Saigon - The Greatest Story Never Told
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Rapper Saigon has officially inked a deal uniquely structured joint venture with Just Blaze’s new label, FT. Knox Entertainment and Atlantic Recording Corp.
Under the terms of the deal, Saigon will work closely with former Roc-A-Fella producer Just Blaze, who will handle the majority of production for Saigon’s future releases.
He is currently working on his debut for the FT. Knox, titled The Greatest Story Never Told, due out in 2005.
“With Just Blaze doing my beats, I’m unstoppable,” Saigon said. “Just Blaze is our Dr. Dre out here on the East Coast, has been for the past five or six years.”
The rapper took the name Saigon from the influential Vietnam war book “Bloods” by Wallace Terry, which he read while he was serving time in prison.
After being released in 1999, the rapper hit the mixtape circuit and experienced success with his "Yardfather 1" and "Yardfather 2" releases, mixtapes that he says moved over 40,000 copies combined.
His next mixtape Warning Shots was a one-off deal with independent label Sure Shot Records. The release moved almost 50,000 copies independently.
“Now that the business side of my situation is straight, I’m shutting that s**t down again,” Saigon said. “I hope all of these new cats used my absence as an opportunity to come up, ‘cause it’s gonna be real hard now.”
In addition to working with Just Blaze, Saigon has secured the production services of Alchemist, Scram Jones, Buckwild and Digga, as well as the guidance of respected Hip-Hop executives Kyambo “Hip Hop” Joshua and Gee Roberson.
In addition to working on his new album, Saigon also runs a non-profit organization, Abandoned Home Foundation, which gives money to children whose parents are incarcerated.
Under the terms of the deal, Saigon will work closely with former Roc-A-Fella producer Just Blaze, who will handle the majority of production for Saigon’s future releases.
He is currently working on his debut for the FT. Knox, titled The Greatest Story Never Told, due out in 2005.
“With Just Blaze doing my beats, I’m unstoppable,” Saigon said. “Just Blaze is our Dr. Dre out here on the East Coast, has been for the past five or six years.”
The rapper took the name Saigon from the influential Vietnam war book “Bloods” by Wallace Terry, which he read while he was serving time in prison.
After being released in 1999, the rapper hit the mixtape circuit and experienced success with his "Yardfather 1" and "Yardfather 2" releases, mixtapes that he says moved over 40,000 copies combined.
His next mixtape Warning Shots was a one-off deal with independent label Sure Shot Records. The release moved almost 50,000 copies independently.
“Now that the business side of my situation is straight, I’m shutting that s**t down again,” Saigon said. “I hope all of these new cats used my absence as an opportunity to come up, ‘cause it’s gonna be real hard now.”
In addition to working with Just Blaze, Saigon has secured the production services of Alchemist, Scram Jones, Buckwild and Digga, as well as the guidance of respected Hip-Hop executives Kyambo “Hip Hop” Joshua and Gee Roberson.
In addition to working on his new album, Saigon also runs a non-profit organization, Abandoned Home Foundation, which gives money to children whose parents are incarcerated.
Interview I got from WorldWideConnected
WorldWideConnected.com: Where are you from and what was it like growing up there?
I’m from Mooseknuckle, I’m from Rockland County, man. I grew up everywhere but that’s where most of my family’s from. It’s a lil hood. It’s a lower class suburb. It’s a poor suburb like 20 minutes outside New York City. I grew up there a few years but I really grew up in jail, man. I grew up in prison. That’s where I was from 14 to 22 so that’s where I went to school at, and that’s where I became a man.
WorldWideConnected.com: Is that where you started rapping too?
Yeah that’s where I started rapping.
WorldWideConnected.com: Ok. What would you say separate you from other rappers? How would you describe your style?
My style is straight to the point. I deal with reality, I deal with all things that are real… like I try not to deal too much with fantasy because a lot of hiphop is based around fantasy things. A rapper may be rich, he made a lot of money, but that’s not the reality to the consumer and that’s the people you’re talking to. Most people in the hood are poor, man. A hundred thousand dollar cars are unheard of. I’m taking it back to the 93-94 era when it was cool to have a MPV.. a lil 18 thousand dollar MPV and you was tha man. If you listen to Nas biggest record, which is “If I ruled the world”, Nas says “If I ruled the world and everything in it, sky's the limit I push a Q-45 Infinit”. He was talking about if he ruled the world he was pushing infinity. Nowdays you’ve got fantasy rap where it’s not a reality to people in the hood. A lot of people think that if they’re selling a lot of records they’re touching the people in the hood. The people in the hoods are not buying your records, it’s the white kids in the suburbs making you go platinum. You’re not getting to the people really…
WorldWideConnected.com: You talked about how you went to prison… Where do you think you’d be right now if it wasn’t for you rapping?
