For many recording artists, “the studio” is a home away from home. Given the nature of their chosen profession, they often spend just as much time in the recording studio as they do their own houses — sometimes, even more. That said, many artists have developed their own “house rules” for guests entering their creative spaces, whether to record or just to hang out, as TDE’s Schoolboy Q once revealed. You can count Saba and his Chicago-based Pivot Gang among them, as their latest single from their upcoming group project lays out the rules to a pleasant experience in their home away from home, titled, fittingly, “Studio Ground Rules.”
Saba leads off with the song’s instructional hook, directing visitors on the code of conduct expected of anyone entering the Pivot domain: “Don’t stand out, sit down, shut up / Oh, you smoke? roll up / Don’t stand out, don’t call next on 2K / You not next, don’t pop up / Be low key til we say you can speak / Don’t talk loud til we laugh / Oh, you rap? Don’t rap for us…” Basically, the rules can be summed up by his directive to “be low key.” Clearly, Pivot Gang doesn’t abide any interruptions to their creative process — or skipping the line when it comes to their video games. And stay off social media, or else.
Frsh Waters and MFnMelo follow up Saba’s verse, while Daoud and daedaePIVOT provide the mellow, jazzy beat, while Addison Wright follows their in-studio activities with the camera, in a series of long takes that capture their shenanigans in real time, painting a picture of just what it’s like for anyone willing to follow the rules. Pivot Gang’s album, as yet untitled, is expected to release later this year, along with Saba’s rumored joint album with Smino and Noname.
