The Greatest Story Never Told [Explicit]

16 months since his last solo project was released, the `Yardfather' returns with another very solid 4.5 star effort. I first heard of Saigon sometime around or shortly after I graduated High School (in 2000), and the songs he was on were few and far between; unfortunately because even back then I was impressed and always looking for more, be it a guest on a song or an album or mixtape. This is the 4th `album' of his that I have; but technically his debut solo album (the others would be considered more of a mixtape). Finally releasing this after 7 years in the making since I first heard of it (& it spawned a minor beef with Shyheim, as he released an album under the same name back in '04; shortly after I heard of Sai's intent to name his debut album the same title {I'm not sure who came up with the idea first}). Compared to the other 3 albums (mixtapes) I have of his, this is the best or a close 2nd. Here's my rating of the others:

"Warning Shots" (6/04) -- 4/4.5 stars
"Welcome to Saigon (with DJ Drama) [8/08] -- 4 stars
"Warning Shots 2" (10/09) -- 4.5 stars

Like the others I have of his, it's got a nice amount of songs (16) and doesn't skimp on the time. Of the 16, you get 3 that are near classics, 1 is average, and the other 12 are good, with a few being real good songs, none I'd skip over and can easily be listened to from start to finish. Guests are on half the songs, rapping on 3 and doing the chorus on the other 5. Production is very nice, and not surprising as Just Blaze has his hand in 14 of the 16 songs. Kanye West & DJ Corbett each do 1 song. Just Blaze does 7 by himself & the other 7 he co-produces with: Buckwild, Red Spyda, Keys, SC, D. Allen, DJ Corbett, Lamar Edwards. Once again he further showcases his lyrical ability & consistency and is an album I'd highly recommend & am glad finally got to see the light of day.

#2 - 9
#3 - 8.5 (f/ Jay-Z & Swizz Beats)
#5 - 9.5 (deeper song with tight beat)
#6 - 9 (another nice deeper song with good beat)
#7 - 9 (yet another deeper one about fake friends)
#8 - 9 (nice beat)
#9 - 8.5 (f/ Faith Evans)
#10 - 8.5
#11 - 9 (f/ Marsha Ambrosius -- nice beat)
#12 - 9.5 (Great beat, also is on his "Warning Shots 2" album)
#13 - 8 (f/ Raheem DeVaughn)
#14 - 8.5 (f/ Devin the Dude)
#15 - 9 (f/ Layzie Bone -- tight beat)
#16 - 9 (deeper song with nice beat)
#17 - 7.5 (f/ Bun B -- reuses one of his verses from another song & sound quality is bad on this one)
#18 - 9.5 (f/ Black Thought -- tight beat)

Brian Carenard -- b. June, ~1978 -- Brooklyn, NY
Check all my reviews

I like Saigon, he is a lyricist but I don't like all the beats. I feel that he may have been pressured by the industry to make certain types of songs.

Waited a long time for this album from the Yard Father to the Abandoned Nation mix-tapes. Props to Saigon on his classic album. The production by Just Blaze is pretty much flawless. Favorite tracks: Greatest Story Never Told, Clap, Preacher and the Layzie Bone joint. Can't say it enough... we need more of this good music for the mainstream zombies to hear so they can know what real hip hop is.

Didn't even know who Saigon was before seeing him on Entourage. I was such a fan of the show I decided to check out a couple samples from this latest album on Amazon. So glad I did. Album is a straight Beast. My favorites include Preacher, What the lovers do, Friends, Enemies, Come on baby and Better way. The entire album is very good musically and lyrically. Can't go wrong with this one.

i like hip-hop from anywhere if it's good. but if it's from ny i like it even more. ny is the birthplace of hip-hop (which is an indisputable fact) and has produced the best artist in hip-hop. saigon is proof of that. given the amount of time he has taken to release an album it's no suprise it's a classic. i listened to it over and over and it didn't get old. if you like east coast hip-hop then don't think twice about buying this album.

I just wanted to do a quick review of this album. Saigon delivers, by far, the best hip-hop album of the year. It is a SKIP FREE album and you will not be dissappointed. The reason everyone on here gives it a 5 star rating is because there's not more stars. This album is by all means, Hip-Hop.

To me Saigon is a throwback hiphop artist. I have been waiting to hear this LP for so long. I feel the wait was worth it. I really enjoyed the whole LP. This is not a waste of money. Saigon is a true hiphop artist.

Glad Amazon had it since none of the stores in Phoenix had it! Sad!

Hubby said its the greatest hip hop album released this year. He's a pretty discerning music fan none of that bubble gum, 106 and Park mess.