Oh I’d be back in jail, man. I’d be back in prison because that’s the way the system is set up. It’s set up for you to go in and out. The rap saved my life, man. Hiphop’s been in my life all my life and it’s actually given me a sense of direction now to where I believe that I have something that I believe in.
WorldWideConnected.com: You said that you started rapping in prison, how and why did you start?
Being in prison, being bored and not having a lot of things to do. Being around people who rap… My man Ruff… when I heard him I was like “This is the best rapper in the world” and he just told me like “yo man keep writing”. Cuz I always used to write but nobody knew I rapped and he just told me “Keep at it. Keep writing and shit” and I just kept writing and it was on from there.
WorldWideConnected.com: What’s “Abandoned Nation”?
Abandoned nation is actually mine. I own that. It’s a production company that I started. It’s a non-profit organization where we do things for children and incarcerated people. We give them school supplies, school clothes… And we also have the bookbank where we encourage education in lower class neighbourhoods. I’m an artist who walks the walk, I don’t just talk the talk. You could say you’re gangsta and everything but until you go out and do something or something gets done to you, nobody take you seriously.
WorldWideConnected.com: You’re not signed right now, right? Weren’t you signed to another label before?
Yeah I was signed to Aleda Records, Mark Ronsons label. He had started a label and I had signed with him but it didn’t work out. I made sure the deal was short in case I wouldn’t be happy there. Once the deal was out I got up outta there, because they weren’t real focused at the time. I’m still real col with the cat but I had to make other moves.
WorldWideConnected.com: You were on the “Unsigned Hype” in The Source a while back. When was that?
I was in unsigned hype in March 2000 or 2001… It was 2-3 years ago.
WorldWideConnected.com: Are you wanting to sign a label right now or are you shopping for a deal?
Nah man I’m hot. I’m the hottest thing in New York right now so the labels are coming to me. But they’ve got to give me a kind of deal that they’ll give Brittany Spears or somebody like that. A lot of times they think that because you’re a rapper and you’re from the streets, they’ll give you 50 000 or something he’ll sign anything. And a lot of them do! I’m not taking the “nigger-deal”. The day I sign my deal, my life has to change. I’m doing all the work for them. I just got a Rolling Stone interview, I’m on the cover of Murder Dog so I’m doing the work that the labels are paid do and I’m doing it on my own. So when I sign a deal, they have to break major bread.
WorldWideConnected.com: So you’re just kind of considering the options right now…
Yeah exactly. I’m just building my stock up, building my brand up to where they have to… not try to buy it, but buy into it and be a part of the action. I have a big fanbase already. My fanbase is humongous. I don’t really need a label right now, I’d be better off looking for a street distributor so I can make 7-8 dollars/record instead of 85 cents.
WorldWideConnected.com: So that’s something you’re considering too…
Yeah I’m just weighing all my options. Whatever makes the most sense to me at the end of the day is what I’ll be doing. At the meantime I’ll keep making music from my hard which labels does not allow you to do. All labels care about is a radio song and a club song… They don’t allow you to make records from your heart, make music that you really think is good music, they’ll give you some A&R and he’ll be like “No, do this. Rap to this beat. Do that.” I need my creative control. I need my freedom and a label will take you away from that.
WorldWideConnected.com: So are you working on a solo album right now?
Yeah I’m working on a solo album right now with Just Blaze.
Oh ok.
Just Blaze from Roc-A-Fella. He took me under his wings and we’ve knocked out about 10 records already. He’s gonna produce 95% of my album.
WorldWideConnected.com: Do you plan on having any guests on there?
If I can get Andre 3000 on my joint I’ll get ‘em. He’s an artist that I like. Dead Prez… they’re friends of mine. I can get them on my record any time. There’s not too many artists that move me.
WorldWideConnected.com: Ok. Do you have like crew that…
Yeah. Abandoned Nation is a crew aswell, man. The guy I told you enspired me to write is still with me today. His name is Ruff and if you’ve got any of my mixtapes he’s on there with me. That’s my dude right there.
WorldWideConnected.com: Ok cool. Is there any producers you’d like to work with except for the ones you’re already working with?
