Saba - PROM / KING (Official Audio)

Saba - PROM / KING (Official Audio)

Additional Vocals // John Walt aka DinnerWithJohn
Music Producer // daedaePIVOT, Daoud, Saba
Additional Drums // Brandon Farmer
Trumpet // HerbieOne
Mixed // Papi Beatz

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Saba Pivot, LLC

#Saba #Prom #King #OfficialAudio

[harj_]

People saying this needed a music video... but Saba storytells/raps so well you can picture everything in your mind.

[ForeverGambino]

this is crazy storytelling, saba is definitely going to be a legend

[CloudMagnolia]

The backstory for those who don’t know, Saba wrote this song for his cousin Walter, Who was stabbed during an altercation on the subway. The story started from Saba’s 2 weeks before prom. He tried to get a date from this girl he liked, but she ghosted him. His cousin asked if he had anyone to take to prom, and he said he was rejected. His cousin got him a date. He didn’t trust him at first, but he went through with it anyway. His prom went well, and he went to an after-party with Jada and Walter. Jada’s brother walked up to him with a knife and gave him a rundown on what to not do with his sister. He decided not to tell Walter anything, because he was very overprotective and would’ve killed him. After that, the pair became really good friends. Making music together while attending college. After graduating, the 2 made careers in music, both amateurs, but had potential. Saba got a call from Walter one day, saying he was shot at. Walter survived, and they moved on. 6 months later, after Saba dropped Bucket List Project. He was in the studio recording when he got a call from Walter’s mom asking if he had seen her son today. Walter was stabbed on the subway after an altercation with a passenger. The “double beats” in the song, mainly the 808’s, were meant to create somewhat of a relatable/happy feeling, while the piano was meant to remind you the song was sad. The person at the end of the song was Walter singing. May he R.I.P. Much love Pivot Gang.

[PeterSteeleFan]

RIP WALT. this track just grab your attention and fill you up with emotion. Real Hip Hop.

[mrcriticr]

Saba is very lyrical by definition. People mistake the definition of lyrical. It's not just metaphors and clever wordplay. It's emotion and the ability to get the listener to feel what the artist is saying. Saba achieved that. He's not a Kendrick or a Cassidy and that's fine

[miotto]

Best storytelling since Sing About Me don't @ me

[CultureColours]

One of the best storytellings, endings and lyricism to a song I've ever heard. The moment I realised that was Walter singing at the end...felt that shit in my heart.

[Milesaminute]

who else caught that kick bass imitating that heart beat

[REA]

[PROM]

[Saba:]
This remind me of before we had insomnia
Sleepin' peacefully, never needed a pile of drugs
Everybody was college-bound, no dollar amounts
In God we trust, senior year my prom ain't had no party bus
My cousin hit me on Facebook, like "What shorty you takin'?"
I'm lyin', I'm playin', I'm sayin', "I got one to take, " and I'm waitin' on her response
Wrote her a 3 page letter, it's 3 days later, never hit me back, she broke my heart
So now he I'm'ing me shit like, "Yo' is shorty bad?"
I pretend not to be depressed, she never wrote me back
I hit him back like "Yo', well fuck her, it's on to the next"
I wrote that message thinkin' I'm awkward, prolly' would never have sex
You know in high school, 16 you prolly late
My cousin hit me back, "Don't trip, bro. I got you a date."
So he sent me this link to some girl I had never seen
He said to call and tell her "Walter sent you, you with me."
I think about it for a minute, like what's his intentions?
I mean, we never really got along or used to kick it
In fact, if I remember vividly, he picked on me
He used to beat me up and take my sneakers every family visit
I'm skeptical to let her know I'm Walter little cousin
What if this shit all a joke, then again, what if it wasn't?
Would I really risk the chance of me potentially fuckin'
On some stranger daughter 'cause I barely know if I can trust him?
Prolly not
I finally called her, tell her Walter sent me, "My name Tahj"
She asked me what's the color scheme that we gon' wear to prom
I'm actin' like I'm not excited, tryna play it off
"So what's the car we're takin'?" "Worst come worst, my mom can take us"
I'll call Walter, thank him, he said don't trip and just wear black
He said she cool and they go back, if any problems, send him back
I never had to, but now we're in tune
He Facebook messaged me like, "Sorry not to be a nuisance..."
But he like 30 dollars short on all his prom suit shit
I'm like, "I got you, cause. That's the least that I can do."
He tell me send him the addy and he'll slide after school
I'm like, "Ok, bet, " never knew where he stayed at
He walked down the street, hella surprised, "This where y'all place at?"
Uncle Carl, Auntie Deborah, my cousin Rena
And I'm surprised too, my family knew, kept this a secret
Me and cause stay down the street, living different lives
Everyday he on the bus, me, I get a ride
I gave him 30 on the porch, he never went inside
He tell me, "Thank you, " then he walked back home with a smile
He tryna hide it, but I see his dimple
I'm thinkin', "Damn, that transaction was simple"
I'm talking shit, I know he hoop, I'm like, "Aye, where the rim, bro?"
He like, "Tomorrow, if you free, you prolly weak as shit, tho."
I know my brother not
So all 3 of us went to the park and ran some niggas off the court
I'm hella passive, I was passin', I ain't have to score
The next day the prom, I couldn't sleep, I stayed up
My granddad gave me a condom then walked away, didn't say nothin'
She hopped out of her car and said that her name was Jada
My heart's racin', I'm focused, I'm tryna keep it playa
Gave her the croissant, or corsage or whatever the fuck my mom handed me
And said, "Now put it on her hand, Malik", family ties
My grandfather taught me how to tie up a tie 'cause my dad lived in NY
That's prolly why I was shy, so self-conscious
Took pictures on the porch, and then we headed for the prom and
Walter went on prom the same day, but to a different place
So he text me like, "Cause, this the spot. Let's meet up later
And bring Jada through, " prom flashed, I kept it cool
We show up to the function where she brought a change of clothes
I'm lookin' around like, "Damn, I don't know nobody"
We at this party out West and Jada left to get dressed
I'm fakin' like I'm sendin' text
Some stranger get really close, I swear that I hear his breath
Then he put a knife to my neck
Gave me the run down like, "Jada my sister
And if you hit her, fuck her, make her miss ya, I'ma kill ya!"
At this point, I'm just exhausted
Wonderin' where the fuck's Walter
He shows up like 30 minutes after our altercation
I never mentioned it to him, he kinda overprotective
And I know if I tell him, that he'll beat this nigga's skull in
Turn his body a skeleton, and our night'll end terrible
I exhale and say, "Fuck it", and I just chose to let it go

