Saba has shown us throughout his career that he can write and stick to a theme/message with ease. Both of his last two projects, Few Good Things and CARE FOR ME, have numerous displays of this between them. The one gripe we have with the Chicago visionary is that we don’t get to hear from him more. You can call us greedy, but we think anyone would want to hear more Saba when he’s churning out records like “How to Impress God.” This is the latest release alongside prolific producer No I.D. and one the tracks that will be on their collaborative album.
The project is still in limbo, sadly, as it’s drop date is unknown. There is still about two and half months to go before 2025 arrives, so we are holding out hope it comes then. Saba and No I.D. have now shared four previews From the Private Collection of Saba & No I.D. and this one may be the best yet. On “How to Impress God,” the veteran rapper raps from the perspective of God and how he’s moved by any of his flashy things. On the second verse is where things come together, as Saba (God) says that he intentionally was dealt some problems from other people. The way he handled all of the obstacles, no matter how big, he did so with grace and love. It’s a great message for those who feel they need other people’s approval, but it’s also just a excellent motivational record from Saba and No I.D. all around.
I sent obstacles on your way, to make sure this what you mean Some of them was bigger than beast, you fear them the least I even sent someone to pretend they didn’t believe I sent people to complicate all the simplest things The fact that you showed up here is not a surprise But Saba, you showed love, and that’s all I required
It has been a while since we received an update on Saba’s collaborative album with No ID, but today, the two Windy City natives shared the latest single off From The Private Collection Of Saba & No ID. “How To Impress God” is the cheekily titled new single, which, as its title implies, finds a sardonic Saba pointing out the futility in such an endeavor. The single’s accompanied by a simple, straightforward lyric video that has Saba performing on one side of a split screen and the lyrics flashing by on the other. You can watch it above.
Saba and No ID first announced From The Private Collection in the spring of 2023 with “Back In Office,” then followed up in June with “Hue_Man Nature.” While those two tracks were more than enough to drive excitement for the project, they pushed it back, going radio silent until this past April, when they returned with “Head.Rap.” “How To Impress God” is the first single since then.
As an independent artist, it’s no surprise that Saba hasn’t had the smoothest rollout. After all, self-financing and managing the logistics of an album release without corporate budgets and teams means doing all that with just a few people instead — all while living life. Fortunately, Saba and No ID have delivered quality with each new update, and the time spent will almost certainly be worth it when they do release From The Private Collection.
You can watch the “How To Impress God” video above.
Today, RIAA gold-selling Chicago rapper and Pivot Gang leader Saba repeatedly teams up with Grammy-winning super-producer No ID for their latest single, “How To Impress God.” This track is the duo’s third release, continuing a sequence of collaborations set to appear on their upcoming album From the Private Collection of Saba and No ID, arriving soon via ARTium Recordings/Pivot Gang Records, LLC.
Following previous releases “head.rap” and “Back In Office,” “How To Impress God” showcases a powerful synthesis of No ID’s legendary production skills and Saba’s cutting-edge lyricism. The track illustrates the duo’s shared vision of blending classic Chicago hip-hop elements with a fresh, contemporary sound, bridging generations within the city’s vibrant music scene.
Saba and No ID have spent months refining the album, rebuilding it with new dimensions that capture Chicago’s evolving musical landscape. As the “Godfather of Chicago Hip-Hop,” No ID brings a legacy of influence, while Saba’s voice reflects the city’s next chapter. The single represents the growing anticipation for From the Private Collection of Saba and No ID, promising a nuanced and expansive project that melds their individual talents into a cohesive, powerful statement.
Saba has firmly established himself as an excellent writer and storyteller over the course of his career. The veteran from Chicago, Illinois has always impressed fans in that regard and its why he has stood the test of time. Even though he only has three projects to his name, the level of craftsmanship that has gone into each one is nothing short of astounding. Pretty soon, Saba will be dropping his fourth record and to promote it, he is back with a new single “head.rap.”