Umm… I’d like to work with…. Kayne West. I like his sound. I even like Pharell. I think when Pharell’s making raw beats he’s good at it. I think a lot of times he goes for the pop sound but when he does make hard records, they come out real well. I’d like to work with… umm… Dre. Or whoever makes his beats.
Haha.
They say it’s not him all the time.
WorldWideConnected.com: Haha yeah I heard something about that. Do you have a title for the album?
Yeah. It was called “Greatest Story Never Told” but I changed it to “Dear Black America”. That’s the name of my album because that’s who I’m trying to get to… let’s start thinking. Let’s start using our minds. Not your guns, not your money. Our mind is our most proper weapon. I’ve got to address my people because I address anything else. Out the gate that’s what I’m comin’ with. My album is politically motivated.
WorldWideConnected.com: Where are you from and what was it like growing up there?
I’m from Mooseknuckle, I’m from Rockland County, man. I grew up everywhere but that’s where most of my family’s from. It’s a lil hood. It’s a lower class suburb. It’s a poor suburb like 20 minutes outside New York City. I grew up there a few years but I really grew up in jail, man. I grew up in prison. That’s where I was from 14 to 22 so that’s where I went to school at, and that’s where I became a man.
WorldWideConnected.com: Is that where you started rapping too?
Yeah that’s where I started rapping.
WorldWideConnected.com: Ok. What would you say separate you from other rappers? How would you describe your style?
My style is straight to the point. I deal with reality, I deal with all things that are real… like I try not to deal too much with fantasy because a lot of hiphop is based around fantasy things. A rapper may be rich, he made a lot of money, but that’s not the reality to the consumer and that’s the people you’re talking to. Most people in the hood are poor, man. A hundred thousand dollar cars are unheard of. I’m taking it back to the 93-94 era when it was cool to have a MPV.. a lil 18 thousand dollar MPV and you was tha man. If you listen to Nas biggest record, which is “If I ruled the world”, Nas says “If I ruled the world and everything in it, sky's the limit I push a Q-45 Infinit”. He was talking about if he ruled the world he was pushing infinity. Nowdays you’ve got fantasy rap where it’s not a reality to people in the hood. A lot of people think that if they’re selling a lot of records they’re touching the people in the hood. The people in the hoods are not buying your records, it’s the white kids in the suburbs making you go platinum. You’re not getting to the people really…
WorldWideConnected.com: You talked about how you went to prison… Where do you think you’d be right now if it wasn’t for you rapping?
Oh I’d be back in jail, man. I’d be back in prison because that’s the way the system is set up. It’s set up for you to go in and out. The rap saved my life, man. Hiphop’s been in my life all my life and it’s actually given me a sense of direction now to where I believe that I have something that I believe in.
WorldWideConnected.com: You said that you started rapping in prison, how and why did you start?
Being in prison, being bored and not having a lot of things to do. Being around people who rap… My man Ruff… when I heard him I was like “This is the best rapper in the world” and he just told me like “yo man keep writing”. Cuz I always used to write but nobody knew I rapped and he just told me “Keep at it. Keep writing and shit” and I just kept writing and it was on from there.
WorldWideConnected.com: What’s “Abandoned Nation”?
Abandoned nation is actually mine. I own that. It’s a production company that I started. It’s a non-profit organization where we do things for children and incarcerated people. We give them school supplies, school clothes… And we also have the bookbank where we encourage education in lower class neighbourhoods. I’m an artist who walks the walk, I don’t just talk the talk. You could say you’re gangsta and everything but until you go out and do something or something gets done to you, nobody take you seriously.
WorldWideConnected.com: You’re not signed right now, right? Weren’t you signed to another label before?
Yeah I was signed to Aleda Records, Mark Ronsons label. He had started a label and I had signed with him but it didn’t work out. I made sure the deal was short in case I wouldn’t be happy there. Once the deal was out I got up outta there, because they weren’t real focused at the time. I’m still real col with the cat but I had to make other moves.
WorldWideConnected.com: You were on the “Unsigned Hype” in The Source a while back. When was that?
I was in unsigned hype in March 2000 or 2001… It was 2-3 years ago.
WorldWideConnected.com: Are you wanting to sign a label right now or are you shopping for a deal?
Nah man I’m hot. I’m the hottest thing in New York right now so the labels are coming to me. But they’ve got to give me a kind of deal that they’ll give Brittany Spears or somebody like that. A lot of times they think that because you’re a rapper and you’re from the streets, they’ll give you 50 000 or something he’ll sign anything. And a lot of them do! I’m not taking the “nigger-deal”. The day I sign my deal, my life has to change. I’m doing all the work for them. I just got a Rolling Stone interview, I’m on the cover of Murder Dog so I’m doing the work that the labels are paid do and I’m doing it on my own. So when I sign a deal, they have to break major bread.
