Love Sounds – What sounds like “love” to you?
California bred, rising star Sabi recently released her EP, 0-60 Love Sounds and if you want an idea of what love sounds like, you should probably take a listen. The project features eleven tracks, all different, but all exuding love. Of course this project and its birth and creation were at the top of our discussion agenda, when I caught up with the beautiful songstress.
So a little about Sabi – born, Jenice Sab-bion in Inglewood Cali, her and two younger sisters were raised there by her mother and grandmother (dad’s mom), spending the weekends at their dad’s house. Sabi is also the result of another cultural clash, her mom, featured in the beginning of Sabi’s “Cali Love” video, which also features YMCMB rapper Tyga, is from El Salvador and her dad is a Southern bred African-American. Sabi experienced a bit of the struggle growing up and didn’t have such an easy or simple time finding her way to her career. On her first experience with music Sabi says that she can’t really pin point when she first experienced it, but as far back as she can remember it existed for her.
One thing she loved about her weekends at dad’s house was that he had cable and being there she was able to catch up on all the music shows and videos, MTV Jams and the like. Her father’s choice of music consisted of Prince, Michael Jackson, Sade, Earth, Wind & Fire and more. In addition to her father’s influence, after school every day her grandpa picked her up from school playing Jazz in the car.
If you grew up in the 90’s your music choice and favorites are moist likely similar to hers. (I know they were to mine!) She mentioned Destiny’s Child, Aaliyah, Missy Elliott, No Doubt, N*SYNC and of course TLC. She appreciated the people that “re-created ‘sexy’”. If you watch her carefully you can tell that these are the type of artists that inspired her music style. She’s well on her way to doing just what she says that those artists were able to do but for our generation. She is re-creating sexy, re-creating what’s popular, what’s Hip-Hop, and what’s “in”. 
Let’s back up a little—although she always loved music and it has always been a part of her life, she wasn’t always sure what role it would play in her life. She tried everything though. She did commercials, took acting classes and did whatever she could to cover her interest in being in the music and entertainment world. But she first mustered up enough nerve to sing in front of an audience at a high school assembly. From there she began working with peers who expressed similar passions and eventually found herself laying tracks in the studios of friends. She majored in communications at California State University and right after graduation she was asked to join a girl group, The Bangz. The group found moderate success with two singles and a video, but the run was cut short when tragedy struck the other group member! These days Sabi’s still signed to Warner Bros. music, but as a solo artist.
“0-60 Love Sounds took about a year to finish completely,” Sabi reveals. “They are all my babies” said the cunning Cali girl sweetly, calmly and with a soft laugh. The hosts of the tape, Yesy Ortiz and DJ Carisma of Power 106 “have been my biggest cheerleaders throughout the making of the project,” she continued.
One of her favorites on the project, “Love Sounds” is described simply by Sabi. “If I could describe what love making sounds like, ideal love making, that’s what it would sound like.” It was written in 10-20 minutes.
Sabi wants this body of work to evoke new discussions about love, “I want people to listen to the EP and talk about love in a different way.” She mentioned how in this day and age young people don’t really know about love instead we hear about one night stands.
In the process of picking and packaging the songs for the EP she says that she picked 11 tracks, lived with them and wrote to them. She got together with her producer, Ryan and he helped assist with the fine toothing of each one and hence, the Love inspired project came to life.
As we talked I could hear Sabi’s passion for love, which was refreshing, it is rare that I hear love spoken of especially from peers in my age group, in such a pure form. An entire tape stemming from roots of love could be nothing but epic and illuminating. I’ve listened and watched and it is in no way typical, I’m positive you’ll be fulfilled.
Of course our conversation ended with my signature close out question – “what’s your advice to the ones on the come up? How have you been able to bring your passions to life?” Her response, “Tap into your truth, there are so many influences that will tell you who to be, be secure in knowing that your truth is unique and special and don’t let anything change that.”
images by Ramos Valencia
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