This is now the third teaser for his and legendary Chicago producer No I.D.’s album From The Private Collection of Saba & No I.D. The experienced duo first began hinting at the tape’s development back in April of last year with “Back In Office.” Then, just about two months later, they returned with “hue_man nature.” Fans are still eagerly awaiting a release date, but it seems we are inching closer and closer with “head.rap” out now.
Listen To “Head.rap” By Saba, No I.D., Madison McFerrin, Ogi, & Jordan Ward
This single also features the talents of singers Madison McFerrin, Ogi, and Jordan Ward. Saba exclusively handles the verses and simply goes to work. He spits some great bars about how much he has grown as a person and artist over a bouncy, soulful beat using hair metaphors throughout. Each singer provides some beautiful and tender performances as well, really bringing it all together. Be sure to support Saba and No I.D.’s “head.rap” with the link above.
What are your thoughts on this brand-new single “head.rap” by Saba, No I.D., Ogi, Madison McFerrin, and Jordan Ward? Is this one of the rapper’s better songs as of late, why or why not? Does this get you excited for Saba and No I.D.’s upcoming album From The Private Collection of Saba & No I.D.? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Saba and No I.D. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on around the music world.
Quotable Lyrics:
Curl patterns that fight back and that grow So wild that you can’t put a fuckin’ cap on Momma scratchin’ my dandruff, flew back home Still tender-headed, boy, you are not that grown Them neck braids help you build backbone Everybody flamed your a**
The latest single from Saba’s long-awaited project with No ID is “Head.Rap,” an introspective look at the Chicago rapper’s hair journey. In its verses, Saba unravels the complicated politics surrounding Black folks’ hair — particularly locs (you might call them dreadlocks) — and how each inch holds years worth of memories, hurt, growth, and glory.
The duo is joined on the track by a trio of vocalists including Madison McFerrin, who dropped her independent debut album I Hope You Can Forgive Me last May; Nigerian-American singer-songwriter Ogi Ifediora, who has worked extensively with No ID; and Jordan Ward, fresh off his breakout with “White Crocs” last year.
Saba and No ID gave fans the first inkling of their collaboration last year with the release of “Back In Office,” a confident display of the Windy City MC’s lyrical skill. Then, in June, they revealed the title and nature of their collaboration: A joint album titled From The Private Collection Of Saba & No ID. Originally billed for a summer 2023 release, the duo held back as Saba continued recording.
According to Saba himself, who appeared at an open Mic held by longtime collaborator Noname’s Book Club in Los Angeles attended by Uproxx, he’s still recording new verses for the project, but a release date should be expected soon. For now, you can check out the video for “Head.Rap” above.
Today (November 10) was all about the 2024 Grammy Award nominations. However, nothing could stop Noname’s triumphant return to NPR’sTiny Desk concert series. It’s been five years since her striking first appearance. With the Sundial Tour coming to a close soon, her cameo served as a treat to longtime supporters who couldn’t snag tickets to show near their city. Noname’s latest Tiny Desk concert performance was just as radical as it was groovy, featuring guest appearances by Smino and Saba for a brief Ghetto Sage reunion.
With musicians Greg Paul (drummer), Brooke Skye (bassist), Cisco Swank (keyboardist and supporting vocalist), and David Otis (saxophonist), Noname tackled her poignant album’s standout tracks, including “Namesake” and “Hold Me Down.” Background vocalists Kamilah and Claudia Abena provided the much-needed layering to help amplify its track’s messaging.
Ayoni also made a surprise appearance during Noname’s set so that they could perform their track “Boom Boom.” Ghetto Sage reunion revealed an unreleased track titled “Kush And Love Songs.” Before she closed with “Balloons,” in which Jay Electronic is featured, Noname took a trip down memory lane. Noname couldn’t leave out her older records. Room 25′s “Don’t Forget About Me” made the final setlist as the sole older track.