WorldWideConnected.com: So you’re just kind of considering the options right now…
Yeah exactly. I’m just building my stock up, building my brand up to where they have to… not try to buy it, but buy into it and be a part of the action. I have a big fanbase already. My fanbase is humongous. I don’t really need a label right now, I’d be better off looking for a street distributor so I can make 7-8 dollars/record instead of 85 cents.
WorldWideConnected.com: So that’s something you’re considering too…
Yeah I’m just weighing all my options. Whatever makes the most sense to me at the end of the day is what I’ll be doing. At the meantime I’ll keep making music from my hard which labels does not allow you to do. All labels care about is a radio song and a club song… They don’t allow you to make records from your heart, make music that you really think is good music, they’ll give you some A&R and he’ll be like “No, do this. Rap to this beat. Do that.” I need my creative control. I need my freedom and a label will take you away from that.
WorldWideConnected.com: So are you working on a solo album right now?
Yeah I’m working on a solo album right now with Just Blaze.
Oh ok.
Just Blaze from Roc-A-Fella. He took me under his wings and we’ve knocked out about 10 records already. He’s gonna produce 95% of my album.
WorldWideConnected.com: Do you plan on having any guests on there?
If I can get Andre 3000 on my joint I’ll get ‘em. He’s an artist that I like. Dead Prez… they’re friends of mine. I can get them on my record any time. There’s not too many artists that move me.
WorldWideConnected.com: Ok. Do you have like crew that…
Yeah. Abandoned Nation is a crew aswell, man. The guy I told you enspired me to write is still with me today. His name is Ruff and if you’ve got any of my mixtapes he’s on there with me. That’s my dude right there.
WorldWideConnected.com: Ok cool. Is there any producers you’d like to work with except for the ones you’re already working with?
Umm… I’d like to work with…. Kayne West. I like his sound. I even like Pharell. I think when Pharell’s making raw beats he’s good at it. I think a lot of times he goes for the pop sound but when he does make hard records, they come out real well. I’d like to work with… umm… Dre. Or whoever makes his beats.
Haha.
They say it’s not him all the time.
WorldWideConnected.com: Haha yeah I heard something about that. Do you have a title for the album?
Yeah. It was called “Greatest Story Never Told” but I changed it to “Dear Black America”. That’s the name of my album because that’s who I’m trying to get to… let’s start thinking. Let’s start using our minds. Not your guns, not your money. Our mind is our most proper weapon. I’ve got to address my people because I address anything else. Out the gate that’s what I’m comin’ with. My album is politically motivated.
Rest of interview
WorldWideConnected.com: Do you have a date for it? I guess you can’t have a date for it yet but an approximation…
Nah I don’t have a date for it but I know it’s gonna come out on top of next year.
WorldWideConnected.com: You’ve been on a lot of mixtapes and compilations too. Is there anything like that coming out in a near future?
Yeah I’ve got a mixtape… It’s like an album but it’s really my mixtape classics. It’s like a “Best of” of my mixtape songs. It’s coming out on Sure Shot records on June 1st. I’ve got a lot of my best mixtape songs on it. 18 joints. A lot of people on there too. Get that June 1st. It’s a very very dope project.
WorldWideConnected.com: Ok cool. What about guest appearances on other peoples albums?
Ali Vegas and my lil’ homegirl Mecka Mill. She’s a new artist that I’m working with. Young little girl. She’s very dope. She’s about to shut the female game down.
WorldWideConnected.com: What do you feel about the rap game right now?
I think it’s very sour right now. The rap game sucks right now. It’s like money see money do. It went from the gangsta shit to now the pimp shit. Everybody’s a pimp. If you know what a rela pimp is… A real pimp is a homo. Most pimps are homosexuals. That’s why pimps like to ger perms, they like to get their nails done, they like to get manicures and they like to dress fancy. Like women! They hate women because they wanna be women. That’s why they have women out there selling pussy because they don’t have no pussy. They’re mad at em. That’s where the pimp culture come from. Only a homo would beat up a woman, man.
Yeah.
