Saigon the Yardfather, as some might remember him, is a rapper from Brooklyn, New York, with ties to Jay-Z, Just Blaze, and Kanye West. He’s one of those artists who should have broken through to the mainstream, but for reasons beyond talent, it never worked out the way it should have. This is despite a respected run of mixtapes with Kay Slay and Whoo Kid, a Jay Z verse on his single “Come On Baby,”, and the release of his debut album The Greatest Story Never Told on Atlantic Records.
For anyone paying attention at the time, Saigon was next up. The streets respected him, the underground backed him, and the industry had positioned him for a real run.
To this day, Saigon still gets regular play in my rotation.
A Road Trip Soundtrack and a Hip Hop History Lesson
Recently, my girl and I were on a road trip back to Indiana, and our usual routine with the radio goes something like this. She finds an audiobook we’re both interested in. Lately, that was Dilla Time: The Life and Afterlife of J Dilla by Dan Charnas.
At first, I was skeptical of a non Detroiter telling J Dilla’s story, but Charnas surprised me with how well researched and thoughtful the portrait was. He even mentioned Detroit rapper Esham as someone who helped lay the foundation for Detroit rap in the late 80s and early 90s. Once I heard that, he had my attention.
The audiobook is long, nearly fifteen hours unabridged, but it’s for the Hip Hop head who leaves no stone unturned.
After about six hours of Dilla, I was ready to tap out. The controls were handed off to me, and I did what I usually do. I went down memory lane with some 2Pac and the Outlawz, dipped into my Detroit playlist, and then took a ride to New York with old Prodigy, Cormega, Natural Elements, and finally Saigon.
Saigon’s Music Still Hits Different
My two favorite Saigon tracks to this day are “Kiss the Babies” and “Yes.”
“Kiss the Babies,” produced by Saigon himself, is built around a political analogy that most are familiar with. Politicians kissing babies for cameras while avoiding real accountability. Saigon flips that image into a critique of hollow gestures and performative concern, pointing out how symbolism often replaces action when power is involved.
Police brutality and prison reflection sit at the core of the song. Drawing from his own prison stint, Saigon questions justice, hypocrisy, and where real violence begins. When he asks if we truly know where the guns and drugs come from, or why their effects only seem to land on certain communities, he’s exposing systems that thrive on selective accountability. The tension sharpens when he contrasts street level violence with state sanctioned violence, asking why personal retaliation is condemned while mass destruction is justified. The record doesn’t preach. It confronts.
“Yes,” produced by The Alchemist, continues that confrontation. The song pushes into questions surrounding 9/11 and the prison industrial complex, and more than twenty years later, those questions remain unanswered. The hook stays with you not because it’s catchy, but because it feels unresolved.
Both records carry vivid, cinematic storytelling. They’re so raw and grounded that you can picture yourself moving through New York streets in a army fatigues, breath cutting through cold air. This is music that hasn’t aged, because the conditions it speaks on haven’t either.
Why Saigon Never Reached the Mainstream
I’ve always wondered why Saigon never blew the way he should have. Intellectually, I knew the answer. Someone like him was never going to be allowed to fully elevate.
Saigon had substance. He had the rare ability to bridge street credibility with political awareness in a way only a few artists ever manage. That kind of balance doesn’t always sit well with gatekeepers who prefer artists to stay in neat, controllable boxes.
Saigon, Ebro, and the Cost of Industry Gatekeeping
On December 15, 2025, Saigon took to Instagram to address Ebro’s firing from Hot 97 and how Ebro’s actions impacted his career. It’s an unfortunate story, especially considering how often we hear whispers about gatekeeping and blackballing in Hip Hop. This time, it wasn’t rumor. It was firsthand.
Below is Saigon’s full Instagram post addressing Ebro and the damage done to his career:
The only reason I AM happy to see Ebro finally OUT of THAT specific position, is because he was DEFINITELY using his personal feelings to hinder MF’s LIVES AND CAREERS.. Anyone who has followed my career knows how this guy single handled DESTROYED what I had worked my whole life for.
Those who DON’T know, Long story short, on this DAY we took this pic in the Hamptons, I played him the verse Jay Z had given me before ANYBODY because I knew he was the program director at Hot 97, and I assumed we were friends.
I told him how @atlanticrecords was a radio driven label and they weren’t gonna put my album until I had what they considered a “Radio Hit” and Jay Z saved the day for me (Thanks Again Hov).. Ebro KNEW how much this record meant to me. Imagine canning Drake verse on “Versace” . Ouch !!
I can remember vividly something on his face told me he wasn’t happy for me. Like I didn’t deserve a Jay Z feature even after years & YEARS of grinding to get my name out there.
To sum it up, a few weeks later I get into a little scuffle with Mobb Deep at SOB’s club, no blood, no cops, no injuries, no cancelations. They still performed after I escaped da ass wh**ping I would’ve gotten had I NOT DEFENDED MYSELF. LOL
NEXT DAY, I get a call from Atlantic Records CEO NOT HAPPY at all; he said Ebro told them I was banned from Hot 97 for an ENTIRE year and NONE of my music could be played. Thats where the relations with Atlantic and I went super bad. They wouldn’t invest another penny in me.. I called and asked Ebro WHY he would do that knowing all I been thru to get to that point and he said, “it’s my policy”.. He said “we banned @50cent when his people shot the Game at the station”..
He said “we banned @therealnoreaga when they had a shootout at the station too.” He was comparing a light scuffle where I was attacked and defending myself with my FIST; to MF having shootouts at the actual radio station. Lol. My heart knew he just didn’t feel I deserved to win…..I was bitter about that shit for like 15 years. My whole LIFE would’ve been different had he not done that.
Anyway, I still don’t wanna see another man down regardless to what he did to me. Stay up @oldmanebro
Saigon’s Legacy in Hip Hop Culture
Saigon’s story isn’t unique, but it’s one of the clearest examples of how power operates behind the scenes in Hip Hop. Talent alone has never been enough. Access, ego, and control have always played a role.
Saigon had the music. What he didn’t have was protection from the people who decide who gets heard.
And sometimes, Gatekeepers make all the difference.
Author
