California

## Song by Saba featuring Ravyn Lenae and Phoelix

"**California**" is a song by American rapper Saba featuring American vocalists Ravyn Lenae and Phoelix. It was released as the twelfth track from the former's debut studio album, *Bucket List Project* (2016).

It features uncredited vocals from Lupe Fiasco in the interlude, where he provides a voice memo of a goal from his bucket list, which is winning the Nobel Peace Prize. *Complex* noted of the project, "Chicago has a history filled with hip-hop legends like Kanye and Common, but it was Lupe Fiasco's 2006 debut *Food & Liquor* that really moved Saba. The album profoundly resonated with Saba in part because Lupe is from the West Side—he references Madison Street, where Saba went to school. In a way, his aim is to continue that legacy."

## Background

For his 2015 "Timezone/Whip" music video, Saba was inspired by Fiasco's cover artwork of *Food & Liquor*. He told *Noisey*, "The floating objects and stuff like that, we wanted the video to look like space in real time kind of. Just a gravity-less kind of room. We brainstormed for hella long and tried to think of examples, and the first thing that came to my head was *Lupe Fiasco's Food and Liquor*. That was one of the first rap albums that I was super connected to and super in love with the sound of it. So that was like a no-brainer to be like 'let's try to visualize this and make it a motion picture kind of deal where we take a picture and add some life to it.'"

They haven't yet met during this time, though Lupe followed him on Twitter around a day ago. Saba continued, "I think a lot of people assume a lot about Chicago rappers, and for me Lupe Fiasco was a different type of hometown hero than the Kanyes and stuff like that because Lupe was from the West Side of Chicago, and I'm from the West Side of Chicago, and there's not many West Side superstars like that. So for me seeing this kid who kind of looks like me and is kind of from where I'm from, it was a different type of inspiration watching him come up."

In a 2022 interview with *Billboard*, when reminded of fifteen years of *Lupe Fiasco's The Cool*, Saba stated:

>
> I remember as a big Lupe fan, when I was in high school, when I started to see some of the shit that was going on with him and [Atlantic Records], it stuck with me, and it made me feel frustrated as a fan that somebody could make decisions and somebody's above the art. That was frustrating to watch. But he still gave us some crazy music, even with his situation. So, I think it's always like I say: Chicago mothafuckas be resilient. I think when I look at a career like if there's anything to take away it is that resiliency, you know, I'm saying it's like, we you know, we might come down we ain't out.
>
>
> He's a obviously a big inspiration of mine, just being authentic an n\*\*\*a from the West Side, because he didn't try to mask who he was… He might be one of the most slept on rappers of this generation, but a lot of people gained a lot of influence from him. Not just Chicago artists, but worldwide artists look at him as somebody who really pushed this shit forward.
>
>
>
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## Personnel

* Ahmanti "Monte" Booker – writer, producer
* Andy Shoemaker – drum tracking engineer
* Daoud Anthony – additional production
* Donterio Hundon – uncredited vocals
* Elton "L10MixedIt" Chueng – mixing engineer
* HerbieOne – trumpet
* James Musshorn – recording engineer
* Matt Wheeler – mastering engineer
* Michael "Phoelix" Neil – writer, producer
* Ralph Gene – drums
* Ravyn Washington – writer
* Tahj "Saba" Chandler – writer, producer
* Wasalu "Lupe Fiasco" Jaco – uncredited vocals

## Lyrics

**Lyrics**
[Chorus: Saba, *Ravyn Lenae*]

See the horizon from the road

And hope that we drove

The right direction

'Cause I don't wanna slow

Down for no gas

And plus I'm runnin' low on cash

But I know that my bucket gon' make it to California, California

*Hmmm-mm-mm, Cali, Cali*

[Verse: Saba]

Mmm, what does love look like in the 22nd century? Merely a memory

I intervene 'cause I tend to be a lil' more optimistic than the wildest child or the most imaginative

I sip the tea after my opinion

They Pistol Pete, dishin' out assistance, government aid

What does it take to break the mold, ayy, I hate the po' like the base is low

But I'm out the park like the acre gone

Saba with the sabre sword

Focusin' on what we can't afford, in the scheme of things, guess it just ain't important

Who wasn't broke for a moment or three

Start stainin' like, "Oh, it was free," then stop for a moment of peace

And plus they would call the police if you kept showin' ya face

I said I stopped dreamin', instead I decided to chase

And I ain't look back, that's how you turn to stone

My first friend up in high school was a Stone

He said come and join, I ain't come along

Not cause I'm high and mighty, just I knew right from wrong

Somewhere I belong, looked, but I didn't find

But instead of getting discouraged, I got my city behind

Now I'm feelin' worldwide, next stop NY

Next month L.A., then back West Side

You change when a friend dies, new man since I lost Kobe

He got out of prison then called my phone like, "Where COMFORTZone?"