[KING]

(Said you're used to getting everything your way... this not how that happens this time, just gotta fuck with your boy?)

[Saba:]
Walt went to St. Louis, had a full ride for his hoopin'
Him and his coach got into it, now he back home doin' music, aye
I was at Columbia, a damn near straight A student
I had one B in a hip-hop class, I thought that shit was stupid
He transferred to Robert Morris, always living down the street
My class let out at 2: 40 and his class let out at 3
Mama asked me where the hell I been and where the hell I be
"I'm with Walter, mom, I'm safe" I keep walkin' in here late
I might fall off in your bae, I get girls now, I get laid
I get caught up followin' Walter, I'm a product of my age
He talk to erry' girl in downtown Chicago
Wingman, I cannot fly though
He was in Cal with Impala, he was that nigga in the party
Awfully popular for someone that they barely mention
Plus we from the part of city that they barely mention
Just logged into Twitter and somehow we was barely mentioned
We signed our names on the open mic list and then they skipped us
And then they skipped us again like a week later
Like, obviously this fuckin' host can't read the paper
Hella' intimidatin', the big guy didn't have to flex
So Walter walked to the host and said, "This the name you callin' next"
Bullied our way to the stage and then overstayed our welcome
An apple never get too far from the tree that it fell from
Just like my father tryna do music and hope I make it
Walter joined me for the journey said the city waitin'
PIVOT

Walter invincible, dodged death like a mad magician
More times than a mathematician
I'm in LA workin' on Bucket List Project, I get a call and get a fishy feeling
Normally Walt joke on the phone, this time he over serious
My heart droppin', I'm like, "Yo, what is it?!"
He say he with T.Y on the highway and some niggas just tried to kill him
Emptied the clip on the car, but somehow they didn't hit him
Sometimes I fuckin' hate Chicago, 'cause I hate this feelin'
Innocent niggas get shot at, in the broad day, the A.M
I asked him for a play-by-play of how their whole day went
He said he went to XSport, and they ran a full court
And I can not retort without thinkin' that this can't be the reason
"So what else you do? What about Ty? Is he still cool?
Where you on your way from, and where you on your way to?"
He say he just left for dinner at a friend crib, and that's it
He say "Ty don't do shit but smoke, honestly Saba, that's it"
Give him sympathy, another case of mistaken identity
The news prolly' gon' run this, as two gangs from different streets
Police questionin' him like he just shot at a trooper
My boy walked away unharmed, and we did Lollapalooza, yeah
6 months pass by, everyday we celebrate, everyday a better day
I just dropped Bucket List, Walter 'bout to drop a tape
Everything goin' perfect, couldn't paint a better way
PIVOT gang is on the way, we just sold out Lincoln Hall
Then I went to talk to Sway
I got back home and got back on it, 'cause Walter was doin' tour dates
Sendin' me links to songs that he made, Kid Cudi, we are not ridin' no waves, aye
Grandma made us blanket plates, we played 2K, that's just a day before
Fatimah got a show tomorrow, he text me, "Aye, we in that hoe"
I went to the barbershop, the first thing the next mornin'
Then I got up with Legit, we supposed to do some recordin'
10 minutes into this session, I got a call from a number
That I don't got saved, but I answer anyways
She says, "Hello, Malik, have you or Squeak
Talked to my son today? He was just on the train."
We got in the car, but we didn't know where to drive to
Fuck it, wherever you are my nigga, we'll come and find you...

