With yesterday’s passing of the five-foot freak, Phife Dawg, it’s only right to premiere some vintage, feel-good slaps from the big homie Saga. Today, the Brooklyn product teams up with hip hop golden child Blu and world-renowned producer 20syl, to drop “Up,” a positive ditty loaded with some optimistic bars and an uplifting chorus that turn Mondays into Fridays and “damn…” into “DAYUMMM!”
Saga exemplifies the classic hip hop steelo — an endangered species of chill penguin with a cypher-starting flow, hoodie pulled over his Mitchell & Ness, head bobbing to the boom-bap of the beatbox. “Up” showcases his complex wordsmithing and ability to paint pictures without leaning on hyperbolic ad-libs or a 100K hook from C-Breezy.
Blu gets his Jamaal Tinsley on and drops plenty of dimes, as well, trading bars back and forth with Saga over 20syl’s Battletoads and Double Dragons, 16-bit jambalaya. It’s dope to hear Blu return to form — poetic and slurred and raspy as ever.
Saga begins touring with Asher Roth across Europe this month, so peep out the dates/locations to see if you're in the neighborhood. Also, show son some love on iTunes if you dig the record!
