26.05.2018, 19:00

Burg Schnabel - SAINt JHN - NOT A CULt TOUR - Berlin

Flyer für: Burg Schnabel - SAINt JHN - NOT A CULt TOUR - Berlin
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SAINt JHN
26.05. Berlin, Burg Schnabel
Einlass: 20 Uhr Beginn: 21 Uhr

Tickets: http://bit.ly/SAINtJHNtix

Präsentiert von Melt! Booking, splash! Mag und JUICE Magazin

SAINt JHN is in the process of developing a dynamic approach to rhymes he spits. Bringing a cinematic presence and harmonious hooks to his vocals, the Brooklyn-based rapper is gaining recognition for his distinct style.

Born Carlos St. John in Brooklyn, he was the son of a preacher and one of nine siblings, so who happened to grow up bouncing back and forth every few years between America and Guyana. Noting the favorable exchange rate between the two nations, their Brooklyn-based mother regularly sends money to support SAINT JHN and his siblings. SAINt JHN recalls his humble roots as the "barefoot, shirtless kid bathing in the rain, fetching water up the street."

At a glance, his childhood can mistaken as an exotic tale brimming with travel and culture, though in truth, it was a crime-ridden adage steeped in poverty. As witness to his brothers' ill-fated attempts at lawlessness, SAINT JHN learned at an early age his options were to either sell drugs or make music. And while he too tested the waters of drug dealing, he quickly learned what he said to be loose and disproportionate to what he stood for gain. "I wanted to change my family's lineage," he proclaims. It was at this time he started his decade-long journey to pursue a musical career with acute precision.

Mimicking his brother's aspirations, SAINt JHN started rapping at age 12, though he admits he stole some of his brother's rhymes to impress his classmates in junior high. "They thought I was a genius," he recalls. "He's two years older than me so I'm in junior high giving you 14-year-old bars, 15-year-old bars. They were like 'wooo!' I'm like, 'Hell yeah, I'm dope!' "

Injected by Jay Z, The LOX, and Dipset juxtaposed by his time in Guyana, where he was immersed in soca music as well as the sounds of Buju Baton, Beenie Man, and Sound Cat. SAINt JHN started to hone his skills as a rapper - The St. John's Portfolio and In Association - which received early support from DatPiff and Pigeons & Planes, who noted "[SAINt JHN's] brand of hip-hop is intense," then added, "his voice delivers urgency, clarity and passion."

SAINt JHN recalls, "I need someone to say, 'Listen, cool. Your rapping is fantastic. Stop rapping for a second. Go make some songs. Go make music. '"

This pivotal moment jumpstarted SAINt JHN's career as a songwriter. Yet as he racked up writing credits, including Usher, Kiesza, Joey Bada$$, Jidenna, to name a few, he simultaneously lost his own voice in the process.

"When I sold songs to other people, I watched them to see how they would execute. Their sounds did not quite match the mine. It's really hard to recreate magic. "

In an effort to reclaim his own unique voice, SAINt JHN began to identify his personal expression within his writing, and once again, his songs shifted. In 2016, he posted a key when he posted the brooding track "1999" to SoundCloud, with no fixed plan, aside from release. In a short time, the song gained traction - while SAINt JHN gained clarity, and his repertoire expanded quickly.