Saaheem Malik Valdery (born February 24, 1997), better known as SahBabii, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter from
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
.
His song, "Pull Up Wit Ah Stick" featuring Loso Loaded, gained widespread popularity after its release on his ''S.A.N.D.A.S.'' mixtape in 2017.
SahBabii peaked at No. 8 on ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''s Next Big Sound chart in July 2017.
Early life
Saaheem Malik was born in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
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, coordinates =
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, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
and raised in the city's
South Side in the
Wentworth Gardens projects.
His aunt, TeeBaby, gave him the moniker "SahBabii" at a young age.
In early 2010 at the age of 13, his family moved to Atlanta, Georgia in pursuance of his older brother T3's career in music. They moved to
Sylvan Hills and lived on Osborne Street.
Career
Saaheem began recording music under the name 'SahBabii' shortly after arriving in Atlanta. His older brother, T3, helped produce his songs, and SahBabii released two early mixtapes: ''Pimpin Ain't Eazy'' (2012) and ''Glocks & Thots'' (2013).
Alongside music production, SahBabii would also begin posting videogame gameplay of
Grand Theft Auto Online
''Grand Theft Auto Online'' is an online multiplayer action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It was released on 1 October 2013 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, 18 November 2014 for PlayStation 4 and Xbo ...
to two of his YouTube Channels, one titled "Noá´™mal" and the other titled "Normalty."
After a nearly three-year hiatus and whilst working at
Dick's Sporting Goods
Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc. (stylized as "DICK'S Sporting Goods") is an American sporting goods retail company, based in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania. The company was established by Richard "Dick" Stack in 1948, and has approximately 854 stores an ...
, SahBabii released a follow-up
mixtape
A mixtape (alternatively mix-tape, mix tape or mixed tape) is a compilation of music, typically from multiple sources, recorded onto a medium. With origins in the 1980s, the term normally describes a homemade compilation of music onto a cassette ...
, ''S.A.N.D.A.S.'', in 2016. ''S.A.N.D.A.S.'' was recorded on the music software program,
Cubase
Cubase is a digital audio workstation (DAW) developed by Steinberg for music and MIDI recording, arranging and editing. The first version, which was originally only a MIDI sequencer and ran on the Atari ST computer, was released in 1989. Cut-dow ...
, using a broken microphone in T3's bedroom.
The mixtape featured the single, "Pull Up Wit Ah Stick" featuring rapper Loso Loaded, which went viral on
Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
after SahBabii posted a 15-second clip of the song before its release.
![SahBabii for Rolling Loud](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/SahBabii_for_Rolling_Loud.png)
Soon after, the song made headlines and garnered millions of plays on
SoundCloud
SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming se ...
.
The music video for the song was released in February 2017
and is currently sitting at over 70 million views on the
WorldStarHipHop
WorldStarHipHop is a content-aggregating video blog. Zurawik, David.Worldstarhiphop.com makes a name for itself with shocking viral videos". ''The Baltimore Sun''. March 23, 2012. Retrieved on April 22, 2012Alternate link to the same article fro ...
YouTube channel. In March 2017, SahBabii reportedly signed a $2 million record deal with
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...
.
His family also founded the production company, Casting Bait Music Group, and SahBabii's father, Delval, became his manager.
"Pull Up Wit Ah Stick" was later remixed by
Young Thug
Jeffery Lamar Williams (born August 16, 1991), known professionally as Young Thug, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is considered to be an influential figure of his generation, with his music impacting the modern sound of hip ...
,
T-Pain,
Fetty Wap
Willie Junior Maxwell II (born June 7, 1991), better known by his stage names Fetty Wap or Harlem Fetty, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. He rose to prominence after his debut single "Trap Queen" reached number two on the U.S. ''B ...
, and
Wiz Khalifa
Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He released his debut album, ''Show and Prove'', in 2006 and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 200 ...
. The song was later remixed by
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...
which was released on the
Dedication 6
''Dedication 6'' is a two part mixtape by American rapper Lil Wayne, hosted by DJ Drama. The first part of the mixtape was released on December 25, 2017. A second part of the mixtape titled ''Dedication 6: Reloaded'' was released on January 26, 20 ...
mixtape.
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals
* A male duck
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name
* Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* ...
also expressed interest in adding a verse of his own to the official remix of the song.
SahBabii was flown to
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, UK by Young Thug where he met also Drake.
