Care For Me

“Care for Me” is the second studio album by Chicago rapper Saba, released independently on April 5, 2018, through Saba Pivot, LLC.

The story

In February 2017, Saba’s cousin and Pivot Gang collaborator Walter Long Jr., known as John Walt, was fatally stabbed in Chicago. Saba began building the album late that year and described the process as therapeutic. He called it the first time he spoke openly about depression and anxiety, and later reflected that almost every song ended up circling back to Walt. The result is a concept album about grief, loneliness and the pressures of growing up on the West Side. The seven-minute “Prom / King” narrates their friendship through to Walt’s death and includes his uncredited vocals. “Busy” and “Life” were released as singles in early 2018.

Sound and production

Saba co-produced the record with Pivot Gang’s daedaePIVOT and Daoud, who together served as executive producers. The ten tracks favor spare, jazz-leaning arrangements that leave room for his dense, conversational verses. Guests are few: theMIND on “Busy / Sirens,” Kaina on “Fighter” and Chance the Rapper on “Logout.”

Legacy

The album received universal acclaim, earning Best New Music from Pitchfork and third place on 2018 year-end lists from The A.V. Club and Consequence of Sound. Rolling Stone later included it in its 200 greatest hip-hop albums. It established Saba among the most respected rappers of his generation ahead of “Few Good Things” in 2022.