[July 2005]

HIP-HOP PHENOMENON SAIGON TO APPEAR ON HBO'S ENTOURAGE

Saigon, one of hip-hop’s most talked about new artists, adds another notch on his list of notable accomplishments with an appearance on HBO’s uber popular new series Entourage.  The show which is said to be a hit along the lines of other popular HBO series like The Sopranos and Sex In The City, depicts the life of “Vince,” the newest “it” actor in Hollywood and his 3 friends from back home in Queens who are along for the ride.

In addition to being featured in three episodes, 5 of the incredible new MC turned actor’s songs were used in making the show as well, including the certified street-banger "Come Again," a "Letter P" remix by Just Blaze and even his remix to Nas' “War” which he will perform on season finale on September 4.

Saigon, poised to be hip-hop’s next icon, is no stranger to the TV as the artist who’s debut album is touted as one of the years most anticipated by XXL magazine was recently featured on MTV’s You Hear It First. Meanwhile, Saigon is hard at work on his soon to be classic debut album, The Greatest Story Never Told, executive-produced by Just Blaze, set for release on Fort Knocks / Atlantic Records. 

[May 2005]

SAIGON JOINS TRU LIFE ON STAGE AT THE FAMOUS APOLLO THEATER WITH SNOOP DOGG

On Monday and Tuesday May 2^nd and 3^rd, 2005 Saigon blessed the stage of Harlem, NY’s Apollo theater. LES representer Tru-Life, who opened up for Snoop Dogg, had the crowd going after two songs, but the fans went into an absolute frenzy when he proceeded to bring out the street’s most anticipated new hip-hop artist, Saigon to join him on stage to perform their new duet, “Yep Yep.”

The whole Apollo Theater sprung to their feet as the two energetic MCs tore up the stage with their thunderous performance. Saigon remained on stage to support his brother Tru as he finished his set debuting his “New New York” anthem. Both fans and celebrities like NY’s own DJ Enuff could be seen in the crowd happily championing a return to the Empire State’s glory days.

Known for unabashed lyrical content Saigon and Tru-Life have collaborated numerous times, most recently The Yard Father and the Chain Collector appeared on Smack DVD volume 7, calling out some of hip hop most popular artists and performing some of their underground hits including Come Again, in which Saigon plans to shoot an official video for later this month.

[December 2004]

SAIGON SIGNS JOINT VENTURE DEAL WITH JUST BLAZE’S FT. KNOCKS ENTERTAINMENT & ATLANTIC RECORDS

The word seems to be spreading across the Hip-Hop world pretty quickly that underground phenom and mixtape king, Saigon a.k.a. Tha Yardfather, has just inked a very uniquely structured joint venture deal with Just Blaze’s FT. Knocks Entertainment and The Atlantic Recording Corp. Under this deal Saigon will be working closely with the super producer who will be handling the majority of the production on all of the albums that will be released under this deal. This means problems for a lot of your favorite MCs.

Saigon also has the luxury of working beside two of the Hip-Hop world’s more respected executives, Kyambo “Hip Hop” Joshua and Gee Roberson, founders of Hip-Hop Since 1978, the company that has helped launch the careers of Kanye West and many other superstars. Hip Hop was also A&R on just about all of the Jay-Z albums released on Rocafella/ Def Jam Records.

“I been in the cut putting my dream team together,” says Saigon via telephone. “I haven’t been on the mixtape scene too much lately. But now that the business side of my situation is straight, I’m shutting that shit down again. I hope all of these new cats used my absence as an opportunity to come up, ‘cause its gonna be real hard now. With Just Blaze doin’ my beats, I’m unstoppable. Just Blaze is our Dr. Dre out here on the East Coast, has been for the past five or six years.” Saigon also revealed that Scram Jones, Alchemist, Buckwild and Digga are some of the other producers he’s working with. “I positioned myself to win,” he says very confidently.