[John Walt:]
Just another day in the ghetto
Oh, the streets bring sorrow
Can't get out today with their schedule
I just hope I make it 'til tomorrow
I just hope I make it 'til tomorrow
I just hope I make it 'til tomorrow
I just hope I make it 'til tomorrow

[ethanong]

PROM/KING is the 9th track is Tahj Malik Chandler’s, who goes by Saba, sophomore album, Care for me, which details how he met his good friend and cousin, John Walt, and the time they shared before his tragic death in a stabbing. Using detailed imagery of the bond he developed with Walt, we the listeners understand the connection and closeness Saba felt to Walt. We also begin to understand the transformative impact Walt’s friendship had on Saba through shifts in tone and diction as we progress in the track. Through all of this Saba is able to make the listener feel the same grief he feels from suddenly losing Walt as he subtly criticizes the culture that Walt introduced him to and the same one that tragically took him away.
The first part of the track, PROM, opens with a young Saba, still an innocent and awkward highschooler. In the first verse Saba raps, “Sleeping peacefully, never needed a pile of drugs Everybody was college bound, ” illustrating the peace of mind he felt during this time. This innocent mindset is only furthered as Saba spends a large part of the first track focused on Prom; on finding a date, what he needs to wear, and losing his virginity saying, “Wrote her a three-page letter; it’s three days later, never hit me back- she broke my heart, ” and “You know in high school, sixteen, you prolly late.” This exact event sets in motion his meeting with Walt, Saba’s cousin, who uses his connections to help Saba get a data to Prom. Saba is initially distrustful of Walt describing the brief encounters they have had in the past, “He used to beat me up and take my sneakers every family visit.” The imagery in lines such as this one about small insignificant moments makes the listener feel invested and almost like they know Saba as a person. Eventually, the young Saba chooses to take the risk messaging the girl he was being set up with which results in him becoming much closer to Walt. Saba paints another picture in the listener’s mind as he continues to rap about their growing friendship. When Walt visits him for the first time, he is surprised to see how close Walt lives to him, saying, “And I’m surprised too; my family knew, kept this a secret. Me and Cuz stayed down the street, living different lives.” This story serves to illustrate the difference in Saba and Walt’s family as we now begin to understand the difference in their respective upbringings. Finally, the last important story in PROM that helps establish Saba and Walt’s relationship is the day of prom. Saba, bringing the same girl he got set up with, goes to prom where he knows no one before his date’s brother threatens him, “I fake like I’m sending texts; some stranger get really close I swear that I hear his breath; then, he put a knife to my neck.” What’s telling about this detailed story is Saba’s reaction. Immediately after he raps, “At this point, I’m just exhausted, wondering, ‘Where the fuck’s Walter?’… I never mention it to him, he kind overprotective.” At this point, the listeners understand how close Walt and Saba have become. As suggested by this detailed retelling of his prom experience, we can see Walt has become almost an older brother-like figure in Saba’s life as Saba immediately looks to Walt when he experiences conflict. This detailed story of how they developed this close relationship sets up perfectly for the next part of the track, KING, as it makes even the listener feel a sense of closeness to the person Saba raps about.
KING, is even more heart-wrenching after the events of PROM that help the listener understand the connection Saba had built with his cousin. In this part, Saba is now out of high school. The beat is dramatically different which helps shift the tone and convey the effects Walt has had on Saba. When we are introduced to him, Saba is an awkward teenager worried about innocent things. Now Saba raps a lot more aggressively and confidently, “I might fall off in your bae, I get girls now, I get laid, I get caught up all in Walter, I’m a product of my age.” The tone now has completely changed. The somber and laid-back piano of PROM has been replaced by a fast-paced drum-filled beat as Saba’s friendship with Walter has transformed him from the awkward nervous teenager to a confident and content person who goes out and parties every night. Through this, Saba further emphasizes the impact that Walt has had on his life which further explains to the listener why the two were so close. The track continues as Saba continues to illustrate his relationship with Walter describing how they became rappers together. But now, in the second verse of KING, the beat begins to mix back with the piano notes of PROM. The tone, previously triumphant and energetic, suddenly begins to shift once again as a feeling of foreboding begins to emerge. This is prevalent as Saba describes his interaction with Walt after he got shot at, “He say he with T-Y on the highway, and some ---- just tried to kill Emptied the clip on the car, but somehow, they didn’t hit him.” As listeners, we feel the same sense of panic and dread as Saba having just spent the entire track growing closer to Walt just as Saba had. In this moment, the tone has completely changed from confident back to nervous and tense as Saba no longer raps about the benefits of living the rapper life. Instead, he worries about Walt saying, “Sometimes I hate Chicago cause I hate this feeling Innocent ---- get shot at in the broad day, the a.m.” In this way, Saba begins to criticize the culture of Chicago that he has become apart of as a result of hanging with Walt. Even with all the happiness and success if has brought him, the environment he and Walt live in constantly puts them at risk. But Saba continues, summarizing the next couple of months in his life; the happy and driven tone returning just as the drums do. The beat starts to swell as Saba begins rapping faster and faster, describing the successes of the music that he and Walt are making. But as his rapping becomes faster and the drums continue to accelerate, that sense of dread remains just like the ghostly piano and we as listeners feel as the song is building to something. He raps, “six months pass by: Every day we celebrate; everyday a better day.” Finally, the beat can no longer become any faster and Saba’s rapping can’t keep up with the beat. Off-beat, he describes a day that he begins in the recording studio before he receives a call from Walt’s mother who asks, “have you or Squeak Talked to my son today? He was just on the train.” Finally as listeners, we understand what the track has been building up to as we realize this is the day that Walt died. The beat stops as now, only the piano can be heard. It plays for a while almost giving us time to reflect on the story we have just heard. The sudden shift from a stress-free and celebratory tone mirrors the sudden feeling of losing someone so close to you like Walt. Saba is able to convey his grief to his audience as we mourn the death of someone we have only just learned about.
Finally, the track ends with a haunting outro. A ghostly voice sings, “Just another day in the ghetto. Oh, the streets bring sorrow. Can’t get up today with their schedule. I just hope I make it to tomorrow-.” This outro comes from the perspective of Walt, as suggested by the haunting voice that sounds like someone who has just passed on. The idea of this culture bringing sorrow is especially striking given that Saba has just rapped mostly about the benefits that this life brought him. Through this small section, Saba emphasizes the sadness the fast life he and Walt lived has produced which compels him to criticizes this lifestyle. Most important, though, is the last line that is repeated 4 times by Walt before his voice fades out. The repetition of this line almost seems to illustrate this idea that this is something both he and Saba have said in their mind as they have worked to become successful rappers and how unforgiving that life can be. His death is conveyed as his voice literally fades out as he repeats that same line until we can no longer hear him. Now, all that’s left is silence as we the listeners, feel the same sense of emptiness that Saba has because of the death of his beloved cousin. The same lifestyle that liberated Saba also took away the person who showed it to him.

