SEARCH FOR: SABA

femdot has been on the ‘Back Home’ tour with Saba for the past month, he’s a busy man but he made some time to stop to see the gold folks at AMPD and give us a new freestyle over Jay-Z’s “Dear Summer” instrumental. Anyone who even slightly knows fem knows that freestyling and pure rapping is his bread and butter, so you don’t even need to press play before you know he killed this one! Rumor has it that this is the first of a few new freestyles that are going to be coming from the Chicago leader, so if you aren’t already, give him a follow on Twitter to keep up with him!

As life started to return to a state of relative normality last spring, so did the state of live music. Tours were announced and re-announced, fans were ravenous for tickets, and together it seems like live music experienced its own isolated roaring 20’s – albeit briefly. Though there’s no telling what is bound to happen in the future, the covid case spikes seem to be fewer and far between these days – so below you’ll find a brief list of some of our favorite shows from 2021, as well as a few tours worth keeping your eyes on as spring turns to summer. Whether you love festival crowds or despise their hectic energy – we can all agree that there’s nothing better than listening to music with those we love. With luck, this list will guide you (and your friends) to a memory waiting to be made.  Our Favorite Shows of 2021 — IDK: Fresh from the release of his sophomore LP USEE4YOURSELF – IDK’s shows were the perfect portrayal of his recent hot streak. At his Los Angeles show, the venue was packed with diehard fans waiting on his every word. If he played a cut from an older …

femdot is lightyears ahead of a great majority of rappers in this day and age, he’s a rare breed that can rap with the best of them while also creating unforgettable melodies, he’s one of the rarest artists that I have known in my entire life. Every now and then, fem will drop a record that just proves that no one can rap with him, and the outro on his latest project was just that. “Mueen/Pray” is one of the single best records to come out of Chicago last year, and today femdot decided to bless his growing fanbase with a new visual for the song. Any femdot fan knows that video director Jon LeVert is fem’s right-hand man when it comes to the visuals, and with the release of this new joint, their catalog of work together is only getting stronger. Check out this brand new visual below and be sure to check out Saba’s tour dates to see fem perform in a city near you!

It should come as no surprise that I have the utmost respect and admiration for Saba. Not only is he a fellow Chicagoan, but he puts on for this city in a way that it seems like no one else has, and as his career has gone on, he has been able to spread his captivating message with the world more than ever before. As he was preparing to release Few Good Things, every single got me more and more eager to hear the entire album, and ever since it was released, it has been in my rotation daily, and I find a new thing to enjoy about it with every new listen. With the new age of the internet, I find even myself having a hard time revisiting entire albums because there are just too many new releases every day, but this is one project that I am confident that I will literally listen to for decades because it’s just that good. It’s literally impossible to pick a favorite record off of the album because they’re all just insanely great, but one track that stands out to everyone I’m sure is “Come My Way” with Krayzie Bone, so when …

When I think about artists that shaped my music taste and expanded my knowledge of this industry more than anyone else, I have to begin with the emcees in my home city of Chicago. Artists like Saba, Mick Jenkins, Noname, Supa Bwe, and so many others were people I found out after tapping in with larger artists at the time like Chance, Vic, and most of the other SAVEMONEY members. One group that I have to give the most credit to, though, was Hurt Everybody because Supa, Qari, and Lotto just seemed to be this renaissance within the renaissance that was already underway in the Windy City, and they showed me that music didn’t need barriers to be great. In fact, music seemed to be better when those barriers were busted down, and these three talents knew exactly the right tools for tearing down those walls. Since then, we all know that they have gone their separate ways and have thrived in their individual careers, and this fact is proven once again in Qari’s latest single “Skip To My Lou” featuring Chicago legend Twista. It was even produced by Lotto, who hasn’t been a stranger to Qari or Supa by …