In addition to the music side of his “dream team” being very strong, Saigon has also retained the legal services of Theo Sedlmayr, high-powered attorney for super heavyweight champions Eminem and 50 Cent. I guess this puts an end to the rumored beef between him and 50. “I don’t have beef with 50 Cent,” Saigon clearly states. “If it weren’t for 50 Cent I probably wouldn’t be here. A lot of these mixtape niggas wouldn’t. I learned a lot from 50, from watching him and from speaking with him.” He then states, “I guess being that he’s on top and I’m on my way to the top, we’re just supposed to clash, huh?”

Saigon then goes on to brag about his debut album, The Greatest Story Never Told, due out in ‘05. “My shit is only half way done and it’s already a classic. That’s scary to me. Make sure you look out for that. Oh yeah, big shout out to m-1 from dead prez who brought me to dream hampton, who brought me to Jay-Z, who brought me to the starting line of a race I am bound to win. I don’t claim no hood, but another shout out to Brooklyn and to Mooseknuckle for raising a warrior. One.”

I think now it's officially safe to say that Saigon is the future.

[June 21, 2004]

Up-n-coming rapper SAIGON aka Da Yardfather doesn’t just talk about it. He is about it, having already earned a rep in the rap world for actively setting progressive new trends. In high anticipation of his debut album, Dear Black America, the soon to be hip-hop icon recently released his groundbreaking 1st single, “The Color Purple.” In the spirit of classic records like “Self Destruction” and “We All in the Same Gang,” the new song advocates peace between Bloods, Crips and other gang members, urging them to put down their flags, stop killing one another and unite.

“If you a true to life thug

Sweep that shit under the rug

And give each other a hug

Red and blue make purple

The color of love…”

In between the powerful message of the hook, SAIGON delivers three verses of pure fire, featuring candid and insightful lines like:

“The real gangs is the government

The Democrats are the Crips

And the ni**as that Blooded in

Is the Republicans…”

SAIGON’s words ring with the painful truth. The trail-blazing track also speaks out on rappers who use gang culture to irresponsibly spread negative images to the youth through the media. “There are a lot of rappers now who promote gang activity,” he explains.  “I don’t understand how they can do that when some of the OG’s and founders of the gangs like Tookie Williams, Mike Conception and Sanyika Shakur aka Monster Cody tell us that gang bangin' is wrong, that it's tearing down our community. And young rap punks—who never really put in any work in the street—come in the game and promote it. Then these little kids who don't have nothing and really look up to these motherf**kers take it and run with it.”

SAIGON goes on to say, “Be responsible for your people. There's gonna be a time when people are looking back in retrospect at the reason why we're in these fucked up conditions. Who's a part of the problem, and who's a part of the solution? These rappers are gonna look the same way we looked in 1929 when we see the black 'jiggaboos' tap-dancing for the crackers. They don't see it right now. Just the way [people] in blackface didn't think at the time that they were being clowned. Think about it. There's no right way to do something wrong."

Tastemakers with their ear to the streets know this isn’t the first time SAIGON has stirred things up.  The talented new artist has made a major name for himself since coming home from prison in 1999.  He’s laced fans with street classics like his “Yardfather” mixtapes (Hosted by DJ Kayslay & DJ Whoo Kid), the “Saigon vs. 50 Cent” mixtape and the recently released “Warning Shots” mixtape.  As a result he has recently graced the cover of Elemental and Murder Dog magazines. He’s also been featured numerous times in The Source, XXL, One World and Don Diva. Not to mention Rolling Stone just named him one of the “Top Artists To Watch in 2004.”  But what really separates SAIGON from the pack is the fact that he’s made all of this noise without the help of a record label.  

Currently putting the finishing touches on his debut album (which includes production from Roc-A-Fella’s top beatsmith Just Blaze, as well as tracks from Alchemist, Scram Jones, etc.) SAIGON plans to hit the streets of New York, LA, Chicago, etc to talk to the kids in the hood in an attempt to bring about real change. At this rate, it’s only a matter of time before this incredible talent excels past the ranks of fellow hip-hop powerhouses like 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Nas, etc.