we’ve seen yet. Thank you to our terrific writing staff for all of the hard work they have put in this year, I will be linking their socials below so be sure to contact them about getting featured on the website in the future. Seamus Fay • Mike Del Ro • Sam Morrison • …

It’s been amazing to watch Saba blossom into the artist that he is today, he put out one of the best projects of 2018 with CARE FOR ME, and this afternoon he is back with his brand new music video for “SIRENS”. A record this beautiful & impactful needed a stellar visual to help bring it fully to life, and that’s exactly what we got in large part thanks to music video director Reed Jackson, but I’d image that both Saba & theMIND provided some creative direction. Check out this brand new music video here and keep your fingers crossed that we get some new visuals off of CARE FOR ME along with this one!  

Tough times are when true character is shown. When the going gets tough, the tough get going, and it’s always important to reflect on the things that we learn in our hardest times, as these are the lessons that will hopefully promise a better future to come. In the case of Jus Lovehall and his new single, “Thank You”, this lesson is shown in the concept of giving people their flowers, or appreciating those that help you at your lowest. As explained by Lovehall, himself, this track means the following: been quite a month. battled w some real depression. my brother reached out to my moms to let her know he was worried about me. she gave me hope. they say give them their flowers while they can still smell them. so here’s a token of my appreciation. thank you @bleekg1. As you can tell, “Thank You” certainly hits close to the heart for Lovehall, and the passionate delivery and vivid lyrics reflect this, painting images of both the initial struggle as well as the light at the end of the tunnel that his brother provided. Over a reworked version of Saba’s Care For Me standout, “Calligraphy”, this song is one of …

As the credits roll on 2018, Saba caps off the year with his 6th straight week of new music. “Where It’s At” is the latest in a series of new singles this month from the Westside Chicago rapper, and it features in-house production from PIVOT Gang’s DaeDaePivot and Saba himself — a formula for success, if you’ve been paying attention to recent releases. As he raps about finding peace of mind, it’s clear he’s come a long way following the release of his acclaimed album, Care For Me. In contrast to the darker, emotional tone of the project, “Where It’s At” and the rest of the singles Saba dropped this month have kept things more upbeat—indicative of the massively successful year he’s had so far. Care For Me has been popping up all over year-end lists, even coming in at #1 on DJBooth’s 50 Best Hip-Hop and R&B albums of 2018. Needless to say, the accolades are well deserved: the hometown hero triumphed through tragedy this year all while delivering more of the poetic storytelling and raw lyricism fans have come to love throughout his career. Take a victory lap with Saba on “Where It’s At” below:

Saba keeps the weekly drop streak going this Friday with yet another new song titled “Excited”. On the heels of last week’s Pivot Gang crew-cut “Blood” and the 2nd annual John Walt Day show, the West-side Chicago native’s work ethic seems to really be kicking into gear right now to end the year with a bang. On “Excited, Saba puts his flows on cruise control, navigating the beat with slick cadences that seem to come automatically for him. Always one to incorporate whatever’s going on in his life directly into his lyrics, he raps about the lifestyle of being on tour and being in a relationship and ties everything together into a warm, melodic hook. Frequent collaborators Daoud and DaeDaePIVOT handle the production alongside Saba himself, adding warm textures to his bars through soft horn sections and a steady bounce. Listen to “Excited” below, and be on the lookout for a possible new release next week from Saba as well: