Saigon Finally Tells The Greatest Story Never Told

'This album is my offering to hip-hop,' he tells Mixtape Daily of long-awaited debut.
By Jayson Rodriguez, with reporting by Rahman Dukes

Saigon
Photo: 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: "This ain't about a mixtape, this is about my story," Saigon, a Mixtape Daily favorite, told us when we asked him about his upcoming project. "I know you know me from the mixtapes, but this is the album, the debut."

Pardon the intensity, but our Brooklyn brother has been hard at work on this project for more than a few years, and his labor of love is just weeks away from finally seeing the light of day.

"This album is my offering to hip-hop," Sai said. "There's no jumping from story to story. It's put together like a story, from start to beginning. And I think it's a great piece of work that people are gonna appreciate."

The New York rhyme spitter has a tale that's as in-depth as his poetics on wax. He was one of the Big Apple's finest upstarts in years and inked a deal with Atlantic Records. He later raged against the machine, however, with his blistering "Trans-Atlantic Slave Deal" when he felt he was being pushed to deliver pop hits and later parted ways with the label. On February 15, the rapper will finally release a collective of material that showcases his full range of skills, from his booming voice, passionate delivery and lively topical offerings.

After delivering a couple of warning shots, Saigon is in storytelling mode now.

Joints to Check For

» "The Greatest Story Never Told." "That actually breaks down the album," Sai explained of the Just-Blaze-produced number. "That's why I thought it should be first. But master Just Blaze decided it shouldn't. You know when you read the book and you have the table of contents? That song is the table of contents of my album."

"I was waiting, just took a minute to breathe," Sai spits. "Even squeezed off a Warning Shot/ Mooseknuckle to Brownsville, they impatiently waiting for your boy to drop/ Lo and behold, The Greatest Story Never Told, chapter one, verse one, the genesis of my scroll."

» "It's Cold." "This might be the coldest winter in New York I ever seen. That song is a metaphor. I didn't realize it would be this cold when I wrote the song. I had no clue it would snow every day. But the song is a metaphor saying: 'We live in a cold world.' "

"My mama with my grandmother now, I wonder what they saying when they looking down," he raps. "Wonder if I made them proud?/ I made it this far, I wonder if that made them smile."

For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.

Related Artists

• Saigon

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1656981/saigon-finally-tells-greatest-story-never-told.jhtml

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