Saint Sinna has been an emcee and producer for nearly twenty years! His first hardcore hip-hop group Bio Killaz represented underground hip-hop to the fullest and had the Michigan hip-hop scene foaming at the mouth due  to their live raw energetic performances. Simply put Bio Killaz had the crowd losing their fucking minds any time they went live! Over the years Saint Sinna has hosted various mixtapes  released five full length solo records, formed Michigan Militia (Strange Music recently showed love towards their track “Pink Mist”) with underground icon Menacide, and he’s still a key member of underground fan favorites Underground Propaganda Squad and Mission: Infect.  That’s proof right there that Mr. Sinna is always constantly putting in mad work. Those who bump Saint Sinna on the daily absolutely cannot wait until the Midwest emcee’s upcoming  LP The Gutbucket Dichotomy to drop on March 21st! It’s bound to shake up the underground with its experimental uniqueness. Here is a Faygoluvers quickie with the one and only Saint Sinna!

Chad Thomas Carsten: How did Michigan in general challenge you as an emcee?

Saint Sinna: Being from Michigan, especially where I was living, was hard at the time.  Tha Klepto and I were thirteen (1999) when we started. Nobody took us seriously.  People in our neighborhood hated on people for listening to rap, let alone anyone trying to make rap music.
As far as the challenges, after we kinda proved ourselves so to speak, it was just proving that we (Bio Killaz) could kill it live. As far as pushing ourselves lyrically, Klep and I did all the challenging to each-other. Everything was a friendly competition with us. We were raised on dope ass hip-hop growing up. Michigan had a lot to offer between Eminem, Royce Da 5’9, Mc Breed, and Dayton Family to the darker shit that inspired us like ICP,Twiztid,Halfbreed,HOK, and Esham.  Michigan has always had an insanely amazing music scene. No matter where I’ve moved to I’ve always loved the Michigan scene the most.

CTC: After being on the mic for nearly twenty years, what inspires you to stay motivated and keep pursuing music today?

Saint Sinna: A lot of it has to do with the fans. I remember a moment when I was like fourteen or fifteen. A fan hit me up personally thanking me for a song that stopped him from committing suicide.
Knowing that what I had to say really helped someone made me realize that this is what i want to do with my life. I don’t know what keeps me doing it honestly. It’s a frustrating lifestyle with minimal payout in retrospect.
I don’t know man, there’s just something about it I can’t turn away from it. I quit music for a good three years or so from like 2010 to 2013. I was working a full time job. Mostly eighty-four hours a week.
I was miserable without making music.It’s like a drug to me. When you’re a musician it’s like you make exactly what you want to hear. It’s empowering. Without it I’m just a goofy fuck from middle of nowhere Michigan.

CTC: Can you break down the differences of being an emcee and a producer as far as the creation process goes within the two? How do you balance between being an emcee and producer full time?

Saint Sinna: Being an emcee at least for me has always been the easy part. The beat has always dictated how I was going deliver everything. I always just listen to a beat for a few minutes and get a rhythm going in my head. I treat my voice like a percussion instrument that’s missing from the drum line to fill the void. I’ve always tried to fit a pocket that wasn’t there. I guess I’ve always had a producer’s mind when it came to that. As far as the process for producing, it’s always a new learning experience. There is always much more freedom to work with producing. There is also a lot more work going into production. Without getting into the nerd talk, it’s a lot of making sure everything has it’s own space with sounds,and rhythms.

It’s a lot of calculating and mixing to make sure that everything is heard and doesn’t take away from anything else.  Comparatively, rapping is so much easier to me because it’s just one small portion of what makes up the song.  It’s a major portion of it, but sonically, it’s a small portion.

CTC: When can fans of both you and Menacide expect a new full length Michigan Militia LP?

Saint Sinna: I’m not sure yet on when. We’ve definitely talked about it. We both have a lot going on in our own corners of the world. As far as history man, I think we both kinda bullshitted online via horrorcore.com, then AIM. First time we met was in February 2005 at a show. There were a lot of people from the scene there at the time. Q Strange, the IIE camp, 3SE camp, etc. All for a benefit for fallen fellow musician, our brother, Ensizion. After that, Menacide and I kinda flirted around with the idea of doing some stuff together. Came up with the idea of Michigan Militia and I started working on all the beats for it, sending them to him when I could. We both joined M:I at the same time, and were to be announced at a show in Florida that it was happening.

