Saigon

Much like the mixtape powerhouses 50 Cent and Papoose, Saigon climbed into hip-hop’s upper echelon—especially within New York—through a string of unofficial singles and mixtapes. The politically aware, streetwise MC gained serious traction once Roc-A-Fella’s sought-after producer Just Blaze took him under his wing, drawn by their shared reverence for early-’90s rap.

Although born in Brooklyn, Saigon—real name Brian Carenard—grew up in Rockland County, New York. He sharpened his lyrical precision during a seven-year prison term that earned him the nickname “The Yardfather.” While still a teenager behind bars, he immersed himself in politics and Black history, studying the Vietnam War and Toussaint L’Ouverture yet finding his strongest personal connection in the life of Malcolm X. Upon his release in 2000 he launched Abandoned Nation, a venture that combined a nonprofit arm supporting children of incarcerated parents with a platform to advance his own and affiliated artists’ musical careers. His earliest key connection came through DJ and producer Mark Ronson, who supplied studio access and further industry links; Saigon eventually parted ways with Ronson’s operation on amicable terms in pursuit of stronger opportunities.

He began issuing mixtapes in 2002. The unpolished lyricist quickly built a substantial following with tracks such as the politically charged “Shok TV,” the street-gang narrative “The Color Purple,” and the alliterative showcase “The Letter P,” one of his initial collaborations with Just Blaze. Blaze, seeking an unconventional rapper to anchor his new Fort Knocks imprint, signed Saigon almost on the spot after hearing his material. The buzz exceeded mere promise: Saigon appeared on numerous “Artists to Watch” lists, including Time magazine’s, and fronted multiple hip-hop magazines throughout the early and mid-2000s. His songs circulated on mixtapes by respected DJs such as DJ Kay Slay, DJ Whookid, and DJ Drama, while his own releases—the Yardfather series and Warning Shots (2004)—moved briskly. In 2005 he joined Blaze’s imprint through Atlantic Records and secured a recurring part on the HBO series Entourage, yet repeated postponements of his official Atlantic debut gradually dulled industry momentum even as anticipation lingered.

Only months after the Atlantic signing, Saigon sought a release from the label over creative differences and even declared his retirement in 2007; the contract finally ended in 2008. With scant official output limited to occasional singles, he maintained a steady flow of mixtapes and unofficial projects, among them two additional volumes in the Warning Shots series that had begun in 2004. At last, in 2011, he delivered his debut official album, The Greatest Story Never Told, via Suburban Noize Records and Just Blaze’s Fort Knocks. Crafted largely by Just Blaze, the project received favorable critical notices.