Cisco Swank and Luke Titus are two really dope young musicians who blend hip-hop and jazz flawlessly, and they just released a new music video for their track titled “Nothing’s Changed” featuring Saba. Cisco and Luke have been doing some dope stuff for a minute now, but in my opinion, this is easily their best release to date. The instrumental is one of the best that I’ve heard in a minute, they laid the red carpet for Saba to get on the beat and go crazy, not to mention the addicting hook that they placed on it. These two innovators have a joint album coming in April and based on their first two singles, I can’t wait to hear the final product! Stream this new record via Spotify below.  Video by Jackson August & Patrick Linehan    

Chicago artist Amira Jazeera has made an appearance on the Lyrical Lemonade platform a handful of times now and has even been featured on our Lemonade Stand series in February of 2021. Since her interview, she has put in tons of hours perfecting her craft, working on her sound, and overall finding herself as an artist.  Dropping music is all about timing, and when the time is right, you just feel it. That being said, starting 2022 off on a great note, Amira is back and ready to show the world just how much work she’s been putting into her craft and the results of it. Today, she is back with a brand new Single EP, titled Nowhere To Run, alongside Papi Beatz. Showcasing multiple genres and musical styles in her music, Amira Jazeera takes her artistry to another level on her latest offering. In an Instagram post, Amira stated that “’Nowhere To Run’ is the process of breaking up with the one that you truly love. A feeling a lot of us have gone through”. While the subject matter of the song may be on the more sad side, the instrumentation is where this record gains a lot of its shine, …

Being from Chicago, I am well aware of the diverse talent pool of artists that we have here in the city, and I am always on the hunt for the next big thing, no matter what they may sound like or whatever genre they’re bringing to life. Obviously, the drill movement here in the Windy City was something that will be talked about for decades considering it played such a part in bringing not only new styles to life but also the real-life experiences of these talents to the forefront, making their narratives as captivating as they were eye-opening. For a few years, drill was absolutely thriving, but then it seemed as if there were almost too many similarities amongst the up-and-coming drill rappers who more often than not just tried to replicate the sounds of legends like G Herbo, Chief Keef, Lil Bibby, and Lil Durk. This seemed to lead to a renaissance of sorts because this moment in time opened up space for other emcees like Chance, Vic, Mick, Noname, Saba, and others to get their foot in the door with other unique hip-hop offerings. Although it has been years, I am so excited that it appears as …

Although there are too many artists coming out of Chicago to count, I think out of everyone, Saba is truly putting on for this city in a way that would make anyone who calls this place home beyond proud. He has been constantly evolving into new forms with every album he releases, and ever since Few Good Things came out a couple of weeks ago, I haven’t listened to anything else. There isn’t a single moment throughout any song on the album where I feel the need to skip to the next track, and the story that he shares is as captivating as I could ever imagine. I just feel like Saba has the pulse of this city in his hand and he shows a different side of Chicago from a first-person view, sharing some of the heartbreaking events that happen while also highlighting the positives and the things that should be celebrated. While I feel as if Few Good Things was an instant classic, I was even more appreciative of this album once I watched the insanely poignant short film that Saba put together with the legendary award-winning filmmaker C.T. Robert. This 25-minute-long piece of cinema does an impeccable …

“The concept of ‘Few Good Things’ is the realization of self after a search for exterior fulfillment. It is the satisfaction and completeness you gain by simply living a life that is yours. Few is a small number, but few is not lonely. In the face of all adversity, a few good things is recognizing and accepting blessings. Few is to count them, one by one – an empty glass is full of air, an empty bank is full of lessons, and an empty heart is full of memories. Few good things is to grow comfortable with the empty, and despite that, finding your fullness” – Saba Chicago’s own, the one and only Saba returns to Lyrical Lemonade with his brand new album entitled Few Good Things. The record marks four years since the Pivot Gang founder’s previous renowned release Care For Me, and six since his phenomenal debut Bucket List Project. Unsurprisingly, his latest body of work is equally if not more impressive as it contains new elements while fusing the signature ones that sparked his career. It’s undeniably his most stacked offering in terms of features – Pivot Gang, Black Thought, Krayzie Bone, G-Herbo, 6LACK, Smino, Mereba, Fousheé, …