CARE FOR MEE

The Artist

Saba is a rapper, singer, and producer from Chicago's West Side and a core member of the collective Pivot Gang. He came up through mixtapes in the early 2010s and drew wider attention with his 2016 project Bucket List Project. His sound pairs jazzy chords and soft melodies with dense, conversational verses that slide between rapping and singing. CARE FOR ME is his second studio album and the record that made him one of the most acclaimed voices in Chicago hip-hop.

The Album

Released independently in April 2018, CARE FOR ME was made in the aftermath of the 2017 death of Saba's cousin and Pivot Gang co-founder John Walt. Production stayed largely within Saba's own circle, with Saba contributing himself, giving the record a cohesive, homemade feel. The arrangements favor piano, hushed drums, and open space over heavy low end. At just ten tracks, it is built to be heard start to finish. Thematically, it wrestles with grief, depression, isolation, and the search for connection when the people around you keep disappearing.

Listen For

Story Over Structure. "PROM/KING" largely abandons verse-chorus form for one long, escalating narrative. Notice how the beat and Saba's urgency build as the story nears its ending.

A Shift in Perspective. The closer, "HEAVEN ALL AROUND ME," changes the album's vantage point. Consider whose voice the song seems to be speaking for after everything before it.

Room to Breathe. Much of the album is sparse, with drums pulled back and piano left exposed. Listen for how these empty spaces make the lyrics land heavier.

Sung Versus Spoken. Saba often drifts into soft, almost whispered melodies before snapping back into rapid verses. Track how those switches mirror his emotional state on "BUSY/SIRENS."

Connected but Alone. "LOGOUT" frames loneliness through the lens of social media. Compare its take on isolation with the more personal grief of "GREY" and "SMILE."