[erosgomez]

Bro... Walt first and now Squeak is gone too
The world is running crazy dawg, all my condolences and support to Saba and the Pivot Gang
R.I.P. John Walt
R.I.P. Javunte Wheeler

[MateoToro]

Man i just got chills never knew that was John Walt singing at the end and I've played this song countless times. Care 4 me is a classic R.I.P John Walt

[princeasiamah]

I honestly don't know how many times I replayed this, as if I wish the ending would change for some reason. Saba, you put your heart, your soul and emotions into this project and we love it, we feel the words like we were there with you when it all happened. I pray you blow up and make WALT proud. R.I.P Walter GodSpeed🙌🏾✊🏿

[dysperdotted]

PROM / KING / HEAVEN ALL AROUND ME best songs on the album.

[von]

THE STORY TELLING BRUH SO AMAZING MOST UNDERRATED ASF

[Kaelen_K]

This has to still be the most beautiful song I've ever listened to in my life. The storytelling is amazing and its almost like SABA is giving you the pastels and you color the picture in your head. Not to mention that the beats are just a 10 out of 10. This album is and will always be a classic in my book. RIP Walt, you're with the angels

[Just_fit_in]

Bro... This hits so hard for even me, a person who never experienced something similar. This dude has serious skill

[supremeskunk]

Better story telling than 99% of the books at my high school library. Always puts me in my feels.

[Bisonn]

It’s honestly insane how beautiful the storytelling of this song is. Even as a black boy from the suburbs and not being able to relate as well to it I’m in tears right now. Thanks Saba.

[PuddingTrophy]

All my life I’ve been around bad neighborhoods. It’s always been bad but I see ‘the dimple’ in my friends and it gives me some sense of comfort. Every time I feel like something’s off I sing to myself ‘just another day in the ghetto’ and it brings me peace