Before that Lo Key, Drama, and Green Villin traveled out to Michigan to scoop me up, and then we headed up to Mena’s crib to talk business on the album. I naturally got shit faced drunk off of Everclear with no chaser like the twenty one year old idiot I was.  I ended up playing Oscar The Grouch in Mena’s trashcan all night, throwing up and still kept drinking. But I digress. After the show in Florida, we got stuck at the airport for like thirteen hours in Chicago after I was coming down off a three day ecstasy binge. We finally get to Detroit and drive back to Mena’s crib in Grand Rapids in a God damn blizzard. Literally the next day I got up and recorded all my parts for the album in a matter of like three days.
Little fun fact: Jack Haney on “Long Train Runnin” is literally the Mayor of a small city in Michigan now where I grew up.

CTC: Can you describe your exact feelings when Mission: Infect came back, and the excitement that erupted within the underground hip-hop scene?

Saint Sinna: I was extremely excited about it. I have been a member since 07 and kept on repping it when almost everyone jumped ship at one point. The fact that we came back out of nowhere,created a whole three disc album in a short couple months, and it was not only accepted but fucking loved?!? Man, that shit’s insane to me!
We live in a time where a lot of music is long forgotten. You gotta stay in everyone’s face at all times, or it’s like you never existed. I just wish I could have been involved more with the project than I was.

CTC: Which track with you featured inside Chemical Threats Phase 3 and 4 would you like to see become a video, and what type of story line would you be interested in?

Saint Sinna:”Break Everything” would be dope as fuck! There is just way too much power house emcees on that track!! “The Getaway” would be dope to finish as well!! Even “Let It Go” would make an amazing video.  It’s just too hard to pick honestly.

CTC: How does each Mission: Infect emcee influence your own solo music?

Saint Sinna: They each bring their own style to the world that I appreciate. I guess they push me to hand and bring my own style to the world. I wouldn’t say any of them influence my style at all. Can’t really say anyone does. When I’m creating music of my own I don’t listen to anyone just to make sure I don’t remotely even come close to sounding like someone else.

CTC: Did wild Mission: Infect parties inspire the title behind The Gut Bucket Dichotomy or anything from your own past inspire its production?

Saint Sinna: Actually the term “Gutbucket” is a style of grimy blues from the golden age of blues. The dichotomy part will make sense when you hear the album. Let’s just say I’m going to have a hard time picking an audience to push this to. It’s way too genre bending to be labeled as one thing.

CTC: How did creating your latest  upcoming LP The Gut Bucket Dichotomy push you beyond your limits as an artist?

Saint Sinna: This album has been extremely experimental to me. It’s my first time really going out of my comfort zone. It’s been my first time really directing how the album will sound.  It’s my first real concept album. It’s been 3 and a half years in the making. I’ve grown a lot in that time, and the music is a reflection of that.
I’ve not only gotten a select few emcees on the album, but gotten four different guitarists on it. This album is by far the most musical thing I’ve ever been involved with. There’s a story that ties everything together to coincide with my story in the songs. A good portion of the second half is written in a way I’ve never tried before. It’s all lyrics that are open to interpretation.  I’m hoping everyone can take something from this album and make it personal for themselves. I’m really trying to prove I’m a musician and songwriter. Not just an emcee with this one.

(Pre-Order Link: https://www.saintsinnabeats.com/store)

CTC: What does the hip-hop genre need right now to survive?

Sainta Sinna:It needs passion. It needs more experimenting. It needs more people doing their own thing.  I find it crazy that there are no longer regions in US hip-hop. All the production is the same.  Most of the deliveries are the same. Same subjects. Hip-Hop has become disco music to me.

Final shout outs from Saint Sinna

Saint Sinna: I’d like to shout out my fiancee Jenocia X. My boy Klep (NEW BIO KILLAZ COMING SOON!!), everyone in Mission:Infect, and Propaganda Squad, The 13% camp, my extended fammo in Michigan, Shane Herb for holding us down when we needed it when we first moved to Ohio, Shout out to everyone involved with the new album about to drop Wednesday, March 21st.
Major shout out to JR Gustavsson for putting in as much work with this album as I have.
Shout out to you Chad and Faygoluvers for all the love over the years and your passion for bringing the underground to as many people as you can! You guys are amazing!!
Finally shout out to the fans, and soldiers!!!! Without you guys we ain’t shit.  I love you all, and appreciate your support over the last nineteen years!!

Interviewer: Chad Thomas Carsten

Websites:

• Saint Sinna Gutbucket Dichotomy Pre-Order