Only a fucking punk would do that. And this is what these rappers glorify. If you look at it… You have Jay-Z “Big Pimpin’”. 50 Cent “P.I.M.P”, you’ve got Nelly “Pimp Juice”, David Banner “Like a Pimp”. You’ve got mothafuckin’ everybody doing something with a pimp- Everybody’s a pimp. Where are all the stand up guys? Where are all the motherfuckin’ leaders? Where are the Malcolm X’s and the Martin Luther Kings at, man? They don’t exist no more? They pimps too?
WorldWideConnected.com: Yeah it seems like most political rap disappeared from the mainstream when 2pac and Biggie died.
Yeah, exactly. You know why? Because these record labels are scared of it. It’s not that it doesn’t sell. Public Enemy sold 2 million records in 91. It’s all about making good music. At the end of the day, your music still has to be dope. Most people don’t listen to words anyway, they listen to the hook and the beat. They don’t care about the quality of the music anymore. They just care about the marketing and promotion and how the person looks and all that other shit that’s not really not important.
WorldWideConnected.com: So is there anyone you’re feeling right now? Like if you play music in your car, what are you listening to?
I’m listening to oldschool RnB right now. I can’t fuck with this new shit because… the downsouth rap and the Midwest rap doesn’t really do it for me. I’m not going to shake my ass… I went and did a show down south and even the dudes down there went booty-poppin and all that shit. Shakin’ they ass! Men doing that shit?! Get real, man! Is this what ya’ll call crunk? A grown man shakin’ his ass in a club? I don’t want nothin’ to do with that, B! So I listen to some old school RnB and some oldschool hiphop. I can’t fuck with this new shit. New York has nothing to offer. I’m waiting for that Rakim album to see how that sounds and he’s like a 50 year old man.
WorldWideConnected.com: Yeah it’s a shame he didn’t get an album out on Aftermath.
Yeah because Dre don’t want that. Dre want the white boy that’s going to kill his mother and 50 Cent who wants to shoot up the whole world.
WorldWideConnected.com: What do you think about that racist tape? The Eminem racist tape.
I think that that was some real shit that more people should address. It’s showing the state of the people tho because if that’d been Jay-Z saying fuck all the white people in the world, fuck the crackers, fuck the honkies, it’d been a big issue. If that was Puffy or one of the big black premiere artists. When Lauren said that shit they pretty much shut that down. We haven’t heard from her since! But Eminem do it and they sweep it under the rug. Where’s Deloris Tucker and all these muthafuckas? Where are they at now? They want to attack Tupac and Snoop for saying bitch and hoe and this is something that you learn as a little kid in the ghetto but they don’t have anything to say about Eminem. Russel Simmons was the first to come to his defence. He was like “Hey he wana little kid. Everybody said something wrong. He just said “n*gger” and all black women ain’t shit”. He’s talking about you too, homie. He’s talking about your mother and your sister.
WorldWideConnected.com: Yeah. There were rumours about a beef between you and 50 Cent before. Was there any truth in that?
Nah it wasn’t beef. I wouldn’t call it beef. We had differences as far as opinions and music but it wasn’t beef to where… I see 50 right now and it’s like “What’s up my n*gga”. There wasn’t no beef like that, we just had different opinions on how music should be.
WorldWideConnected.com: Do you have any beefs with anyone right now?
I’ve got beef in the streets. I’ve got beefs with n*ggaz I shot before, man. I’ve got beef with n*ggaz whom I shot their mothers and stuff like that. I’ve got beef where if they see me they may try to kill me type shit. These beefs that I have came from when I was a kid. The first things you do stick with you forever. Mistakes that I made… when I see these them today they don’t wanna get at me. I was thinking “This lady’s just a crackhead” but that’s somebodys mother. That’s the only beef I’ve got. As far as industry rap beef? I don’t even entertain that because if I thought you was a problem I’d be at your show and you wouldn’t leave there.
WorldWideConnected.com: Hehe ok. Do you regret the things that you did before…
Yeah I regret the things I did. I regret a lot of it. I regret more of it than I don’t. I had no sense of direction when I was a kid and I was following the wrong people. The people that I was influenced by was people that was fucking……. Not the best people. They did things and I got caught up in it.
WorldWideConnected.com: Ok. What’s your advice to up and coming rappers that wants to make it in the rapgame?
