Rich Conversations: 001. Samy Sabh
Show notes from episode 001 of Rich Conversations with Samy Sabh. Answers are cut down to fit into writing format.
How long have you lived in Chicago?
I moved to the suburbs when I was nine. I’ve lived in the Chicago city limits for ten years.
What’s your neighborhood like?
We’re in beautiful Albany Park. I’ve been in Albany Park for five years. I love it here. It’s a beautiful place man. It’s super diverse—it’s actually the most diverse neighborhood in Chicago. A lot of mom and pops shops—stuff like that. Family-run places. Lotta kids and pets. Super affordable. A lot of Colombian, Arabic, and Mexican food. It’s quiet. You’re not dealing with the Cubs crowd. It’s nice. As long as I live in Chicago, I don’t think I’ll ever leave it. Albany Park forever man.
If you have an open Saturday, how would you choose to spend it?
I would just spend it in here man. We’re in the Bonelang studio. It’s kind of like the cave. I don’t leave here much. This is where everything happens. This is where everything is written and happens conceptionally. Anytime I find myself eight hours, I’m here. Very rarely do I leave. It’s my favorite thing. I love being here. Walking in – playing piano, making songs, writing poetry. It’s nice.
When you think of Chicago, what colors do you imagine first?
Aqua blue. I always think of the lake. I love the lake here. I go there often. It’s a great place to read and relax. I walk out onto the pier, there’s a red lighthouse, and I try to be as secluded as possible. I walk there quite often. It’s something I like to do. It’s very tranquil. We’re lucky to be by a body of water.
What’s your proudest moment as a Chicagoan?
I used to volunteer at an organization called After School Matters. I would go to these events and I would just work the desk. I was there to just kind of absorb the youthful spirit. I love being around young creative people. You know what I mean? I’d go to these high schools and watch these kids do their dances and raps and their songs. And I always found it so rewarding to watch these unbelievably skilled kids. I really loved that. I was really proud to be a part of it. This is good for everyone involved: volunteers, kids, teachers. It’s good to be a part of something bigger than you.
What’s your hidden gem in the Chicago?
There’s a park around the corner. Horner Park. I go there all the time on my walks. If I don’t go to the lake, I’ll go there. It’s size-able. There’s this little trail that leads straight down to the river—like ten feet away. Not a lot of people go down there. It’s new. I go there all the time—like all the time man. I’ll sit down by the river. Sometimes I feel like it’s just my own little spot. I’ll bring a notebook. Jot some poetry. Jot some lines. Or bring a book. Or bring nothing. I love it there.
What sound do you most affiliate with Chicago?
The L.
What music has influenced you the most during your time in the city?
Rap music. Hip-hop. I argue that Chicago is a hotbed for hip-hop. The Sabas, the Chance the Rappers, the Nonames, the Mick Jenkins, the Sminos. These are supreme talents. Saba here is a Chicago cat and his album is Care For Me is to me, one of the great rap albums of our time. I’m don’t know if it’ll be recognized as that, but maybe in time. I mean, he’s still touring the world off this album. I think within 5-10 years, it’ll be recognized as one of the great Chicago albums of all time. And we’re just lucky to be around that kind of music.
What’s a common scene you see in your daily interaction with the city?
Well I go to Horner Park almost everyday—well—4-5 times a week. There’s always these dudes selling slushies, and pineapple, and mango in the park. I love that. I buy mangos from them all the time. I’d say that’s a pretty common scene in Albany Park. You see these Mexican cats pushin’ around the carts. Sellin’ fruit. I like it man. I think that’s pretty unique to Chicago.
If you were given secret information that Chicago would destroyed in one week, what’s one quality you’d keep to rebuild the city?
I worked in construction for six years. I learned a lot in those years. I learned about ethic. One thing I did notice about the ethic of these workers. It’s intense man. Homie, they’re going hard. I mean HARD. There’s a blue collar ethic in this city that I don’t think you could really take away. If we found ourselves after the second great Chicago fire, it would be the blue collar ethic of these people that would bring the city to a new day.
What’s one thing you would do to improve your neighborhood?
Speed up the construction on Kedzie! It’s been like six years. You can’t drive to 94 without the worst blockage in the world.
What’s one thing you’d do to improve the city as a whole?
More public school funding. It’s not right. I did some volunteer work at public schools on the west side. They don’t have the facilities that they need. They don’t have the resources they need. Then you come over and a bunch of the charter and the magnet schools are set up. I don’t know. A better allocation of funds in the school system.
When people learn you’re from Chicago, how do they respond?
People seem to like Chicago. It’s a great city. I’m from New York. I’ve spent considerable time in LA. Chicago is special. It’s the second best skyline in the country. It’s got unbelievable culture. It’s got unbelievable music. Not a lot of people have negative things to say. There is…actually…let me dial that back. There’s a conception that there’s a lot of violence here. It’s a major metropolitan area. It’s as dangerous as any metropolitan area. Other than that, people seem to love this place. I love this place. It’s hard to leave. I just never go. I just keep staying. It’s a beautiful place.
When you feel overwhelmed or need a mental escape but can’t leave the city, where do you go to clear your mind?
Horner Park.
Within the past five years of living here, what personal realization has improved your outlook on the life the most?
Ethic pays off. Hard work. Do your work. You can’t fake time spent. It doesn’t have much to do with Chicago, but I learned that ethic living in Chicago. It’s something I tell young artists and young people—Bonelang’s fans are young. They’ll ask “How do you do what you’re doing?” I tell them you can’t fake the time you spend on something. People can weed you out in a second. People can smell inauthenticity a mile a way. In a world where everyone has a voice and a public opinion. In a world where everyone’s become quite self-important, being fully you and being fully authentic is more important than ever. That all comes from spending the hours on whatever your craft may be.
What’s something you dream of accomplishing within the next five years?
Touring the world. I want to play on every continent. I want to play in every state. That’s my main goal. I would just love to be regarded in my community as a mother*****r that put in his hours. This is all I do all day every day. This is all I think about. This is all I care about. And I want so badly to play in countries—where they don’t speak English—singing my words back to me. That’s the ultimate goal. You know?