SAINt JHN

SAINt JHN crafts slow jams defined by lucid lyrics and shadowy sonics. The rapper, singer, songwriter, and producer first gained recognition behind the scenes through contributions to projects by Kiesza and Usher, then stepped forward with his debut full-length Collection One in 2018. His second LP, Ghetto Lenny's Love Songs, arrived in 2019 via HITCO and benefited from the Beyoncé collaboration "Brown Skin Girl," allowing it to reach the Billboard 200's Top 40. A club remix of the earlier track "Roses" soon emerged as a worldwide success and later appeared on the 2020 album While the World Was Burning, which itself entered the Billboard 200's Top 40. Subsequent releases included the SZA-assisted "Just for Me" from the Space Jam: A New Legacy soundtrack and "Stadiums" with London on da Track.

Born in Brooklyn and raised partly in his mother's native Guyana, SAINt JHN began self-releasing music under the name Carlos St. John and co-writing for others, occasionally credited as Carlos Phillips, during the early 2010s. He built momentum through credits on Hoodie Allen's "No Interruption," three songs from Kiesza's Sound of a Woman, Nico & Vinz's "Praying to a God," Gorgon City's "Doubts," and Usher's "Crash" and "Rivals," the last two of which he also co-produced. Industry veteran Zach Katz discovered an early composition SAINt JHN had given to another emerging artist, setting off a chain of further opportunities.

Encouraged by these developments, SAINt JHN resumed issuing solo work in 2016, with "Roses" and "Reflex" gaining particular traction. The 2017 tracks "3 Below" and "Some Nights" followed, the same year he co-wrote Jidenna's "Helicopters/Beware" and dvsn's "Can't Wait." His independent debut album Collection One surfaced in 2018 and peaked at number 95 on the Billboard 200. A series of interim singles and his co-writing of "Brown Skin Girl" for the Beyoncé-produced The Lion King: The Gift soundtrack paved the way for Ghetto Lenny's Love Songs in 2019. Released on L.A. Reid's HITCO imprint, that project included appearances from Meek Mill, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, and Lil Baby while debuting at number 39 on the Billboard 200. Producer Imanbek's 2019 remix of "Roses" converted the original trap-styled ballad into an uptempo club cut featuring pitched-up vocals and topped the charts in both the U.K. and Australia while reaching the Top Ten across multiple additional markets.

Marshmello recruited SAINt JHN along with Giggs and Southside for the 2020 single "Been Thru This Before." SAINt JHN also appeared on the collaborative hit "Tommy Lee" alongside Tyla Yaweh and Post Malone, in addition to releasing the solo track "Gorgeous." His third full-length, While the World Was Burning, closed out the year and entered the U.S. Top 40 with guest spots from Lil Uzi Vert, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, DaBaby, Future, Kanye West, and others. The SZA duet "Just for Me" from the Space Jam: A New Legacy soundtrack followed in 2021, succeeded by further singles such as "The Best Part of Life," "For the Squadron," and the 2022 release "Stadiums" with London on da Track.