In May 2017, it was announced that SahBabii would be remastering and re-releasing ''S.A.N.D.A.S.'' with new tracks on the Warner Bros. label. ''S.A.N.D.A.S.'' was mainly remastered by audio engineer
Alex Tumay
Alexander Tumay (born July 19, 1986) is an American audio engineer and DJ from Atlanta, Georgia. He has recorded and mixed songs for major artists across the American hip hop industry, including Young Thug, Travis Scott, Future, Kanye West, Dr ...
and partially by T3, with Tumay remastering tracks 2, 3, 6, 8, 10, 11, and 12, and T3 remastering tracks 4, 5, 7, and 9. It was also announced that producer
Mona Scott-Young
Mona Scott-Young ( Scott; born February 15, 1967) is an American television producer and entrepreneur. She is the CEO of the multi-media entertainment company Monami Productions, best known for producing the VH1 reality television franchise ''Lo ...
was interested in shooting a reality television show centered on SahBabii and his family.
Shortly after the end of the ''S.A.N.D.A.S.'' press run, SahBabii's professional relationship with Warner Bros. Records came to an end.
His breakthrough full-length project, ''Squidtastic'' was released in 2018. This was followed up by the
EP ''3P'', in 2019.
In early 2019, SahBabii publicly stated that he would retire. However, he decided against this, "because of the fans". He stated, "I couldn't just turn my back on them. I'ma still retire, though. But I just wanted to make sure I give my fans the most music I can give them before I stop".
On July 8, 2020, SahBabii released the album ''Barnacles''.
''
Complex
Complex commonly refers to:
* Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe
** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'' described the album as putting "the focus squarely on SahBabii's distinctive, dreamlike sound. With surreal production and off-kilter vocals, ''Barnacles'' is a unique look into what makes his music so appealing".
His song Purple Umbrella samples "Star-Stealing Girl" from the
Chrono Cross Original Soundtrack by
Yasunori Mitsuda
is a Japanese composer, musician, and sound producer. He is best known for his work in video games, primarily for the ''Chrono (series), Chrono'', ''Xeno (series), Xeno'', ''Shadow Hearts'', and ''Inazuma Eleven (series), Inazuma Eleven'' franch ...
.
In February 2020, SahBabii was featured on rapper
Trippie Redd
Michael Lamar White II (born June 18, 1999), known professionally as Trippie Redd, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is one of the most prominent members of the SoundCloud rap scene, which gained mainstream acclaim in the late ...
's project ''
A Love Letter to You 4
''A Love Letter to You 4'' is the fourth commercial mixtape by American rapper Trippie Redd. It was released on November 22, 2019, by TenThousand Projects and Caroline Distribution. The project features guest appearances from Lil Mosey, Juice WRLD ...
(Deluxe)'' on the song 'Amazinggg.' On September 16, 2020, SahBabii released his single "Gates to the Sun (POLLEN Singles)" featuring Japanese musician
Joji on
Spotify
Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...
. In November 2020, SahBabii was featured on rapper
Nav's mixtape project ''
Emergency Tsunami
''Emergency Tsunami'' is the second commercial mixtape by Canadian rapper Nav. It was released through XO and Republic Records on November 6, 2020. The mixtape contains guest appearances from Gunna, Young Thug, Lil Baby, Lil Keed, and SahBabi ...
'', on the song 'Do Ya Deed'.
He made an appearance in early 2021 on the track "Solitaires" with
Ateyaba.
Sahbabii's debut studio album, ''Do It For Demon'', was released on October 27, 2021. The album is named after and dedicated to his late friend 'DemonChild' who was killed in a shooting in 2020. In an interview with ''Acclaim'' magazine in December 2021, SahBabii mentioned that Do It For Demon was the first of his projects that was recorded on professional equipment and that he and T3 built an entirely new studio for it.
Mic described the album as "a rousing showcase of the artist's vulnerability", while noting that "the sexual animal references and unpredictable ad-libs that OG fans love are still warranted space".
On December 6, 2022, alongside a massive list of other Hip-Hop artists, SahBabii was the subject of having 41 of his songs leaked and circulated online. On December 26, 2022, SahBabii would post on his Snapchat account, "I've been workin on a new project that's coming very soon next year. None of my most recent music has leaked. Enjoy "LeaKout" until that day comes I appreciate the love." On December 27, 2022, SahBabii released the project ''LeakOut'' consisting of music that had been leaked online in the weeks prior.
On January 31, 2023, SahBabii released a single titled "How Bout U?" On May 16, 2023, SahBabii released a single titled "Lost All My Feelings."
Influences
In an interview with
''XXL'',
Hypebeast Hypebeast may refer to:
*Hypebeast culture, a contemporary youth culture focused on clothing styles
*Hypebeast (company)
Hypebeast is a Hong Kong-listed company that focuses on contemporary culture and lifestyle. Originally founded in 2005 by Kev ...
, an
Acclaim MagSahBabii cited T3,
Future
The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ...
,
Young Thug
Jeffery Lamar Williams (born August 16, 1991), known professionally as Young Thug, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is considered to be an influential figure of his generation, with his music impacting the modern sound of hip ...
,
Rich Homie Quan
Dequantes Lamar (born October 4, 1989), known professionally as Rich Homie Quan, is an American rapper. He was previously signed to labels T.I.G. Entertainment and Motown, and is an independent artist as of 2021. Quan experienced commercial suc ...
