Posted on 04/02/2009
Rapper Saigon has had his fair share of hardships. From a prison stint to his electronic lament of the rap game, Saigon is a great example of perseverance; shady record execs and no backing from his label can put a damper on any rapper’s day. While he still hasn’t made his major label debut, All In A Day’s Work arrives just in time to keep listeners intrigued about the inner details of Saigon’s thought process. The Brooklyn native took some time out of his busy schedule to sit down and chop it up with OKP.


OKP: I heard you on Sirius the other night saying that this was going to be an internet only album: why did you decide to go that route?

Saigon: Because I wanted to go digital and be uniquely structured. That’s where music is going; CDs are a wrap. I’m ahead of the curb with this shit. I want to get people accustomed to getting my album from iTunes and other online sources. I want a head start on that. That African you used to see selling mixtapes on the corner is gone! [laughs] It’s the wave of the future. Everyone is going digital soon. CD sales are declining every year.

OKP: How does All In a Day’s Work differentiate itself from your other works?

Saigon: It was done in one day all by one producer. It’s not my debut album, but it’s something that was uniquely done. Everything else was a lot of freestyles and different producers. No features, just me and the DJ in a grimy studio in Brooklyn.



OKP: Some people say one producer limits the diversity of an album. Was Statik Selektah your best choice? And how did you two hook up?

Saigon: We didn’t plan it. That’s what’s crazy! I only went to Static to do one record for Grand Theft Auto. He said he wanted to play me some beats. He didn’t even have a booth; he did everything from his computer. We just sat at a computer and he was scratching while I was rapping. We just kept going. Once we got done, we had an EP. We just figured we might as well do the whole album. The vibe was good and people were feeling the shit. Fuck it, right?

OKP: I’ve heard of albums being made in two weeks, but 24 hours? Was it 24 hours over an extended period of time, or 24 hours straight?

Saigon: It was one straight day, from Friday to Saturday. We did it all at once. We took cat naps for half hours but kept going. It felt really good to be able to do that. Anyone can do it, but for it to be quality, I feel fortunate it came out like that.

OKP: Who were your biggest influences growing up?

Saigon: Everybody. Run DMC, UTFO, LL Cool J, Onyx, Mobb Deep, Wu-Tang. I’m a student of this Hip-Hop shit. My parents introduced me to in Hip-Hop. I really love this shit. Fuck the money, fuck all this shit. To see kids with baggy pants trying to be Hip-Hop is a beautiful thing. Hip-Hop has changed the world. It defines religion and race. Corporate America is destroying it though. But I love to look at the positive aspects.

OKP: Besides Statik Selektah, who are your favorite producers? Who would you like to work with?

Saigon: My favorite producer is Just Blaze. He’s my favorite of all time. I would love to work with [Dr.] Dre, I think he would mix my vocals crazy. If Dre mixed a Blaze record, that would be it. His work is intricate, but he makes sure you don’t miss one word. Everyone could catch it. That would be the perfect combo. The RZA as well.

OKP: I know the rap game can be stressful; what was your breaking point when you wrote your blog about quitting?

Saigon: An exec told me to do a song with Pretty Ricky, I said “I give up!” That don’t even make sense. When you sign, they make it seem like a pimp and hoe contract. She couldn’t leave if she wanted to - only if he says so. But they come at you like “we love you, it’s a partnership”. They try to shape me to do things I don’t want to.

It was hurting for me to be in a situation I didn’t want to be in. I couldn’t do anything about it. They were gonna put my album out with no promomotion, just straight throw my shit out there. Me and Just [Blaze] worked too hard. We rallied against them. Things are looking up.

The album is exceeding expectations. There’s a big population of people checking for the kid. It was motivational for me. You don’t expect an internet-only album to do as well as this one is.

OKP: I know you touched on it on All In a Day’s Work, but are rappers waging war against bloggers?

Saigon: I been vocal about it. People are just out there to criticize. Bloggers hide behind bullshit names. Be man enough to put your name up there. Don’t go talk shit behind people’s backs. Do ten good things and one bad thing, and they’ll focus on the bad. It’s negative energy. Anybody can be a blogger! Opinions are like assholes. When you have the floor, take it, but be mindful of what you say. It’s getting corny.



OKP: It’s been said the South is killing Hip-Hop; you even said it on one of the new tracks from this album. People have also said New York isn’t doing anything to bring it back. What’s your stance?

Saigon: New York DJs don’t support Hip-Hop because they want to be celebrities. Instead of breaking records, they follow what everyone else is playing. Biting used to be a no-no in Hip-Hop, now everyone is biting! Humpty came out with the nose, then 20 other niggas did. If they can emulate it, they will do it.

Some of the best lyricists are from the South. The South is much more deeply rooted in black culture than up North. I would expect them to be more rooted in being creative. New York is just one city. Our styles come from a lot of different places. It doesn’t surprise me, but NY has just become dick riders. We used to be the fly niggas and yell “yeah I’m from NY” and be proud about it. Now people don’t even want to claim it.

OKP: What’s the deal with Joe Budden? What sparked off the beef?

Saigon: It wasn’t a beef, it was a rap battle. I never looked at it as beef. He used my name in a rap. He said it wasn’t as diss. He went and made a rap record. I told him I was gonna punch him in the face next time I saw him. I thought about it, then I stepped back and did the rap battle. On Angela Yee’s show, he called in and we were real civil about it. We made two records and that’s it. I’m not gonna be the monkey to entertain everyone that wants to see a fight. I’m not looking stupid for anyone. I felt stupid about it at the end of the day though. It’s almost like playing the dozens.

OKP: Rumor has it you might be signing with Roc Nation…

Saigon: We flirted with the idea, but they don’t have a staff. Jay-Z is my boy, but we thought about it. I don’t wanna sit around at a label without putting out music. It was ideal for me because it gave me a lane to put out music at a faster pace once they got on their feet.

OKP: What does the future look like for Saigon within the next 5 years?

Saigon: I want to produce and learn how to put out records. Play keys and everything. I’m a musical person. I don’t want to limit myself. Once you get to a certain age it’s like Hip-Hop is almost for kids right now. That’s how corporate America is making it, especially when 106 and Park is as big as it is. God bless his soul, but it’s like Gerald Levert doing some young shit. It makes no sense. Hip-Hop fans don’t support their artists like other genres so… they just go when the next big thing. When you get old, it’s over.

- M. Antonio Silas


Make sure to download Saigon's All In A Day's Work, available at Amazon and and other online music outlets.