{{Short description|American hip hop group}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Pivot Gang | image = | caption = | years_active = 2011–present | origin = Chicago, Illinois, United States | genre = Hip hop | website = {{URL|https://pivotgang.co}} | current_members = * Saba * Joseph Chilliams * Frsh Waters * MFnMelo * daedaePIVOT * Dam Dam * Daoud | past_members = * dinnerwithjohn (deceased) * squeakPIVOT (deceased) }}
'''Pivot Gang''' is a hip hop collective of independent rappers based out the west side of Chicago. The group originated from the Austin neighborhood in 2011.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXjNS5O2wHI The Pivot Gang Interview: Saba, Joseph Chilliams, Squeak, & Dam Dam]</ref> The four founders consist of brothers Saba (born Tahj Malik Chandler) and Joseph Chilliams (AKA Jerrel Chandler), their cousin John Walt (Walter Long), and their high school friend MFnMelo (AKA Logan Yutters).<ref name="vice">{{cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/saba-comfortzone-chicago-interview-profile/|title=Saba's West Side Story Is One Worth Listening To|date=September 29, 2014 |publisher=noisey.vice.com|access-date=2015-04-29}}</ref> Other artists who commonly collaborate with the group include Lucki, Martin $ky, Ausar, Noname, and DJ Damnage, along with others.
==History== Saba is the most well-known rapper in the group, and is known as the front-man of Pivot Gang. Most of the music made by the group has a diverse sound, ranging from smooth soulful samples to more aggressive, rapid drill beats. MFnMelo explains in an interview with the Chicagoist, "a lot of the Pivot shit has that smooth kind of chord tradition that's influenced by New York soul, but it will just go harder. I'll put some drill drums over it. Some of my music has that same creative process, but a lot of it goes into a soulful, hip-hop-y route".<ref name="chicagoist">{{cite web|url=http://chicagoist.com/2013/10/02/interview_pivot_gang_keeping_it_the.php|title=Interview: Pivot Gang—Keeping It In The Family: Chicagoist|publisher=chicagoist.com|accessdate=2015-04-29|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004050214/http://chicagoist.com/2013/10/02/interview_pivot_gang_keeping_it_the.php|archivedate=2013-10-04}}</ref> The group has released a mixtape titled ''JIMMY'' on October 15, 2013.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pivot Gang – JIMMY [Mixtape + Download] |url=https://earmilk.com/2013/10/16/pivot-gang-jimmy-mixtape-download/ |website=EarMilk}}</ref>
Their debut album ''You Can't Sit with Us'' was released on April 19, 2019, with guest appearances from Smino, Kari Faux, Mick Jenkins, Jean Deaux, Femdot, Sylvan LaCue and Benjamin Earl Turner.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Price |first1=Joe |title=Saba's Pivot Gang Team Up With Smino for "Bad Boys," Announce Debut Album |url=https://www.complex.com/music/2019/04/saba-pivot-gang-smino-bad-boys-debut-album |website=Complex |accessdate=5 April 2019}}</ref>
On August 17, 2021, the group announced the passing of Squeak, who was fatally shot in Austin while visiting his grandmother.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Moore |first1=Evan |last2=Struett |first2=David |title=Squeak, member of West Side hip-hop collective Pivot Gang, shot dead at 26 |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/8/17/22629223/squeak-chicago-hip-hop-collective-pivot-gang-chance-west-side-austin-instagram-dj-skoli |website=Chicago Su-Times |date=August 17, 2021 |access-date=30 May 2022}}</ref><ref name="squeak"/>
==Members== *Saba * Joseph Chilliams * MFn Melo * Dam Dam * Frsh Waters * daedaePIVOT * Daoud * John Walt (deceased)<ref>{{cite web |title=Remembering Pivot Gang Rapper John Walt, Gone at 24 |url=https://djbooth.net/features/2017-02-09-remembering-john-walt |website=DJBooth |date=February 9, 2017 }}</ref> * squeakPIVOT (deceased)<ref name="squeak">{{Cite web |last=Ruiz, Matthew Ismael |date=August 17, 2021 |title=Squeak, Producer and Member of Saba's Pivot Gang, Dies at 26 |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/squeak-producer-and-member-of-sabas-pivot-gang-dies-at-26/ |access-date=August 17, 2021 |website=Pitchfork}}</ref>
==Discography== ===Studio albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" ! scope="col" rowspan="1" style="width:14em;" | Title ! scope="col" rowspan="1" style="width:22em;" | Album details |- ! scope="row"| ''You Can't Sit with Us'' | * Released: April 19, 2019 * Format: Digital download |- |}
===Mixtapes=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" ! scope="col" rowspan="1" style="width:14em;" | Title ! scope="col" rowspan="1" style="width:22em;" | Album details |- ! scope="row"| ''JIMMY'' | * Released: October 15, 2013 * Format: Digital download |- |}
===EPs=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" ! scope="col" rowspan="1" style="width:14em;" | Title ! scope="col" rowspan="1" style="width:22em;" | Album details |- ! scope="row"| ''Two Piece Tour Pack'' | * Released: August 5, 2019 * Format: Digital download |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Saba (rapper)}} {{Authority control}}
Category:American hip-hop groups Category:Alternative hip-hop groups Category:Hip-hop collectives Category:Musical groups from Chicago Category:Musical groups established in 2013 Category:2013 establishments in Illinois