My advice is don’t wait on no record labels, man. Record labels do not see the vision of black music. They’ll try to hire somebody, some negro, and put him as head of black music. They don’t really care. All they care about is numbers. White kids are the ones that make these people successful. 50 Cent is selling millions of records to Eminem fans. Not to my kids. 50’s not selling all those records because people love him in the hood. People in the hood think that you’re a fuckin’ clown! You’re bragging about being shot? You’re a victim, homie! You’re not a thug because you got shot. These dudes forget the millions of dollars that went into marketing and promotion them. The millions of dollars that got into making you to who you are. It’s not your talent, homie. It’s the fact that you’re looking a certain way… You wear makeup in them videos and all that shit…
WorldWideConnected.com: Yeah we interviewed Bang’Em Smurf a while back and he was talking about that makeup stuff too… he had a lot to say about 50 Cent actually.
Bang’Em is a real dude, homie. Bang’Em is the one in the streets really Banging Em.
WorldWideConnected.com: Ok. How do you feel about the internet?
I think that the internet is good and bad. I think it’s good because it’s a good form of promotion for artists like me who doesn’t have record deals and don’t have that million dollar. You get your music all over the world. People can type in my name and get a bunch of music. It’s good promotion but at the same time it’s bad because it hurts the artist as far as downloading and everything like that… If you put hard work into your music… It won’t hurt a big artist but it’ll hurt the underground artists who’s doing everything at home and getting downloaded hurts them. It doesn’t really hurt the big artists tho. An artist like me who’s trying to come up… it helps and it hurts at the same time. I’m all for it, tho. If mothafuckas be downloading my shit that means they like it so it’s all good. If they like it enough they’ll go out and support you.
WorldWideConnected.com: Do you have a date for it? I guess you can’t have a date for it yet but an approximation…
Nah I don’t have a date for it but I know it’s gonna come out on top of next year.
WorldWideConnected.com: You’ve been on a lot of mixtapes and compilations too. Is there anything like that coming out in a near future?
Yeah I’ve got a mixtape… It’s like an album but it’s really my mixtape classics. It’s like a “Best of” of my mixtape songs. It’s coming out on Sure Shot records on June 1st. I’ve got a lot of my best mixtape songs on it. 18 joints. A lot of people on there too. Get that June 1st. It’s a very very dope project.
WorldWideConnected.com: Ok cool. What about guest appearances on other peoples albums?
Ali Vegas and my lil’ homegirl Mecka Mill. She’s a new artist that I’m working with. Young little girl. She’s very dope. She’s about to shut the female game down.
WorldWideConnected.com: What do you feel about the rap game right now?
I think it’s very sour right now. The rap game sucks right now. It’s like money see money do. It went from the gangsta shit to now the pimp shit. Everybody’s a pimp. If you know what a rela pimp is… A real pimp is a homo. Most pimps are homosexuals. That’s why pimps like to ger perms, they like to get their nails done, they like to get manicures and they like to dress fancy. Like women! They hate women because they wanna be women. That’s why they have women out there selling pussy because they don’t have no pussy. They’re mad at em. That’s where the pimp culture come from. Only a homo would beat up a woman, man.
Yeah.
Only a fucking punk would do that. And this is what these rappers glorify. If you look at it… You have Jay-Z “Big Pimpin’”. 50 Cent “P.I.M.P”, you’ve got Nelly “Pimp Juice”, David Banner “Like a Pimp”. You’ve got mothafuckin’ everybody doing something with a pimp- Everybody’s a pimp. Where are all the stand up guys? Where are all the motherfuckin’ leaders? Where are the Malcolm X’s and the Martin Luther Kings at, man? They don’t exist no more? They pimps too?
WorldWideConnected.com: Yeah it seems like most political rap disappeared from the mainstream when 2pac and Biggie died.
Yeah, exactly. You know why? Because these record labels are scared of it. It’s not that it doesn’t sell. Public Enemy sold 2 million records in 91. It’s all about making good music. At the end of the day, your music still has to be dope. Most people don’t listen to words anyway, they listen to the hook and the beat. They don’t care about the quality of the music anymore. They just care about the marketing and promotion and how the person looks and all that other shit that’s not really not important.
WorldWideConnected.com: So is there anyone you’re feeling right now? Like if you play music in your car, what are you listening to?
I’m listening to oldschool RnB right now. I can’t fuck with this new shit because… the downsouth rap and the Midwest rap doesn’t really do it for me. I’m not going to shake my ass… I went and did a show down south and even the dudes down there went booty-poppin and all that shit. Shakin’ they ass! Men doing that shit?! Get real, man! Is this what ya’ll call crunk? A grown man shakin’ his ass in a club? I don’t want nothin’ to do with that, B! So I listen to some old school RnB and some oldschool hiphop. I can’t fuck with this new shit. New York has nothing to offer. I’m waiting for that Rakim album to see how that sounds and he’s like a 50 year old man.
