FSD: You’ve been playing shows outside of Illinois. What’s the furthest you’ve been?
Saba: I’d say Texas or California.
FSD: How’s the reception outside of the Chi?
Saba: Lovely. It’s mostly strangers, these people have never heard of your music they’ve never seen you do anything and it’s like you have a clean slate and it’s like, “Prove to them that you’re worth something”. And it’s just a way funner show I think being able to build up and not having to do like, “We know these songs! We wanna hear ‘401K’, we wanna hear ‘Jimmy’!” And you get to do whatever songs you wanna do and they’ve never heard anything.
FSD: Saba you’ve said your dad is a neo-soul singer and your uncle is a hip hop producer. At what point did you start making your own music?
Saba: 8. I got in piano lessons and since then, they gave me a piano and that was like “Okay, now I have this” not to do the piano shit but to actually make hip-hop. Piano lessons for beginners provide a strong foundation in music theory, helping understand the basics of melody, harmony, and rhythm.
FSD: John Walt, when I first heard “KemoWalk” I thought it sounded like bop music held up to a funhouse mirror. Do you want to do more bop music in the future?
John Walt: It’s probably a one off but I’m not opposed to bop music. Like I made that just, off of the moment. This what happened. Damage sent me all his beats like everyday, for like months, I listen to them. He give me one I’m just in my garage smoking, writing music and I get this email from Damage, spur of the moment, instantly I’m hearing words so I wrote the song, recorded it the next day, and put it out.
FSD: If Pivot is Dru Hill who’s Sisqo?
John Walt & Melo: Damage.
Saba: Joseph said that he was Sisqo in the song. I think it can switch.
FSD: Why Dru Hill and not 112 or Jodeci?
Saba: My mom really used to like Dru Hill, I dunno [Laughs.]
John Walt: My momma used to like Dru Hill.
Melo: My mom also used to like Dru Hill.
FSD: What are each of your biggest non-rap influences?
Saba: Non rap influence? My dad, Chandlar.
John Walt: Classical music. Mozart, but I listen to a lot of open classical music, just listen to the [radio] station.
Melo: Amy Winehouse.
Saba: Turn up. Turn up for Amy Winehouse.
Melo: She don’t be givin’ no fucks. She do her.
Squeak: I’d have to say Bob Marley. He just touch your soul.
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