First and foremost, after the numerous plays we’ve given this project, we’d argue that this is one of the best of the year so far. Not just in Chicago, either; this album can stand toe-to-toe with anything else out there today.
Saba’s latest, Care For Me, arrived about a week ago and it instantly became evident that this rapper from the West Side of Chicago has reached a whole new level with his craft. From the moment he hit the scene, he’s been regarded for an excellent delivery and on Care For Me he has prolonged this reputation as he covers personal troubles like insecurity, old friendships & relationships, and the heartbreaking loss of his cousin and close friend, John Walt.
This is Saba’s finest work to date. The production, which he handled alongside Daoud and DaeDaePIVOT, has really matured his sound and it’s helping the Pivot Gang leader be one of the brightest shining lights in the Chicago musical landscape. It was a great pleasure to experience this piece of art… but it was hard picking just 5 songs to highlight here.
Look below to find our Top 5 tracks on Care For Me.
“BUSY / SIRENS” (feat. theMIND)
The album opener sure set the mood for everything to come in the 9 tracks that would follow. This gloomy introspective sees Saba examine the factors that have contributed to his loneliness, from self-sabotage to disingenuous interactions to depression. The hook provided by theMIND is a worthy counterpart, it’s hopeful and provides some light to Saba’s situation. Loneliness is a great equalizer, but we can always wish we can get past this and reach greener pastures.
The track is a two-parter, and the second half focuses on the dire situation too many people in this country face. “I’m young, I’m black, I’m guilty” sums up the daily struggle, and his angst is more than justified when you look at how simply being alive can be turned into a crime in the eyes of those in control. The hazy delivery and production also allude to the dizzying feeling of this kind of environment.
“LIFE”
On this track Saba is flexing his rapping muscle, spitting rhyme after rhyme about his disenchantment with the world around him with great precision, over a spooky beat. Saba once more references the killing of his cousin John Walt as well his uncle (an influential father figure) and how the loss of life in his world seems like it’s always just around the corner, with survivor’s guilt trying to get the best of him. While he may feel defeated at times from the weight of all this, he’s still putting up a fight.
“LOGOUT” (feat. Chance The Rapper)
Production-wise, this one’s up there among the best this album has to offer. The electronic feel to the drums and the repetition, like when the system’s glitching is a dope accent to Saba’s commentary about our dependence on social media and the digital personas we have crafted and try to maintain. The West Sider drops some real gems in lines like “If you press logout, you get forgotten / What’s a post, but a reminder just how boring our lives ar-ar-ar-are” from the chorus, and I see myself referencing “Everybody insecure, especially people with everything / Why else you think they got everything?” a lot too. Censorship and the manipulation of our thoughts thanks to algorithms are a scary thing.
Chance has a pretty good contribution as well, as the fellow Chicagoan reflects on his own struggle with feeling trapped by his fame and how everyone is not only looking at his every move, but documenting it as well.
“GREY”
The first time I pressed play and listened to this album I was shook by “Grey,” my impression instantly was that this was the best thing on this album so far. The next song on this list wound up taking that prize, but track 8 sure doesn’t lag far behind. Saba observes the trappings of the game, like how Pop/mass appeal prevents artists from being as honest as a deep cut. He’s not trying to fit industry archetypes for the sake of riding the latest genre wave, and if it’s one thing we have always observed and appreciated about him, Saba is in a lane all his own.
Oh and that Jazz outro is the business. “I keep it thoroughly PIVOT the legacy”… You’ll feel that.
“PROM / KING”
The storytelling on this track is what makes it, imo, the best track on all of Care For Me. The keys play well with the dream-like vibe Saba is going for while reminiscing about going to prom. He paints a pretty vivid picture as he relates the events like being bummed out from not taking the girl he wanted to the excitement quickly escaping him after an altercation with his new date’s brother. He finishes the last “PROM” verse talking about how he could’ve called on his cousin Walter to have his back but decided to just let it pass…
The “KING” half is utterly heartbreaking. Saba starts off detailing what made his cousin so special to him, how he looked up to Walt, and just how close they were. Walt helped propel Saba’s career and the whole PIVOT Gang movement, the world was looking like it was theirs for the taking. Now, he becomes the inspiration behind the second verse but in terms that are far from what either of them would have desired. Saba remembers another altercation that almost took Walt’s life, highlighting the violence that still plagues the city and how this could’ve been ignorantly dismissed by others as just another example of gang activity, but then after overcoming that, their world looked like it was on the ascent as what followed included playing Lollapalooza, him and Walt releasing projects, and them creating more music. Though Saba is mentioning all these events that are supposed to be exciting and promising, the chaotic beat that plays underneath and his own frenetic vocals are driving towards a crushing climax: the moment he learns something happened to Walt. It’s a chilling recollection that is hard not to feel moved by it.
The late John Walt himself caps the track with an outro, singing an all too familiar story that he ultimately couldn’t evade either:
I know it’s a top 5, but a track that also deserves your attention is “SMILE.” Great melodies and a warm production; the track is like the personification of an honest/genuine embrace.
Stream Care For Me. Saba is currently on tour now until mid-May promoting this project, so make sure to see him in a town near you; for the hometown folks out here, don’t sleep on catching him at Pitchfork Music Fest this year.