WorldWideConnected.com: Yeah it’s a shame he didn’t get an album out on Aftermath.
Yeah because Dre don’t want that. Dre want the white boy that’s going to kill his mother and 50 Cent who wants to shoot up the whole world.
WorldWideConnected.com: What do you think about that racist tape? The Eminem racist tape.
I think that that was some real shit that more people should address. It’s showing the state of the people tho because if that’d been Jay-Z saying fuck all the white people in the world, fuck the crackers, fuck the honkies, it’d been a big issue. If that was Puffy or one of the big black premiere artists. When Lauren said that shit they pretty much shut that down. We haven’t heard from her since! But Eminem do it and they sweep it under the rug. Where’s Deloris Tucker and all these muthafuckas? Where are they at now? They want to attack Tupac and Snoop for saying bitch and hoe and this is something that you learn as a little kid in the ghetto but they don’t have anything to say about Eminem. Russel Simmons was the first to come to his defence. He was like “Hey he wana little kid. Everybody said something wrong. He just said “n*gger” and all black women ain’t shit”. He’s talking about you too, homie. He’s talking about your mother and your sister.
WorldWideConnected.com: Yeah. There were rumours about a beef between you and 50 Cent before. Was there any truth in that?
Nah it wasn’t beef. I wouldn’t call it beef. We had differences as far as opinions and music but it wasn’t beef to where… I see 50 right now and it’s like “What’s up my n*gga”. There wasn’t no beef like that, we just had different opinions on how music should be.
WorldWideConnected.com: Do you have any beefs with anyone right now?
I’ve got beef in the streets. I’ve got beefs with n*ggaz I shot before, man. I’ve got beef with n*ggaz whom I shot their mothers and stuff like that. I’ve got beef where if they see me they may try to kill me type shit. These beefs that I have came from when I was a kid. The first things you do stick with you forever. Mistakes that I made… when I see these them today they don’t wanna get at me. I was thinking “This lady’s just a crackhead” but that’s somebodys mother. That’s the only beef I’ve got. As far as industry rap beef? I don’t even entertain that because if I thought you was a problem I’d be at your show and you wouldn’t leave there.
WorldWideConnected.com: Hehe ok. Do you regret the things that you did before…
Yeah I regret the things I did. I regret a lot of it. I regret more of it than I don’t. I had no sense of direction when I was a kid and I was following the wrong people. The people that I was influenced by was people that was fucking……. Not the best people. They did things and I got caught up in it.
WorldWideConnected.com: Ok. What’s your advice to up and coming rappers that wants to make it in the rapgame?
My advice is don’t wait on no record labels, man. Record labels do not see the vision of black music. They’ll try to hire somebody, some negro, and put him as head of black music. They don’t really care. All they care about is numbers. White kids are the ones that make these people successful. 50 Cent is selling millions of records to Eminem fans. Not to my kids. 50’s not selling all those records because people love him in the hood. People in the hood think that you’re a fuckin’ clown! You’re bragging about being shot? You’re a victim, homie! You’re not a thug because you got shot. These dudes forget the millions of dollars that went into marketing and promotion them. The millions of dollars that got into making you to who you are. It’s not your talent, homie. It’s the fact that you’re looking a certain way… You wear makeup in them videos and all that shit…
WorldWideConnected.com: Yeah we interviewed Bang’Em Smurf a while back and he was talking about that makeup stuff too… he had a lot to say about 50 Cent actually.
Bang’Em is a real dude, homie. Bang’Em is the one in the streets really Banging Em.
WorldWideConnected.com: Ok. How do you feel about the internet?
I think that the internet is good and bad. I think it’s good because it’s a good form of promotion for artists like me who doesn’t have record deals and don’t have that million dollar. You get your music all over the world. People can type in my name and get a bunch of music. It’s good promotion but at the same time it’s bad because it hurts the artist as far as downloading and everything like that… If you put hard work into your music… It won’t hurt a big artist but it’ll hurt the underground artists who’s doing everything at home and getting downloaded hurts them. It doesn’t really hurt the big artists tho. An artist like me who’s trying to come up… it helps and it hurts at the same time. I’m all for it, tho. If mothafuckas be downloading my shit that means they like it so it’s all good. If they like it enough they’ll go out and support you.
last part
WorldWideConnected.com: Yeah I was just gonna say that. If they download an album and like it they should support the artist…
Exactly!
