Just 2 Weeks Into January, Saba Kicks A Freestyle That Sets The Bars HIGH (Video)

Saba may not be a household name…yet, but many of his affiliates are some of the most talented artists of this generation. As they say, “birds of a feather flock together,” and that is certainly the case for Saba. The Chicago MC has worked on several Chance The Rapper projects, including Acid Rap, Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment’s Surf, and Coloring Book. He is also connected to other Chicagoans, including Mick Jenkins, Noname and Jamila Woods, whose appearance on Macklemore’s “White Privilege II” in 2016, thrust her into the mainstream. Last year, Saba also put out one of 2016’s finest albums, with his Bucket List Project. On one of the LP’s many standout songs, “GPS,” he turned to Windy City OG, Twista, to further shake things up.

Saba recently joined the Sway In The Morning show for an extensive interview. He spoke in-depth about maintaining his own sonic identity in the midst of heavy Chicago influences like Drill Music, growing up in the hood but having refuge by going to school outside the city, how he came up with his name (Saba is short for Sabotage), the burgeoning Chicago MC scene, and much more. At around 20 minutes into the interview, he also does a detailed breakdown of the lyrics for his song “American Hypnosis.”

Chance The Rapper Affiliate Saba Carves His Own Lane In A Compelling Double Video

As with most Sway In The Morning interviews, once the talk is over, it’s time for Saba to show what he can do as an MC. At the 37-minute mark, they throw him the same beat that, yet another Chicagoan, Vic Mensa, rocked on his INNANETAPE, back in 2013. The track for “Orange Soda,” is definitely in Saba’s sweet spot, as it was produced by Cam O’bi, who also produced 2 tracks on The Bucket List. As Saba recognizes the record, he gets a smile on his face, as if he is licking his chops, and then proceeds to absolutely destroy it.

Rapping for 3 straight minutes, he goes in and out of slow flows, with accentuated punchlines, to breathless deliveries where he strings together several bars at a time. Perhaps, the best way to describe his style is with one of his own lines where he says “Poetry in motion’s how my haiku’s moving.”

Get to know Saba. He will be here for a while.