Words by K. Sims
A short while back, your twitter timeline might’ve been flooded with the hashtag #JIMMY. Sure, Jimmy was the title of the then-upcoming mixtape from Chicago collective, Pivot Gang. But clearly Jimmy was some sort of shadowy figure associated with the group. Who exactly was Jimmy? Was he a person? Was he a state of mind? Well, after much speculation, Pivot Gang finally unveiled that Jimmy was their friend and fellow group member who is currently incarcerated.
Pivot Gang is composed of John Walt (rapper), MFMelo (musician), Joseph Chilliams (rapper, producer, amateur video God), Saba (rapper, producer, sound engineer), Jimmy (Rapper), Kevo B (rapper, song writer, poet), and Sway $waLA (rapper, granddad) and all hail from the Westside of Chicago. And although they are solo artists in their own right, they see power in numbers and connected to drop a project as a crew.
But what is a Pivot Gang? They originally got their name from an episode of Friends, where Ross and Chandler were attempting to move a couch upstairs all while Ross is continuously yelling “PIVOT” to Chandler. Although the word pivot might have derived from an old 90s sitcom, the meaning behind pivot goes much deeper than the episode. To the members of the group, Pivot means to keep on moving and never slowing down, no matter what. ‘The real dream and goal is to successfully maintain a living by just pivoting” says Saba.
Pivot Gang remains true to their foundation. Almost a year ago, while working on their then-untitled mixtape, one of the most important members of the crew was incarcerated due to a violation of his parole. To keep the momentum rolling, they named the mixtape Jimmy, in honor of the missing group member, and pushed forward with the project. Although Jimmy is currently incarcerated, he has taken up the role of being the group’s life coach. Drawing inspiration from their visits and phone calls, Pivot Gang is more motivated and driven than ever: “Jimmy is still a member of the group — it’s like he is still here,” explained Saba when talking about the difference in morale since Jimmy was sent up the creek.
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