Sundial is out now via Noname. Find more information here.
One of the most underrated singers and songwriters from Chicago, Illinois is back with one more taster from her upcoming album. The artist we are referring to is the 34-year-old Jamila Woods. It will be her third album in her roughly six-year career. It is a follow-up to her sophomore record from 2019, LEGACY! LEGACY! That is quite a long gap between releases, but Jamila is clearly being very meticulous with Water Made Us. It is slated to be out this Friday, October 13.
It is shaping up to be one of the busiest Fridays for new music this year. While there is a chance that it does not rack up a ton of streams, we know the quality will be exquisite. So far, Jamila has proved that to be the case with the singles leading up to the 13th. Our first taste of the direction she seems to be going in was with “Tiny Garden” back in July. Following that, we got “Boomerang,” which was a sad and gorgeous track at the same time. Then, on September 13, Woods released “Good News.”
All of this leads us up to the final offering, “Practice.” We know now there will be at least two features. “Tiny Garden” had a guest appearance from duendita, and this new song has Saba. One of the better lyricists of this generation, he is also a Chicago kid. That connection shines through as both bring cute and witty performances about a relationship just getting started. Jamila’s project is shaping up to be something special.
What are your initial thoughts on this brand new track from Jamila Woods and Saba, “Practice?” Is this the best single for her upcoming album Water Made Us? Will this be Jamila’s best project to date? We would like to hear what you have to say about all of this. With that in mind, be sure to leave all of your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest breaking news around Jamila Woods, Saba, as well as all of the hottest song releases.
Quotable Lyrics:
Tomatoes and marigolds, they’ll help each other grow I hope this seat’s not taken, I just wanna share the Sun with you We don’t gotta hurry up (Hurry up) You ain’t gotta be the one (Be the one) We were just rehearsin’ babe, you know this ain’t the game
Jamila Woods’ third album Water Made Us is coming out this Friday, but before its release, she has one more video to share. This one is for “Practice” featuring Saba, an uptempo dance-pop song with a chorus inspired by Allen Iverson’s famous press conference rant. The video is borderline NSFW, opening with a nude Woods singing the first verse as a conversation between her hands before displaying a variety of different body parts in closeup accompanied by numerous hands all forming different faces.
In addition to the latest Water Made Us single, Woods also shared her tour dates for 2024. The Water Made Us Tour kicks off February 1 in Seattle and runs through April 30 in Copenhagen. You can see the full schedule below and get more info here.
Water Made Us is out 10/13 via Jagjaguwar. Check out the previous singles, “Tiny Garden,” “Boomerang,” and “Good News.”
02/01 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos
02/02 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
02/04 – San Francisco, CA @ August Hall
02/06 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre
02/07 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
02/10 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s
02/11 – Dallas, TX @ The Studio at The Factory
02/13 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
02/16 – Washington, DC @ Howard Theatre
02/17 – Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
02/18 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
02/20 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
02/23 – Chicago, IL @ The Vic Theatre
04/23 – London, England @ Islington Assembly Hall
04/25 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Melkweg OZ
04/26 – Brussels, Belgium @ Nuits Botanique
04/27 – Paris, France @ La Bellevilloise
04/29 – Berlin, Germany @ Lido
04/30 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Lille Vega
This past spring, Chance The Rapper celebrated the tenth anniversary of his second mixtape Acid Rap. Released on April 23, 2013, the project not only catapulted Chance into the national spotlight but went on to be a crowned jewel of the blog and mixtape eras and a classic release overall from the 2010s hip-hop era. In a tweet six months after releasing the project, Chance wrote, “im not the guy to say acidrap was the best project of 2013. but i’ll say my project did more for me than anyone else’s did for them.” At that time, it remained to be seen exactly what Acid Rap would do for Chance, but over the last decade, we’ve seen that Chance’s statement was true. The success of Acid Rap can be attributed to putting Chance in position to later secure his first Grammy wins, gain meetings with the president at The White House, land gigs as a marquee festival headliner, and now, hold a packed-out night in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center to celebrate the mixtape’s tenth anniversary.
