Saigon

  • Brooklyn, NY
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  • Hip-Hop/Rap
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  • 2000
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About Saigon

Let veteran MC Saigon tell it and Hip-Hop was never intended to be politically correct. A statement backed by history: Hip-Hop was born from struggle and oppression. Its music’s purpose: rebellion; be oratory opposition to the conditions that oppress African-Americans and Latinos. Saigon feels that the Bronx-born culture, now in its mid-thirties, has strayed from its essence, so offers a realignment of priorities with his latest album The Greatest Story Never Told 2: Bread and Circuses.

The album title’s extension borrows from the Latin-rooted phrase panem et circenses, which notes the attainment of public approval and popularity by way of superficial distraction. The Brooklyn-born, Spring Valley, New York raised rapper feels these diversions pose an even greater threat to rap listeners because in an American economy that has even less to give to its disenfranchised, the poor literally can’t afford to be deaf, dumb and blind anymore. With his sophomore effort, Saigon puts the responsibility of refocusing Hip-Hop on he and his colleagues. Problem is he sees today’s rapper as more ringmaster than master of ceremony. Bread and Circuses aims to expose MCs ignoring their civic duty. “There are wars that are about to go down that the public doesn’t even know about because we’re so entertained by sports and the Grammys and the VMA’s being year-round,” says the artist born Brian Daniel Carenard. “But what are we music artists doing with our voice for the Black community? It’s like the popular rapper is just adding fuel to our fucked up fire.”

In the spirit of rap revolutionaries like Chuck D and Gill Scott Heron, TGSNT 2: B&C (co-executive produced by Hip-Hop producer extraordinaire Just Blaze and MTV and Sirius radio host Sway Calloway) aims to enrich the non-rich with jewels on issues that have plighted brown America for centuries. Black-on-Black genocide is addressed over sinister keys on “Ghetto,” clarity is given to the difference between reality and entertainment imagery on the Just Blaze produced “Rap vs Real” and “Blown Away,” is as courageous as it is strong with its message of what it means to be a true rebel. “I think we don’t have any real strong leadership today because history shows us that if someone makes too much noise and goes against the establishment, something always happens to them like assassination or untimely death,” says Saigon, alluding to fallen generals such as Malcolm X, Bob Marley and Tupac. “I feel we’re in an era where courageous men aren’t bred anymore. But we still need manly men. Who’s gonna protect the women?”

The guest list on TGSNT2 is short in quantity but tall in quality. The Jay-Z of Christian rap LeCrae visits “Best That I Found”; Marsha Ambrosius soars throughout the “Game Changer” and fellow upstate NY native Styles P teams up with Sai over infectious gospel keys and menacing drums to separate rap’s tried and true from the rest on “Not Like Them.”

Saigon hasn’t been this artistically free since being released from prison in 2000––on an assault with a deadly weapon charge. It was Napanoch’s Eastern Correctional Facility where the son of black and Haitian parents found his passion for penning rhymes and author Wallace Terry’s book Bloods: An Oral History of the Vietnam War by Black Veterans (hence his professional moniker). Upon his release, his devotion to becoming a force in the rap game would lead to The Source magazine joining him with greats like Eminem, The Notorious B.I.G. and Common as a subject of the publication’s coveted “Unsigned Hype” section. A few more years of mixtape grinding would earn the attention of the aforementioned Just Blaze, who while at the height of his Jay-Z fame signed the self-proclaimed “Yardfather” to his Fort Knox imprint and eventually to Atlantic records. Subsequently, the ex-con with the penchant for potent poetry would see his profile grow exponentially with the catalyst being his reoccurring role in season 2 of the HBO hit “Entourage.”

Unfortunately while the world anxiously awaited Saigon’s debut The Greatest Story Never Told, Atlantic records wasn’t ready to deliver. They demanded a few “radio singles” be added to Sai’s debut. A creative tug-of-war ensued between label and rookie––despite the release of a compromised single “Pain In My Life” featuring a little known Trey Songz––ultimately shelving the album for years. Once TGSNT finally saw the light of day, it was 2011 and an independent release courtesy of Saigon’s new recording home Suburban Noize Records. As a non-major, the album moved an impressive number of units, fueling its author to pour more blood, sweat and tears into its sequel. “Atlantic didn’t believe in it, but a lot people supported.”

Now with “Sai-giddy” in complete control of his music, he’s able to birth potential hit records organically. Prime example: “RelaFriendship,” a tune about the invisible line between best friend and girlfriend that’s as smart as it is catchy. The difference between Saigon’s music and that of many of his peers is that when the masses fall under the spell of his music, it’s not a distraction, instead a refocus and clearing of optics and ears to receive what Hip-Hop USA has been deprived of far too long: the truth.
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Music

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  • Relafriendship
    saigon
    Video
    Relafriendship
  • Clap
    saigon
    Video
    Clap
  • Bring Me Down
    saigon
    Video
    Bring Me Down
  • Greatest Story Never Told
    saigon
    Video
    Greatest Story Never Told
  • Gotta Believe It
    saigon
    Video
    Gotta Believe It
  • Pain In My Life
    saigon
    Video
    Pain In My Life
  • 45922128
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    • Dusk 2 Dawn-outro
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/0/3/9/3/8/112483930.mp3
    • Poster Chics
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/3/5/3/5/5/113055353.mp3
    • In Motion
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/8/1/4/5/5/113055418.mp3
    • Club Hoppin
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/9/9/9/7/0/113207999.mp3
    • Left Coast Heat
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/2/2/8/4/5/113054822.mp3
    • Major Pain
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/5/2/0/5/5/113055025.mp3