,
Ca$h Out
John-Michael Hakeem Gibson (born August 15, 1990), better known by his stage name Cash Out (stylized Ca$h Out), is an American rapper originally from Columbus, Georgia, but later raised in Atlanta. He first became known for his semi-eponymous ...
and
Nujabes
, better known by his stage name , was a Japanese record producer, audio engineer, DJ, composer and arranger best known for his atmospheric instrumental mixes sampling from hip hop, soul, and jazz, as well as incorporating elements of trip hop, b ...
as his main influences.
Controversies
Feud with rapper Offset
In May 2017, rapper
Offset
Offset or Off-Set may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* "Off-Set", a song by T.I. and Young Thug from the '' Furious 7: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack''
* ''Offset'' (EP), a 2018 EP by singer Kim Chung-ha
* ''Offset'' (film), a 200 ...
from the group
Migos
Migos () is an American hip hop trio from Lawrenceville, Georgia, founded in 2008. The group was originally composed of Southern rappers Quavo, Takeoff, and Offset. Quavo is from Athens, Georgia; Offset and Takeoff were born and raised in Law ...
posted a video on his Instagram account criticizing the recent trend of hip-hop/rap artists wearing
inverted crosses jewelry, "All y'all niggas wearing upside-down crosses, these are my little partners man...stop that shit boy, you look lame. All that worship the devil shit. Get with God, man."
SahBabii angrily responded to Offset on his Instagram account with a post of a screenshot from the original video Offset posted, writing in the caption, "Nigga You Look Lame Fuck You Talm Boud My Cross Gon Stay Upside Down Y'all Niggas Donate $1,000 to
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
But Will Throw $10,000 in a Club I Will Beat Yo Ass." He also made another post with the caption, "Show These Niggas Respect Now Fuck Migos!! We Ain't Going For No Disrespect Nobody Asked This Lame Ass Nigga Opinion."
Offset later responded to SahBabii by posting a video where he claims SahBabii is not affiliated with PDE (Paradise East Apartments in Atlanta), Slaughter Gang, the Mob, and is not originally from Atlanta and also his jewelry is not authentic.
He also mentioned that he will come to SahBabii's neighborhood and have SahBabii's own neighborhood associates beat him up.
SahBabii then responded in a video where he claims Offset instigated this argument, and then he called Offset a '
faggot
Faggot, faggots, or faggoting may refer to:
Arts and crafts
* Faggoting (metalworking), forge welding a bundle of bars of iron and steel
* Faggoting (knitting), variation of lace knitting in which every stitch is a yarn over or a decrease
* F ...
' for wearing
pigtail
A woman with long pigtails and braids.
In the context of hairstyles, the usage of the term pigtail (or twin tail or twintail) shows considerable variation. The term may refer to a single braid, but is more frequently used in the plural ("pi ...
s and
dyeing
Dyeing is the application of dyes or pigments on textile materials such as fibers, yarns, and fabrics with the goal of achieving color with desired color fastness. Dyeing is normally done in a special solution containing dyes and particular ...
his hair various colors throughout his career. SahBabii continued in another video where he claims his inverted crosses jewelry is not
sacrilegious
Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...
but it is symbolic of the self-created ideology he believes in called 'Unknownism' which aims to seek the truth.
A month later in June 2017, SahBabii conducted an interview with
DJ Drama
Tyree Cinque Simmons (born April 22, 1978), professionally known as DJ Drama, is an American DJ, record executive and music promoter. He is the co-founder (with Don Cannon) of Generation Now, an Atlantic Records imprint with artists including ...
and spoke about his negative interactions with Offset and how Offset should not be speaking down on his young musical peers, "But I feel like he don't need to be speaking down on people. I don't speak on no other religions or nothing like that, so I don't think he should be speaking down on young people."
He also expressed regret for even responding to Offset's original video as he claims to be a person who does not engage in any feuds or arguments, "I wish I wouldn't never even responded to that, because I ain't the type to do all that Internet beef."
Discography
Studio albums
* ''Do It for Demon'' (2021)
Mixtapes
* ''Pimpin Ain't Eazy'' (2012)
* ''Glocks & Thots'' (2013)
* ''S.A.N.D.A.S.'' (2016)
* ''S.A.N.D.A.S.'' (Remastered) (2017)
* ''Squidtastic'' (2018)
* ''Barnacles'' (2020)
* ''LeakOut'' (2022)
Extended plays
* ''3P'' (2019)
Singles
References
{{reflist
Further reading
Rolling Stone interview June 2017
Southern hip hop musicians
Rappers from Atlanta
Rappers from Chicago
Rappers from Georgia (U.S. state)
African-American male rappers
21st-century American singers
21st-century American rappers
Living people
1997 births
21st-century American male singers
21st-century African-American musicians