WorldWideConnected.com: WORD ASSOCIATION:
Cormega
Smart thug. Smart gangsta.
Kurupt
Overrated.
Cam’ron
Dillusional.
Bad Boy Records
Over
Haha ok. Roc-A-Fella
I love Jay-Z and I can’t stand Dame.
Why?
I don’t like his attitude, man. House n*gger.
E-40
Genius. Entrepreneur.
Afroman
Lunatic.
Benzino
Cool but no real sense of direction. He need a sense of direction…. But he’s a cool cool cat.
XXL
I think they’re good. Great. Good magazine.
Jadakiss
Good rapper, fake gangster.
Nate Dogg
My homie, my man.
WorldWideConnected.com: What was it like working with him?
It was great, man. He was the most humble… He taught me that no matter how long you’ve been on you have to stay humble.
WorldWideConnected.com: So maybe we can expect you two to work together in the future?
Yeah on my album.
WorldWideConnected.com: Last word is yourself, Saigon.
The next Malcolm X
WorldWideConnected.com: Cool. Is there anything else you’d like to say before we wrap it up?
I’d just like to say: Let’s be more responsible as artists, man. Let’s let the children know that it’s not all about money. If we don’t teach the babies now we’re into some deep shit because the people that raised us thought we lived in a fucked up generation. If we don’t make it better it’s just going to be worse. It’s our responsibility to lead them into the right direction. Music is a weapon so let’s start being more responsible with what you say because what you say will come back to you calmer than a mothafucka.
WorldWideConnected.com: Yeah I was just gonna say that. If they download an album and like it they should support the artist…
Exactly!
WorldWideConnected.com: WORD ASSOCIATION:
Cormega
Smart thug. Smart gangsta.
Kurupt
Overrated.
Cam’ron
Dillusional.
Bad Boy Records
Over
Haha ok. Roc-A-Fella
I love Jay-Z and I can’t stand Dame.
Why?
I don’t like his attitude, man. House n*gger.
E-40
Genius. Entrepreneur.
Afroman
Lunatic.
Benzino
Cool but no real sense of direction. He need a sense of direction…. But he’s a cool cool cat.
XXL
I think they’re good. Great. Good magazine.
Jadakiss
Good rapper, fake gangster.
Nate Dogg
My homie, my man.
WorldWideConnected.com: What was it like working with him?
It was great, man. He was the most humble… He taught me that no matter how long you’ve been on you have to stay humble.
WorldWideConnected.com: So maybe we can expect you two to work together in the future?
Yeah on my album.
WorldWideConnected.com: Last word is yourself, Saigon.
The next Malcolm X
WorldWideConnected.com: Cool. Is there anything else you’d like to say before we wrap it up?
I’d just like to say: Let’s be more responsible as artists, man. Let’s let the children know that it’s not all about money. If we don’t teach the babies now we’re into some deep shit because the people that raised us thought we lived in a fucked up generation. If we don’t make it better it’s just going to be worse. It’s our responsibility to lead them into the right direction. Music is a weapon so let’s start being more responsible with what you say because what you say will come back to you calmer than a mothafucka.
Saigon is one of my favorite up and coming artist. I think he has the chance to be up there with the big names (I am talking lyrics and skills wise, not I sell alot of albums to teeny boppers) but he has not released enough material or even a offical album yet so I really can't say. But damn him with JB on the beats is going to be fire I already know.
@ Jae Reeky. It seems from reading your posts and talking with you a little on here that we have a similar taste in music (well atleast rap/hip hop). I suggest you swoop up "Warning Shots" by Saigon. Like someone said it is just freestyles and underground tracks but it is a great cd. Oh yeah and any luck finding those Jacka and Cormega cds yet? If so what do you think of them?
Oh yeah and props to Cartoon for the interview from Saigon it was a good read. Any luck on those two cds also? LOL
Nuttkace
@ Jae Reeky. It seems from reading your posts and talking with you a little on here that we have a similar taste in music (well atleast rap/hip hop). I suggest you swoop up "Warning Shots" by Saigon. Like someone said it is just freestyles and underground tracks but it is a great cd. Oh yeah and any luck finding those Jacka and Cormega cds yet? If so what do you think of them?
Oh yeah and props to Cartoon for the interview from Saigon it was a good read. Any luck on those two cds also? LOL
Nuttkace
. SilverPlatter is by far my favorite CD store. Both CDs are bangin. The Cormega is better though in my opinion. Thanks for the advice on havin them order it.