Fresh off a sold-out EU/UK headline tour, Saba, RIAA Gold-selling Chicago rap virtuoso and Pivot Gang leader, returns with “Paygrade Demo”, a previously unreleased track produced alongside GRAMMY® Award-winning No ID. The release arrives ahead of the one-year anniversary of their critically acclaimed joint album, From the Private Collection of Saba and No ID.
Accompanying the single is a behind-the-scenes look at its creation, filmed in Raphael Saadiq’s Los Angeles studio in collaboration with Universal Audio. The video captures Saba and No ID transforming an unscripted session into a polished track under the guidance of multi-GRAMMY® Award-winning engineer Jimmy Douglass.
Released last March, From the Private Collection of Saba and No ID has surpassed 50 million streams worldwide and earned praise from The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Complex, NPR Music, Hypebeast, and more. The album has been celebrated for its technical brilliance, thematic depth, and kinetic energy, offering a record that resonates across generations while pushing creative boundaries.
Reflecting on the process, both Saba and No ID approached the album with a focus on honesty and experimentation. What began as a mixtape evolved through mountains of demos and months of refinement, ultimately emerging as a definitive statement of artistic vision and legacy.
Following this project, Saba released C0FFEE!, a genre-blurring tape recorded entirely in his black Bronco WildTrak over the course of a single week. The project serves as a raw, unfiltered sonic diary, featuring novel beats, experimental vocals, and collaborations that highlight Saba’s versatility as a songwriter and producer.
Meanwhile, No ID continues to cement his status as one of hip-hop’s most influential producers. Recent highlights include co-producing “American Requiem” from Beyoncé’s COWBOY CARTER alongside Jon Batiste, executive producing Killer Mike’s sixth studio album MICHAEL, and winning a GRAMMY® for “Best Rap Song” for “Scientists & Engineers.”
With “Paygrade Demo”, Saba and No ID deliver another testament to their enduring creative partnership, bridging technical mastery with raw, emotional storytelling.
Saba: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | TikTok | Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube