Saigon- The Greatest Story Never Told Chapter 2: Bread and Circuses

July 20, 2026

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The Greatest Story Never Told Chapter 2: Bread and Circuses

Saigon

Friday 23rd November, 2012 by juggalotus0069 | 0 Comments

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(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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In the late 1990s, Brian “Saigon” Carenard was sentenced to jail time at Napanoch’s Eastern Correctional Facility, serving a sentence for first-degree assault after shooting at someone in a bar. One day while in the recreation yard, Brian met a fellow inmate named Hakim, who rapped and had a reputation for incorporating positive messages, and heavy use of prestigious vocabulary in his rhymes. Carenard would later state that battle rapping with Hakim would help instigate his personal rehabilitation, as he set a course for redemption through hip hop music. While serving time, Brian named himself “Saigon” after reading Wallace Terry’s book about the Vietnam War. This book helped realign the content and diction in Saigon’s raps, as well as the advice of a prison lifer: “There’s no right way to do wrong.” Saigon was eventually released from prison in 2000, and immediately recorded mix tapes, with the goal of obtaining a record contract as a means to release a debut album, which he wanted to be titled “The Greatest Story Never Told”.

With the help of the underground buzz that he garnered over the years, Saigon signed a record deal with Atlantic Records in 2004. Despite the co-sign from producer Just Blaze and collaborations with several acclaimed rap artists such as Jay-Z, Kanye West and Kool G Rap, Saigon’s record label repeatedly balked at setting a release date for his debut album. Saigon revealed that he realized as early as two months into his deal with Atlantic Records that there were problems. He later recalled how his early excitement at signing to the same label that “had so much history with black music, like Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles” was quickly dampened when they suggested he record a radio-friendly song with the Miami-based R&B quartet, Pretty Ricky. He also recalled a meeting with an Atlantic executive who told him “We need our three singles, and then you can bust your artistic nut on the rest of the album.” Saigon however, wasn’t willing to compromise with this request, and only one year after signing with Atlantic, he hired a lawyer to work out a release from his label. He explained “They signed me knowing the kind of music I was making, but then they try and change the direction”.

This however didn’t prompt a break from his record company, as they offered a few stipends, leading him and his fans to believe they’d still eventually put the record out. Saigon later suspected that Atlantic wanted to make sure he didn’t take the material elsewhere and benefit from the buzz he’d created. While caught in this issue with Atlantic, Saigon continued to perform freestyles on hip hop radio shows, release mix tapes, and also continued to write and record The Greatest Story Never Told. Despite not having an official album out, Saigon gradually became somewhat of a high profile hip hop artist, as he appeared on the covers of several magazines and had a recurring role playing himself on the hit HBO show Entourage. Saigon was also managed by celebrity manager Glenn Toby.

In 2009, Saigon signed with Boston-based new media outfit and independent label Amalgam Digital. Then in 2010, he signed with Subnoize Records.

Track listing

Plant the Seed (What U Paid For)
Rap vs Real
Let me Run Feat Corbett
Not like Them Feat Styles P
Brownsville Girl
Game Changer Feat Marsha Ambrosious
Blown Away
When will U love me Feat Andreena Mill
The Vowel Song Feat Rayne Dior
Best thing that I found Feat Lecrae & Corbett
Relafriendship Feat G Martin
Yeah Yeah
Forever Dreamin Feat Tony Collins
Let it Go (Intervention) Feat G Martin
Our Babies 2 (Crazy World)
Keep Pushing Feat Chamillionaire
Blown Away (Remix) Feat Sticman of Dead Prez
Rap vs Real Homegrown

Track by track review and rating

Plant the Seed (What U Paid For): A complex East Coast beat. The hook is very simple and it does nothing to benefit the track. The verses are well performed and he has good flow. 5/10
Rap vs Real: A very intriguing beat with good synthesis behind it. Presents a great message about rappers needing to keep their career separate from their real life. 7/10
Let me run Feat Corbett: The beat is nice but a little too much happening and it distracts from the verses. His flow once again is on point. The hook is sung by Corbett and works ok in the track. 6/10
Not like them Feat Styles P: The beat is a strange mix of pipe organ and the beat, it is not one of the best beats on the album. The verses don’t really make any statements or stand out. 5/10
Brownsville Girl: A decent beat lends itself to a social conscious track. The hook is ok and has its desired impact. 7/10
Game Changer Feat Marsha Ambrosious: A simple beat with good harmonies. The verses are well performed but lack being memorable. The hook is well done and adds unique flavor to the track. 6/10
Blown Away: This track has a nice beat with good piano backing. The verses themselves are reminiscent of Public Enemy and carry a socially conscious message. The hook is simple but has its desired effect. 6/10
When will you love me Feat Andreena Mill: Good flow over a simple beat. The hook is poorly put together and does little to improve the track. 4/10
The vowel song Feat Rayne Dior: An interlude track with a child singing about vowels. N/A
Best thing I found Feat Lecrae & Corbett: Another simple beat with decent verses. Doesn’t really stand out. 6/10
Relafriendship Feat G Martin: A simple beat once again. Verses about being in the friend zone. The hook has too much in it. 5/10
Yeah Yeah: One of the best beats on the album. Great delivery of both the verses and the hook. 8/10
Forever Dreamin Feat Tony Collins: Ok beat mixed with Piano (I am detecting a theme) Verses are forgettable and the hook is lacking. 4/10
Let it go (Intervention) Feat G Martin: A simple beat but it works with the tone of the track. The hook is alright but nothing special. 6/10
Our babies 2 (Crazy World): More synthetic sound leads the track to a decent beat. Good verses about the current state of the world. 7/10
Keep Pushin Feat Chamillionaire: Another East Coast beat. Very similar to Jay-Z. The hook is very similar in sound to Nate Dogg. 7/10
Blown away (Remix) Feat Sticman of Dead Prez: A remix of a previous track. The hook is downplayed and the verses are more effectively delivered. 8/10
Rap vs Real Homegrown: Another remix of a previous track. The vocals are clearer and easier to understand. The change in music adds a lot to the track. 7/10

Conclusion: This CD may appeal to a fan of mainstream rap today. Fans of old school rap with a message similar to Public Enemy might also find this album appealing. For most underground fans this album will sound just like anything else you will find on your radio dial. The production value is high as one would expect from Subnoize but the replay value is severely lacking.

Overall Rating: 6/10

Favorite Tracks:

1. Yeah Yeah

2. Blown Away (Remix) Feat Sticman of Dead Prez