Why Ghetto Sage May be The Supergroup That Makes Us Believe in Magic Again Mohith Subbarao Follow Nov 26, 2019 · Unlisted

We love supergroups. From the thrilling explosion of comic book crossover films in the Marvel and DC Universe to the progress-propelling formation of the United Nations, we are exhilarated and encouraged to see powerful entities come together to do something worthwhile that no individual contributor could accomplish alone.

Yet there is a dark side to the supergroup phenomenon. Supergroups are almost impossible to maintain. Competing egos, styles, and identities have trouble living in harmony together — it’s only a matter of time before our favorite superheroes are killed off or a country decides to back out of protections against climate change. Enough of these disappointments and the magical belief of supergroups can be forever tainted.

This hopeful but strained relationship with the idea of supergroups exists outside of comic book lore and social activism. The hip-hop supergroup has similarly been mythologized by audiences and fellow artists, often to soaring expectations and underwhelming results — a la the unsuccessful combination of Nas, AZ, Cormega, & Foxy Brown’s The Firm in the 90s or the premature breakup of Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, and Pharrell Williams’s Child Rebel Soldier in the 2000s. However, Ghetto Sage, formed by the musical visionaries of Noname, Saba, and Smino, is shaping up to be an optimistic step forward.

But before becoming a supergroup, each individual needs to become super on their own.

From the mid 2010s onward, each of these three artists did just that by releasing two outstanding projects that were genre-pushing, lyrically dexterous, and socially conscious — 2016’s Telefone and 2018’s Room 25 from Noname, 2016’s Bucket List Project and 2018’s CARE FOR ME from Saba, and 2017’s blkswn and 2018’s NOIR from Smino. Throughout their music, despite naturally differing styles, they all carried a strong pathos of understanding the human desire to better navigate life while trying to find the joys along the way.

From the onset of their careers, these three shared personal friendship, geographically similar roots, and a musical camaraderie — often jumping on each other’s tracks to create some of the best moments of those respective albums.

Yet when the trio all hopped on a track together and put their qualities on supreme display, the experience was sublime. “Shadow Man”, the closer of Telefone, uses soul and jazz influences, a live finger-snap beat, and gospel-tinged background wailing to create an introspective atmosphere for Noname, Saba, and Smino to trade thoughtful and imaginative raps about hip-hop, spirituality, family, and death. On “Ace”, off Room 25, these three reunited again — showcasing confident and playful lines about their successful rap careers and their growing influence on the world, buoyed by soul-tinged crooning loops and a fast-paced and head-bobbing drum beat. After officially forming Ghetto Sage in the fall of 2019, the trio released “Häagen Dazs”, which utilizes a haunting orchestral backing instrumentation and commanding drum beat, as the group launches into aggressive and unapologetic verses about sexual expression, political activism, hometown violence, and commercial success. On all of these collaborations, their distinctive styles blend together so effortlessly — Noname’s poetic and spoken word delivery, Saba’s introspective and melancholy lyrics, Smino’s avant-garde musical style and fun-loving attitude. These tracks are wildly diverse in their musical styles and lyrical topics, yet still somehow maintain a deeply rooted sense of artistic cohesion thanks to the versatility, talent, and bond these three artists share.

“Shadow Man”, “Ace” by Noname & “Häagen Daaz” by Ghetto Sage

In the summer of 2018, I went to the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago while I was living there for an internship. I was already a huge fan of all these three artists at the time, and was stoked to see both Noname and Smino during separate acts on the Saturday show. However, in the back of my mind, I was partially bummed that I had missed Saba the day before.

During Noname’s set, she closed her performance with “Shadow Man”, as she peacefully rapped her verse with a huge smile and a charismatic stage presence. As her verse started to wrap up its last lines, and we braced ourselves for the show’s finality, Saba came out onto to the stage to the absolute shock of the audience. Then Smino joined the stage to even more rapturous glee. And then there they were — these three artists rapping one of the best songs of the last decade. As the sun shown on their vibrant faces, the slightly cloudy skies lit up with a perfect shade of blue, and the grassy fields soothed my planted feet, I was left in absolute awe.

The performance was magical.

It was one of these ineffable moments when you just know deep down in your bones that you are witnessing a once-in-a-blue-moon chemistry between musicians who bare their soul for their art. When the formation of Ghetto Sage was announced more than a year later, it acted as validation that these artists shared my premonition of their magic.

We have no guarantee of where Ghetto Sage will go as creating, executing, and keeping a supergroup alive can be a volatile endeavor. But these three musicians undoubtedly have a unique artistic and spiritual connection with each other, that we as an audience should not take for granted.

Because they just might make us believe in magic again.