[3] In February 2017, Saba's cousin and fellow Pivot Gang member, Walter E. "John Walt" Long was stabbed to death in Chicago.

In an interview, Saba spoke about the mental process and how writing the songs on the album were therapeutic saying: Care For Me is the first time I delve into talking about depression and anxiety, and then all of these factors as to why I am the way I am.

Towards near completion of the album, Saba recalled a moment to review his progress saying: "I was listening with one of the producers and he actually pointed it out: 'Damn dude, all of these songs are about Walt,' I didn't even realize.

His higher aspirations won't afford him the visibility of the rappers acting out for attention, but projects like Care for Me should put him into the discussions of his generation's best hip hop artists.

"[13] Wren Graves of Consequence of Sound wrote "At 10 breezy tracks, Care for Me isn't just a collection of songs; it’s an honest-to-god album that develops ideas at its own pace.