November 28, 2019

Flaunt Premiere | Saint Jhn "Borders"

by Issabella Lovazzano

Rapper, singer, writer and producer, SAINt JHN is currently on a sold-out tour after recently entering the hip-hop world. He is a Guyanese-American artist from Brooklyn and started receiving immense recognition since his releases in 2016-2018. His single “Roses” along with many others that include Diplo, Meek Mill, and Lil Baby A Boogie have soured up the charts reaching over 100 million streams.

After finishing up a music video in Paris for his duet “Borders” with Lenny Kravtitz, SAINt JHN’s recognition had taken off. Recently on October 3, 2019 SAINt JHN was announced the 4th most globally Shazam’d artist. Shortly after, he received “Artist of the Year” at the REVOLVE awards November 15, 2019. Following this was on the BET’s 2019 Soul Train “Ashford and Simpson Songwriter Award” on November 17th for “Brown Skin Girl” which he co-wrote and featured on with Beyonce, Blue Ivy, and WizKid. We caught up with him to talk about Brooklyn, Lenny Kravitz, and Diana Gordon.

How did you meet Lenny Kravitz at the Chrome Hearts Paris Fashion Week Event?

We showed up to the party, it was late, it almost ended. We wanted to go in anyways. It was a fashion week, we were having a good time. It was me and Biggs and Evan Ross happened to be with us in the car coming with us from the last party. I don’t even remember where that was. It was one of those nights. We walked inside the Chrome Hearts party, saw Lenny dancing. We hadn’t met, we didn’t know each other. Biggs looked for the window, he wanted to know where I wanted to meet him. He introduced us, he found a way. I told Lenny about the song and he told me he had heard it. Someone sent it to him and he had really liked it. That’s how we met.

What led you to come back to Paris to record “Boarders” the day after Zoe Kravitz’ wedding in the same house?

Well when I met Lenny at the Chrome Hearts party and when we talked about the record, he said he really enjoyed it. He really liked borders and said he wanted to feature on it. When I asked him if he would feature on the song, he said absolutely, but only if we did it with the true spirit of artistry by really collaborating. That probably doesn’t happen as often these days. Things are sent a little bit more remotely, which is cool, but he’s a genuine guy and wanted to do it in the most authentic way, which I said absolutely too, coming from the same cut of cloth. Our intention was to go to London right after that, then fly to America. Lenny said can you come back in three days…… My daughter’s getting married…. Like tomorrow. If he had the energy to do it right after his daughter's wedding, then we had the energy to make it happen. Went to London and killed three days, which was not hard. Life is great these days. We came back and his daughter had just got married. It was 3 in the morning. All the festivities had just ended and he had on his tux still. His engineer was there, it was time.

How did both yours and Lenny Kravitz Brooklyn origin help the relationship while working together?

It made things so real. We didn’t know we came from the same place. I knew I came from the same ideology but not the same place. When I say ideology I mean from the spirit of being both black men in a world like this. Being a little more fearless, those ideas. We talked about our origins were from and he said Brooklyn. He said Bahamas, I said Guyana. It’s simple you could see a mirror

You’re also Guyanese and Kravitz is from the Bahamas, did this have any benefit or influence over the work you both made?

I talk about my life and my music. I talk about my experiences. Ya my life has everything to do with where I am, how I communicate, how I relate to the world, for sure.

What is most important for you to hear when recording a new track?

The truth. Is it good enough, is it honest?

What is most distinctive about your first album “Collection One”?

Fuck if I know. Honestly, I just make the things that I hear in my head and wherever I am at that time I provide a timestamp. That’s the time stamp. “Collection One” is where I wanted to start the series and collections, so as a groove from there you understood what the bass was.

You have five songs with Diplo in the album “Trophies” and I Can Fvcking Tell.” How did you first connect with him and what about his style made you want to collaborate?

My homie, Diana, Diana Gordon, is the entire reason why I met Diplo. They were talking about doing some work and he was working on some project where I don’t know what specifically, I don’t remember, and Diana told him I was the only writer or artist he should be working with. He had never never met me, he ain’t know about me. I’m not even sure my name had done enough to be brought up in that conversation, but her belief in me was so profound she understood she’d seen it. Of course I had done enough, but I’m not certain that I had earned the conversation right. You know, you become the default name, you’re the first person, but she knew what I was gonna be. She brought me up and he asked me to come to LA. I went to LA. We worked for, I don’t think two days, I think we worked one day. We did “trophies” and we did three or four other records you’ll probably hear. They were all great, they happened fast and one of those songs we were finishing up for another artist and I started, I could fucking tell, I said, “Yo I want to take a break for a second” and I asked somebody to play the guitar, they play the guitar, and I can fucking tell, I wrote the entire song right there just on a guitar a little bit. By the way, “trophies” was made on that first day. It was the first thing I ever made. The first song I walked in. The studio was in the middle of the living room. We were in Malibu. We introduced ourselves to each other, the engineer put on, I chose that beat, I don’t usually choose beats, but I understood in the interest of time I just wanted to move fast and I made “trophies” right there. He was sitting in the living room, the chorus got created right there, everything about the song was done that day and then I filled in the blanks later.

You’re also working with other upcoming hip-hop artists such as Lil Baby and A Boogie wit da Hoodie on “Monica Lewinsky.” How is it entering the top charts with other recently recognized artists?

It’s incredible. My favorite part is getting to see them work. My favorite part is knowing that I’m not alone in the way that I create - whether it’s selfish, bizarre, in my head, extroverted or whatever Picasso version of life you want to paint with. It’s cool, I’m usually used to working by myself, not intentionally, but I’m a secluded artist. My art requires me to investigate myself and think about whatever the fuck I’ve been through or where I’m trying to go next, so being able to play in the playpen with other kids that like toys is really exciting.

“Brown Skin Girl” was just awarded the BET’s Soul Train “Ashford and Simpson Songwriter Award.” How was your experience collaborating with so many talented artists including Beyonce?

I didn’t even know I won the award. I had to go check Twitter. When it doesn’t happen in real life in front of you, it almost feels like it happened in your head. Some of my wins or any type of accolades or applause, they almost start to not feel real because if I’m not there to collect it - if life is moving to fast to take it in - it’s almost like it never happened. I’m not sure if it’s that way for everyone but that’s where I’m at right now. But, in making her song, the award of it was getting to see little girls playing it and singing the song. I was thinking about one day if I ever had a baby girl, I want her to grow up in a world where she knew she was beautiful, she wa loved and there were songs that were designed for her to feel great about herself - so that’s fucking incredible that I got to see that. I got to see that the morning it came out. I got to see 2-year-olds, 5-year-old, and 7-year-old kids being excited about a record for them and they knew it was for them. I don’t have kids, I have nephews and nieces and I love them all dearly but I didn’t know that that was important. I wanted to do something that mattered and that’s the award. The other day my friend sent me something, she texted me before her flight and it’s about “Brown Skin Girl” that felt like the accolade: “Hey I’m about to board a flight but I was calling to say congratulations. Just found out that you got songwriters award at the Soul Train Awards, that’s fucking amazing. I’m so proud of you and you should be proud of yourself too to be recognized and to win this award for what I would say is the most important song written for brown skin girls. This is such an incredible achievement. On behalf of brown skin women all around the world, we are all so proud of you and appreciate you for appreciating us. You have no idea how much I love “Brown Skin Girl.” This is the only song I want baby sisters and future daughters to grow up listening to because I need them to know that they are beautiful and they are appreciated by their own brown skin men.” That’s it, that’s the fucking award. That’s the accolade.