Truthfully, it’s just as surprising as it isn’t that Chance packed out Barclays Center. On one hand, social media paints Chance as a has-been who fumbled his position at the top of rap with his underwhelming debut album The Big Day. On the other hand, most of us know that social media is often a poor representation of what is true in the real world. Furthermore, the tenth-anniversary show for Acid Rap allowed fans who were too young or too distanced to see performances from that era, or those who wanted to relive their experiences from the rapper’s glory days, to engage in this once-in-a-lifetime experience. It’s the perfect recipe for a sold-out show, something that Chance needed for himself as he prepares to enter a new era.
Izzy Robertti
The dominating element in the arena for the Acid Rap tenth-anniversary show was gratitude, most especially from Chance The Rapper to the audience. Beginning with a trio of records from his 2016 mixtape Coloring Book, a project that got a lot of airtime at the show, Chance stepped forth with a triumphant entrance to “No Problems.” Steering into renditions of “All Night” and “Blessings,” it was clear that he was extremely thankful for this moment. The gratitude from the Chicago rapper only amplified as he transitioned into Acid Rap tracks. After performances of “Good Ass Intro,” “Pusha Man,” and “Paranoia,” Chance championed the crowd and reminded them of the unique moment at hand. “There’s no fake fans in the building tonight,” he proclaimed. “I’ll probably never do a show like this again.”
Ten years removed from the firestarter release in his career, Chance is still just as grateful for the spotlight as he was when Acid Rap first came out. He later interrupts his performance of “Juice” to share an anecdote about meeting with labels in New York City, filming the music video for the song in the city, and how everything changed once he returned to Chicago. Moments like these are scattered throughout Chance’s career as contributors to his success, both before and after the release of Acid Rap. The same could be said about his longtime collaborators, some of whom were present at Barclays. Chance extended this same gratitude to them throughout the night, whether it be Saba during performances of “Everybody’s Something” and “Angels” or Joey Badass for “The Highs & The Lows.”
Izzy Robertti
The sweetest moments came as he thanked members of his band one by one for years of collaboration and support in and outside of his music before bringing out Vic Mensa. Beside Acid Rap in 2013 came Vic Mensa’s Innanetape, and together, both projects highlighted the best of what was to come from Chicago’s rap scene at the time. Both Chance and Vic supplied verses to one another on their projects through “Cocoa Butter Kisses” and “Tweakin,’” and together the duo made it out and achieved undoubtable success. In past years, it seemed like there was a rift between the two rappers, but more recently, performances together and an uptick in collaborations confirmed that all is well between them. So as Chance and Vic shared words and embraced before performing “Cocoa Butter Kisses,” you could tell that the night was more than just about ten years of Acid Rap. It was about ten years (and then some) of doing it his way with his people to a level of success that he only dreamed of.
Sitting in Barclays Center, as Chance The Rapper concluded the night with performances of other Acid Rap standouts like “Favorite Song” and “Smoke Again,” you’re left to reconsider where the reality lies for Chance. It exists further from his social media perception and closer to the one that existed in the inescapable atmosphere of the arena. One where his fans from around the way and far away gathered to celebrate one of the most unique rappers in this modern era and his decade-old magnum opus. Whether it was Acid Rap classics or his most recent releases, Chance was met with the same excitement from the crowd. His run of shows for Acid Rap is a moment to celebrate his past, but it’s also one to remind us of his present status — the real one — in preparation for his future. Hate him or love him, Chance The Rapper seems ready to continue doing what he does best as he announced his second album Star Line Gallery would arrive in 2024. So as the night concluded, Chance left the crowd with one thing to remember:
“I am Chance The Rapper and I will always be Chance The Rapper.”
