For the last five years, Sada Baby has been rhyming, and dancing his way to the top spot in Detroit hip-hop. After the release of his critically acclaimed album, “Bartier Bounty,” earlier this year, Sada is making a case for being one of the best and brightest in the rap game, period. The ever-outspoken MC recently sat down with StockX to talk about music, culture, fashion, and the fickleness of hometown support.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
StockX: Would you please introduce yourself?
Sada Baby: I’m Sada Baby, aka Skuba Steve, aka Sada Baby.
I’m glad you introduced yourself that way. I want to know where “Skuba Steve” comes from?
It comes from “Big Daddy,” the Adam Sandler movie and the “Scuba Steve” character. I said “Skuba” in a song and “Skuba” stuck, and we kind of went from there with it.
Tell me about your family history. Where’s your family from?
My family is from everywhere. I’ve got family from all across the country: South Carolina, Milwaukee, a lot of places. But the east side mainly, the east side of Detroit.
Would you visit any of your family outside of Detroit?
South Carolina. A couple of times we visited when my granddad was down there but for the most part, my childhood was spent in Detroit.
How would you describe your childhood?
Rugged and colorful. Yeah, it was rough, but we still laughed, so it wasn’t too rough. But yeah, it was rough, I’ve seen a whole lot of stuff I probably wouldn’t have seen nowhere else.
I said “Skuba” in a song and “Skuba” stuck, and we kind of went from there with it.
What’s your most vivid memory from growing up?
Anything that has to do with basketball. Any of my basketball memories from when I was a kid. I kind of remember them verbatim. Basketball is my number one sport and I’ve always been a Pistons’ fan.
Who’s your favorite Pistons’ player of all time?
‘Sheed. I mean, I was always a Pistons’ fan and a Rasheed Wallace fan before he became a Piston. He got here and he acted like he’s from Detroit! So yeah, love ‘Sheed. He’s one of my favorite players let alone just my favorite Piston. Rasheed Wallace.
What’s your first memory of music?
Al Green’s “Love and Happiness” at my house. I didn’t know what it was, but I liked what I was hearing. The song would come on and I would wind up dancing with my grandma. So yeah, that was probably the first song or first music that gave me some type of emotion, Al Green’s “Love and Happiness.”
What do you listen to these days?
A lot of Kodak [Black], Future, and Chief Keef. I’m listening to G Herbo, too. You know, I give a lot of stuff a chance nowadays, but yeah, just I’m mainly just listening to them. Not too many people, you feel me?
But still, I’m listening to more than enough, though. I got to give people chances when they drop new music. If it sounds decent, I listen to it. I listen to a lot of old R&B, too.
Really, old R&B, who are you listening to?
SWV or Case, or some shit like that. Tyrese, Usher. It’s all just good music. You can’t get tired of good music.
The first song or first music that gave me some type of emotion, Al Green’s “Love and Happiness.”
Let’s talk about your latest release, “Bartier Bounty.” How did the project come together?
It was nothing super-duper science to it. It just was what it was, the title of the record is the name of my studio where I recorded. I don’t record there no more, but it had a lot of history, a lot of everyday stuff. But yeah, a lot of history, a lot of legends came out of there. I feel like that’s where I got my temperament from, my style of rapping, and my demeanor, from out of that studio. And I don’t record there no more.
Why don’t you record at the studio anymore?
Politics. I just feel like I had already did too much paying ode to the studio. I mean I named a CD after it. I had a bunch of different ideas of what to name the record, but “Bartier Bounty” stuck, it was natural. It was me, it wasn’t made up. Just “Bartier Bounty.” Just like I said: pay ode to the studio, show some respect, and show people that I hadn’t really forgot about it. I’d never forget about it, it’s tattooed on me. So I dropped it and just let people know that I’m still on it. That’s still my mentality: “Bartier Bounty.”
Do you compare your music with other artists from Detroit?
No, I don’t look at my numbers. If I look at my numbers, I’m bored as hell. And then, as far as what Detroit thinks, yeah, I could give two shits. Honestly. Because I didn’t bubble here. All of my motherfucking music, the shit that went national didn’t come from here. Detroit didn’t push me to where the fuck I was supposed to be, so yeah, I never think about other artists in Detroit. Ten times out of ten, I make sure I’m always making a decision based on myself and never worrying about what the opinion from Detroit is going to be because Detroit’s opinions are fucked up.
Detroit didn’t push me to where the fuck I was supposed to be.
So Does your music represent Detroit?
Yeah, you hear Detroit in there. I’m still talking about Detroit; I’m still speaking to Detroit.
So, thinking big picture, what does music mean to you?
Music used to just be music. But now it’s something that I’m great at and that can and will change my people’s life once I put the rest of this effort into it and keep going. But, music is my life, so music means everything to me.
Switching up the questions a little bit: Do you have a favorite sneaker?
I don’t know. I like all Nike, and especially Jordan 1s, but the Doernbecher 8s are my grail shoe.
What about watches, do you have a favorite watch?
Rolexes. I got into them when I had the money to buy one. For real, that’s it. I wasn’t really trying to keep daydreaming about some material that I couldn’t get. That’s the same with everything though, I never used to dream a lot of anything that wasn’t in my league.
Why Rolex? What is it about that brand that makes it your favorite?
It’s just the only watch I knew about when I was broke. So, when I got some money I got some.
I never used to dream a lot of anything that wasn’t in my league.
You’re a big streetwear guy. How did you develop your love of streetwear?
Boutiques, and being able to afford the stuff that they got.
What Boutiques in Detroit would you shop?
Fashion Bistro, Revive, and Al Wissam on the east side.
What’s your process of putting together your fits? Do you have a process, or is it just whatever you’re feeling at the moment?
I make sure shit match; I make sure I match and then I’m gone.
Detroit strip clubs are full-hearted, unmatched, and different.
We’ve talked about a lot of things, but we need to talk about one final subject: strip clubs. What’s the deal with Detroit strip clubs and strip club culture?
I think our strip club culture is probably the best when it comes to kitchen food. You can’t go nowhere else in the county and ask for lamb chops or lobster tails at the strip club. Detroit strip clubs are full-hearted, unmatched, and different. They’re real, not artificial. It’s authentic, you feel me? They created me, it’s organic. Strip clubs are all me, it’s natural. [My work] It’s all off the strip club; It’s all of my own heart.
Ok, so what does success look like for you?
In my eyes, my people not worried about nothing. In my eyes, my people not wanting or not worrying about nothing, and my granny not working.
Finally, anything else people should know about you?
Yeah. That I did this photo shoot and interview on one hour of sleep in the last three days.