Interviews & Exclusives

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  • You Hear It First: Saigon
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    You Hear It First: Saigon
  • Black History Month 'Legacy': Saigon
    saigon
    video
    Black History Month 'Legacy': Saigon
  • Saigon On Where He's Been And His New Album
    saigon
    video
    Saigon On Where He's Been And His New Album
  • 'Can't Fight The Rumors'
    saigon
    video
    'Can't Fight The Rumors'
  • The 411 On Saigon's 'Moral Of The Story'
    saigon
    video
    The 411 On Saigon's 'Moral Of The Story'
  • 'Don't Need No Hook For This Ish'
    saigon
    video
    'Don't Need No Hook For This Ish'
  • Saigon Says Jay-Z Is Still The King
    saigon
    video
    Saigon Says Jay-Z Is Still The King

Photos

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  • Saigon smiles his way into the Warner Bros./ Atlantic Records VMA afterparty
    Saigon
    Saigon smiles his way into the Warner Bros./ Atlantic Records VMA afterparty
    Brad Barket/ Getty Images
  • Saigon at the Amp'd Mobile/"Stuff" magazine pre-VMA bash on Wednesday
    Saigon
    Saigon at the Amp'd Mobile/"Stuff" magazine pre-VMA bash on Wednesday
    Peter Kramer/Getty Images
  • Saigon
    Saigon
    Saigon
    Amy Sussman/ Getty Images

News

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  • Saigon
    Track Review: Saigon [feat. Game and B.G.] - "Pain In My Life (Remix)"
    prefixmag.com
    knows/cares that Kool G Rap dropped that line about lifting guns vs. weights about a decade ago.) B.G.'s drawl sounds out of place next to the other t...
    Read More
  • Saigon
    Saigon Announces Tour Dates
    prefixmag.com
    Earlier this week, part of hell froze over asSaigonfinally released his long-awaited, oft-delayedThe Greatest Story Never Toldon Tuesday. We subsequen...
    Read More
  • Saigon
    Stream: Saigon's 'The Greatest Story Never Told'
    prefixmag.com
    West, Scram Jones, DJ Corbett, and a few others. It also contains some big guest features from the likes of Black Thought, Bun B, Jay-Z, and Q-Tip. Wh...
    Read More
  • Saigon
    Saigon Finally Tells The Greatest Story Never Told
    MTV News
    Mixtape Daily Main Pick Street King: Saigon Holding It Down For: Mooseknuckle to Brownsville Independent LP: The Greatest Story Never Told Real Spit: ...
    Read More
  • Saigon
    Saigon To Give 'RapFix Live' Interview
    MTV News
    , and in February he finally put out The Greatest Story Never Told independently on Suburban Noize. According to Saigon, the album remained pretty muc...
    Read More
  • Saigon
    Just Blaze, Saigon To Give 'RapFix Live' Interview
    MTV News
    would march on, and in February he finally put out The Greatest Story Never Told independently on Suburban Noize. According to Saigon, the album remai...
    Read More
  • Saigon
    Yo Gotti And Saigon To Thug It Out On 'RapFix Live'
    MTV News
    peak at #11 on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart. Even though label drama led to album delay, Gotti continued to make hits. Next up was "Woman Lie, Me...
    Read More
  • Saigon
    Saigon: 'Warning Shots 3: One Foot In The Grave' (Mixtape) | Prefix
    www.prefixmag.com
    Tweet Saigon had one of the biggest years of his career in 2011. He finally released his delayed-to-the-point-of-absurdity full-length debut, The Grea...
    Read More
  • Saigon
    New Mixtapes: Saigon, Masspike Miles, Soulja Boy and Young L, Gilbere Forte
    www.vibe.com
    Datpiff.com brings you new mixtape releases from various artists. This time around Saigon, Masspike Miles, Soulja Boy and Young L, and Gilbere Forte a...
    Read More
  • Saigon
    Saigon Fires Multiple Shots On Latest Mixtape
    MTV News
    Don't Sleep: Necessary Notables Mixtape: Warning Shots 3: One Foot in the Grave Headliner: Saigon Real Spit: Now that Saigon has finally told his grea...
    Read More

Discography

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  • The Greatest Story Never Told, Chapter 2: Bread and Circuses (2012)
    Saigon
    The Greatest Story Never Told, Chapter 2: Bread and Circuses (2012)
    Suburban Noize
  • The Greatest Story Never Told (2011)
    Saigon
    The Greatest Story Never Told (2011)
    Suburban Noize
  • Warning Shots: Street Classics & Freestyles (2009)
    Saigon
    Warning Shots: Street Classics & Freestyles (2009)
    Sure Shot Recordings
  • Warning Shots: Street Classics & Freestyles (2009)
    Saigon
    Warning Shots: Street Classics & Freestyles (2009)
    Koch
  • Welcome to Saigon (2008)
    Saigon
    Welcome to Saigon (2008)
    BCD
  • The Moral of the Story (2007)
    Saigon
    The Moral of the Story (2007)
    Abandoned Nation
  • Belly of the Beast (2007)
    Saigon
    Belly of the Beast (2007)
    Jazzy Fresh
  • Come on Baby (2007)
    Saigon
    Come on Baby (2007)
    Atlantic
  • Undisputed (2004)
    Saigon
    Undisputed (2004)
    Knockout Entertainment
  • One Must Die (1985)
    Saigon
    One Must Die (1985)
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