A few years after SahBabii broke out in Atlanta with his 2017 hit “Pull Up wit ah Stick,” he's continued the momentum with witty, nonsensical bars and a penchant for saying things like, “Give her both balls like LaMelo and Lonzo.” But after the death of a close friend, DemonChild, SahBabii abandoned his shenanigans to create his 2021 LP Do it for the Demona heartfelt memorial addressed to grief and anguish. Although his rap was still loose and nonchalant, he turned his remarks inward. On his new album, Saaheemtitled by his birth name, he balances mischief with vulnerable introspection, embracing the fresh vocal stylings and sharp production choices that highlight his songwriting.
SahBabii focuses on telling it all Saaheemeven when it's hard—or ridiculous. In the first verse of “Belt Boyz”, Sah sounds more paranoid than ever, recalling that DemonChild and his brother T3 were driving. Both in content and autobiographical style, it is a clear extension of it Do it for the Demon. 'Save iT 4 Me Babii' tells the story of Shah who takes a plane to drop off a lover. You can almost envision the cartoon bubble above the window seat revealing his lurid reveries: “It's about two hours into this flight/You took a shower, right?” It's a twisted throwback that would be right at home Barnaclesbut with a more studied approach. Everywhere Saaheemhumor highlights and softens the weightiest issues. On “Everyday” piano, SahBabii's tone shifts between serious and non-serious as he goes about his day: “I hit a lick in the morning/Then I bought a sausage biscuit.” He finds the beauty and humor in real-time combat, with a penchant for fun that makes even the funny moments endearing.
When SahBabii takes a stab at a style he hasn't explored much, it generally pays off. On “Viking,” he raps with a new intensity, a halfway nasal inflection Exchange-era Young Thug and I am Music-Playboi Carti era. He aligns his sound more distinctly with the Atlanta canon and speaks to the love and understanding of the city he hails from. The Auto-Tuned melodies on “1095 Osborne St” are covered in clouds of silk, as if Luther Vandross had been without prescription pills. It's sexy, desperate and hilarious, perfectly capturing his years-long obsession with making sex as stupid as possible.
