SABA Explores Self-Realization In “Few Good Things” Short Film

On Feb. 4, Chicago-based rapper and producer Saba dropped his first project in almost four years — Few Good Things. He now expands the project to visuals with an accompanied short film.

“The concept of Few Good Things is the realization of self after a search for exterior fulfillment. It is the satisfaction and completeness you gain by simply living a life that is yours. Few is a small number, but few is not lonely. In the face of all adversity, a few good things is recognizing and accepting blessings. Few is to count them, one by one. An empty glass is full of air. An empty bank is full of lessons. An empty heart is full of memories. Few good things is to grow comfortable with the empty, and despite that, finding your fullness.”

– Saba on “Few Good Things”

Few Good Things the short film, directed by C.T. Robert, doesn’t fit squarely into one box. It’s part love letter to Chicago, the neighborhoods that Saba grew up in. And part homage to his family; the film’s first half is tied together by a phone call between Saba and a family member as he outlines their family history — beginning with his grandmother’s experiences as the first Black woman in her 1950s Chicago neighborhood.

“As a storyteller, I’ve always been drawn to stories that attempt to identify what makes us who we are,” director C.T. Robert stated in a press release. “The ones that ask questions like: What does having everything you need really look like? Is it sitting at a dinner table with your loved ones? Is it waking up next to the woman you love? Is it having cherished memories for all of those you care for, those still in the physical and those who passed on?”

“It’s hard to pinpoint the exact answers to all these but we know that it’s nothing that can be achieved from monetary fulfillment or anything materialistic,” Robert continued. “It’s a weight that can only be carried with you through years of experiences and memories made from putting the time in with those around you. No amount of money could ever replace that. In this film we want to refocus the conversation surrounding these ideas and help shed light on what’s really important in the grand scheme of it all.”

In addition to the film’s powerful narrative, its audio design is absolutely stunning. Every moment is buzzing with sounds of the neighborhood, sounds of the city and, of course, Few Good Things, the album. Interspersed with the film’s imagery, tracks “Free Samples,” “Fearmonger,” “A Simpler Time,” “2012” and “Few Good Things” are given extended depth for listeners to explore over the course of Few Good Things‘ 24 minutes.

Few Good Things, the short film, is streaming now on Youtube. Saba’s “Back Home” tour in support of Few Good Things kicks off in Dublin, Ireland on Feb. 11, making his way back to Chicago at the Aragon Ballroom on May 5. Tickets are on sale now.

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Stream Few Good Things, the album, on Spotify below and follow Saba on Instagram.

Written by George Chiligiris

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