Noname, Smino, & Saba Eat 'Hu00e4agen Dazs' As Ghetto Sage

Hip-hop has seen countless successful groups come and go over the decades, with many of the individual artists going on to establish strong solo careers away from the groups that launched them to stardom. It's less rare, then, for rappers who have already built formidable careers built upon their unique styles to come together to form a new group, but that's exactly how Ghetto Sage came to be.

Beloved Chicago femcee Noname and neo-soul rappers Smino and Saba make up the newly formed group Ghetto Sage, and they're marking the founding of the new endeavor with their debut single "Häagen Dazs" that combines the three rhymesmiths' styles in a perfectly complementary way. This is hardly their first collaboration, however: the three joined forces on Noname's "Shadow Man" in 2016 and "Ace" on last year's Room 25. Earlier this year, Smino hinted at forming a group with Saba and Noname in an interview with Billboard, saying the three have always discussed the prospect of forming a group and making music together.

Smino opens the track with the rapid-fire bars that he's become known for, including clever references to The Roots, Questlove, and Dorrough's 2009 single "Ice Cream Paint Job" in the song's chorus. Saba brings the same quick (and quick-witted) energy to his contribution, acting as a sonic partner in crime to Smino as opposed to a foil. The beat is decidedly more upbeat and trap-leaning than much of Noname's music, but it's clear from her first few bars that the " lullaby rap " artist can hold her own on any beat that's thrown her way.

The members of Ghetto Sage have remained tight-lipped on what fans can expect next from them, but it's highly unlikely that this is a one-off collaboration. If "Häagen Dazs" is any indication, though, they likely won't be disappointed with what comes next-whether that's another single or a full-fledged album or mixtape.