SqueakPIVOT, a DJ and producer in Saba’s Pivot Gang crew and a beloved member of the Chicago artist community, has passed away. He was 26 years old.
The news arrived on Twitter late Monday night, with local outlet the Triibe confirming the news that Squeak died in a shooting. A number of people shared condolences, prayers, and memories of Squeak on social media. He leaves behind his daughter Zhuri, his brother Frsh Waters—also a member of Pivot Gang—his brother Jaw, and more family.
In addition to being one of the group’s in-house producers, Squeak was also Pivot’s official concert DJ. According to Pitchfork, he first entered music by engineering Pivot Gang recording sessions.
Squeak and fellow Pivot member MFnMelo had just released their collaborative EP #EnRoute in June, which included features from Frsh Waters, Rexx Life Raj, and more. Melo and Squeak released the video for the Frsh-supported song “Handheld” leading up to the project’s release.
In April 2019, Pivot Gang released their debut studio album You Can’t Sit With Us, much of which was produced by Squeak, as well as daedae and Daoud, who are also in-house producers for Pivot.
In a December 2017 interview with Elevator, Squeak spoke of just how much Chicago’s West Side impacted his own sound. “I low-key I realized I had a West Side sound when I was listening to old Twista tapes, I listened to the high-hats in his songs,” he said. “I started to realize all of his hits had a certain rhythm to them, and it was just like something I studied and once I kind of perfected it, I realized, ‘OK, this is how people will know I’m from out West.’”
Earlier that year, in February 2017, another member of Pivot Gang, John Walt, died in Chicago. The 24-year-old was stabbed following an altercation on the city train. Walt’s killer, Kevin Alexander, was later arrested on two counts of murder.
RIP to Squeak and prayers to Pivot Gang.
