SEARCH FOR: SABA

I’ll always do my best to support any artist from Chicago no matter how big or small they may be. If they’re someone I’m not a huge fan of, I will offer pointers and tips on how to become a more well-rounded musician when I have the time. If they’re someone I do love listening to, I will do everything I can to get their music heard by as many ears as possible. When it comes to Pivot Gang, I find myself raving about all the members on a regular basis to anyone who will listen to both me and the music, and I feel like this word-of-mouth approach is one of the many reasons why they have become such a staple in the music business today. Saba might be the most notorious out of the collective, similar to A$AP Rocky and the rest of the A$AP Mob, the rest of the gang is unfathomably talented, and I try to listen in whenever I possibly can. MFnMelo is one of the members who never fails to impress me because he has this raw, gritty sound that combines with unmatched wordplay and complex flows that he only continues to expand on …

Despite the fact that my current rotation as of late is more focused on an artist’s energy and unique deliveries, lyricism and meaning will always hold a special place in my heart when it comes to someone’s music. I pretty much formed my taste in music listening to insane lyricists like Kendrick and the rest of the TDE roster, early Kanye, Jay-Z, and way too many others to name, but it was my home city of Chicago that really expanded my boundaries more than anywhere else. When I first found out about emcees like Mick Jenkins, Saba, Noname, and others, I realized that their stories were eye-opening, gripping, and relatable in some form or another, but when they were able to share their experiences in the artistic, out-of-the-box, and well thought-out ways that they achieved, it was like a new level was unlocked in my brain. Even some of the more local legends like Supa Bwe and Kembe X did this better than even the largest rappers in the game, so I have a special place in my heart and on my playlist for these veteran tastemakers. Although 2022 has been fairly quiet for Kembe who has only dropped 3 …

I am a firm believer that everyone who has made any sort of mark on the city of Chicago with their music has impacted the city’s reputation in a positive way, and as more musicians continue to make their prominence known, the Windy City becomes more well-rounded than any other music destination in the world. Out of all these spitters, it feels like the most influential group is Pivot Gang, and their dominance has continuously been proven ever since they first teamed up in 2011. I feel like their impact has been so heavy because they are the true definition of a group of friends and relatives who just loved making music, and they just want to have fun with the process, regardless of what the outcome will end up being. As tough as the past few years have been after the tragic passing of members John Walt and squeakPIVOT due to violence in the city that they heavily talk about within their music, they continue to persevere, and I think one of the most prominent things they accomplish is carrying on their legacies with pride and charm. They’re pretty much the one group that I drop everything to listen …

Just a few weeks ago femdot released his first single of the year with a feature from Saba, and this week he returned yet again with a brand new record called “Los Tacos No. 1” featuring Chris Patrick! When you think about the space in music that both femdot + Chris operate in, they are looked at as two of the most promising rising artists in their respective lanes, so to see them come together on a record just made sense. These two really complimented each other well, hopefully, this is the first of many collabs between the two skilled emcees. My only question is – what the hell is los tacos no. 1? Fem decided to package both of his recent singles together and call them “The Tour Pack”, likely because they were both created + worked on while he was on tour with Saba earlier this year, anyways, stream both of these songs below + see which one you like more.

It’s always a treat whenever Chicago native femdot puts out new music, and today he is back on our site with his first release of 2022 called “Mount Olympus” featuring Saba! Anyone who has been following fem or Saba’s career to this point knows that they have a good friendship, fem was featured on the Pivot Gang album a couple of years back, and just a few short months ago, Saba brought femdot on a country-wide tour. Clearly, these two have chemistry and it’s on full display here on this track, they meshed well over this beautifully crafted production, as they floated with ease while dropping ear-pleasing rhymes. This is one of the best releases to come out this week, but don’t take my word for it though, check it out for yourself below!

Amindi is an artist who I first got familiar with earlier this year through a tour that we were both a part of, and I have been hooked on her music ever since! During the brief stop in Chicago during that tour, I had Amindi come by the Lyrical Lemonade office for an interview, and today I am happy to bring you all the final product! I spoke with Amindi about many topics including growing up in Los Angeles, her album Nice, working with Isaiah Rashad, her experience on Saba’s “Back Home” tour, her love for mint bliss gum, and much more. This was a great interview, Amindi is a talented musician and an even better person, get to know her by pressing play below!

As most of Lyrical Lemonade’s regular readers most likely already know, we typically cover new releases in terms of projects, songs, videos, and other things in a similar vein. This means that I don’t often venture off into other territories and write about different things, but some things are just way too appealing for me to not talk about, and I love when I find something that is just so pleasing, I have no choice but to write about it. This might not be a surprise to many people, but midwxst is one of my personal favorite newcomers in the whole music business, and while he has seen his fame skyrocket over the last year or so, I can say from the bottom of my heart that if there is one person who deserves all of these accolades, it’s Edgar. In another breath, when someone like him is an alma mater of your high school, I have always been curious about how much of a deal that is, or if it’s just another fun fact in your back pocket. I mean, although Saba is a few years older than me, he actually went to my high school, but he was …

femdot is just days removed from his two-month journey on tour with fellow Chicago emcee Saba, a pivotal (no pun intended) experience that was extremely valuable for him. While he was in New York during the tour, fem was able to squeeze in a little time to stop by On The Radar Radio for a new interview + freestyle with the host Gabe! You will find fem speaking on many things including the Chicago music scene, attending DePaul University, his project “Not For Sale”, the impact Rockie Fresh had on him, Delacreme Scholars and more. This was a solid interview, much love to Gabe + the good people at On The Radar, take some time to check out this conversation below!

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 …