And since then I lost touch, but this year I'm gettin' it back

I finally feel like myself, what I've been on, don't even ask

They ask me, "Why the Bucket List?"

You know the bucket list, I finally climbed the rock

Made it to the top of the precipice

I came from the pessimism of inner city as it is

Accident prone youth, adult say, "Don't take a chance"

But we never listen, we went and did it, they vision impaired

So what do you fear, and why are you scared?

Why are you scared? Why are you scared?

[Chorus: Saba, *Ravyn Lenae*]

See the horizon from the road, and hope that we drove

The right direction

'Cause I don't wanna slow

Down for no gas

And plus I'm runnin' low on cash

But I know that my bucket gon' make it to California, California

See the horizon from the road, and hope that we drove

The right direction

'Cause I don't wanna slow

Down for no gas

And plus I'm runnin' low on cash

But I know that my bucket gon' make it to California, California

*Hmmm-mm-mm, Cali, Cali*

See the horizon from the road, and hope that we drove (Drove)

The right direction

'Cause I don't wanna slow (Slow)

Down for no gas

And plus I'm runnin' low on cash (Cash)

But I know that my bucket gon' make it to California, California

[Interlude: Lupe Fiasco]

Yo yo yo what up? This is Lupe Fiasco

And my bucket list...has many things in it

One of 'em is uh, wantin' to win the Nobel Prize, for somethin'. Uhhhh, I also want...yeah that's it, I just wanna win the Nobel Prize

Yeah!

[Bridge: Saba]

House, in a gated neighborhood, not the hood, in the hills

Plus an ocean view, your wife and you is good

And your bills, ain't never stress you and you get karate lesson

Here's to no more tears

[Refrain: Saba]

Look at what you done started?

Look at what you done started?

Lookin' at how you've gone, gone

Do you want a shooting star?

Look at what you done started?

Look at what you done started?

Lookin' at how you've gone, gone

You can leave it runnin'

[Outro: Donterio Hundon]

Yo yo yo, shoutout to my boy Saba, man. It's ya boy Donterio Hundon, man. Ya know I fuck with ya bro, but I gotta bake anotha one, on baby. Boy, yo' ass look like a deep-fried West African squirrel with kinky twists, yo' lil' ugly ass boy. Yo' ass look like a sophisticated hamster with micro braids, yo' lil' ugly ass boy. Yo' ass look like a- yo' ass look like a cool chimpanzee with a mop in it's head, yo' lil' ugly ass boy, and we heard what happened to you, mhm. You thought we wasn't gonna find out, we found out, boy. Yo' ass was performing Sugar Pie Honey Bun every Tuesday on karaoke night at TGI Fridays. You got kicked off stage 'cause they ain't pay you enough, Corona top, and they didn't give you no free Heineken, yo' lil' ugly ass boy. Yo' ass look like the unpaid Future with no future, yo' lil' ugly ass boy. On my mom, yo' ass smell like a bag of whoop-dat-ass and train smoke, yo' lil' ugly ass boy, on baby. You look like the type of n\*\*\*a that be gettin'- orderin' nachos with no cheese on them bitch. You look like the n\*\*\*a to get on the CTA bus and put 200 pennies in that bitch, yo' lil' ugly ass boy, on baby, you bogus

## References

1. ↑ Pearce, Sheldon (December 10, 2016). "*Bucket List Project* by Saba". *Pitchfork*.
2. ↑ Mahadevan, Tara (October 28, 2016). "Saba's 'Bucket List Project' Shows Another Side of Chicago". *Complex*.
3. ↑ Kramer, Kyle (2015). "Float into a New Era with Saba: Here's His "Timezone"/"Whip (AreYouDown?)" Video". *Noisey*. Archived from the original on November 14, 2015.
4. ↑ Braboy, Mark (February 23, 2022). "Saba Is Finally Appreciating the Good Things in His Life". *Billboard*.