What’s the science behind your name? Or is there any?
My name is Sigon, which is short for Saigon the place
in Vietnam. I am a big military warfare fan, and I
recall that Saigon is where all our U.S. soldiers were
sent and it wasn’t a pleasant place. In Saigon chaos
and havoc was daily life. Originally, KAOS was my
name but being too common, I made it Sigon because I
live in chaos and havoc all the time.
What do you think of Mainstream Hip Hop?
I think mainstream hip-hop serves it’s purpose.
Artists like Dr. Dre, Eminem, Jay-Z, and other draw
people who may never listen to hip-hop into the
culture. I mean it’s hard to have an underground
without a mainstream scene. The problem is, a lot of
individuals are quick to call them sellouts just
because popular culture have jumped onto their songs.
I mean, I don’t know too many underground heads that
have a problem bumping some mainstream hip-hop at a
party when they are dancing, so why be ashamed that
you listen to it?
How was your upbringing?
Well, first off my mother did crack and coke when she
was pregnant with me, which caused my right eye’s
optic never to be under-developed so I am blind in one
eye. Yet, that’s not were the trouble ends, I was put
up for adoption at birth and was adopted. When I was
six, my parents got divorced and I was forced to move
to Los Angeles with my adopted mother. We moved to
the San Fernando Valley and I learned about hip-hop
from the mainly Hispanic culture. While my stay in
L.A. we moved from Reseda to Van Nuys and then to
Burbank. My mother constantly was busy working three
jobs trying to provide for me and my other adopted
brother. Then when I was thirteen I moved back to
Bakersfield, Ca with my adopted father and brought
back a more rough personality. My, father who is an
alcoholic didn’t even pay attention to me. I grew up
feeling like an individual surrounded by families. I
never felt loved and made myself work hard and strive
for success. When I was sixteen, I moved back with my
mother who had moved back to Bakersfield, Ca and since
she is a workaholic, I still felt like I didn’t have
my “families” attention.
What inspired you to become a hip-hop artist?
Since my days in L.A. I had been aware of hip-hop. I
had always dreamt of growing up and being a famous
entertainer, and that’s where I got the idea. I would
imagine me coming off a show where I had sold out The
Great Western Forum. Yet, I hadn’t decided hip-hop
was my way until I heard “Triumph” by the Wu-Tang
Clan, especially Inspectah Deck’s part where he
dropped a lot of knowledge. It impressed me and made
me wanna do it. Then one day I got online and started
writing lyrics at Loud Records Battle Forum, and from
there I started getting really interested and started
working on hip-hop 100%.
What other hip hop groups do you listen to?
I listen to a lot of underground groups such as
Yakuza, Cali Agents, MHz, Extended F@mm, Pack*Y*Stan,
ILLStar, and many more. I also listen to artists like
Cage, Teflon, Apathy, Session, Mos Def, Talib Kweli,
Wannabattle, Planet Asia, Phife Dawg, De La Soul,
Wu-Tang, Cormega, M.O.P, Eyedea, iCON The Mic King,
J.U.I.C.E., Chino XL, and more.
How would you describe your music?
Punchlines mixed with metaphors over banging beats. I
don’t spit that gangster shit, and I don’t spit drug
shit. To me I rhyme about life, and the struggles
involved with it. Yet I stay true to hip-hop in the
sense that it grew through the art of battling and
since I got my start there. It’s one of the aspects
that make up my artistic style.
How would you describe yourself?
I would describe myself as a person who really cares
about people. I’m more than Sigon the emcee. I’m
Devin the guy who is doing what he can to grow as a
person. I mean, hip-hop is a way for my to express my
mind yet it’s not what defines me. I mean I listen to
all types of music, so I try to be a diverse person
like my music.
What are your future musical plans?
I plan to release my first LP entitled “Breakin It
Down” with a local Bakersfield record label called
Dream On Records. The album will feature local
Bakersfield artists as well as other emcees I have met
via the Internet and at shows.
Out of the songs you’ve created, what is your personal
favorite, and why?
My favorite song is probably “Unorthodox Whut!!!” ft.
FLow siK, Mental, Jack Knife, & BruvaG because it
shows how hip-hop can unite people around the country.
The track features artist from all over the country
and it shows that hip-hop has all different styles,
and it makes for a great show.
Where can fans listen to some of your music?
Everyone can catch my music at www.mp3.com/sigon
Have you ever rocked events, if so, what was your
favorite event you rocked?
Yes, my favorite event was my first-ever live battle.
It was at my high school at a show called “The Variety
Show” and featured me battling this kid named Daz Kaz
and it was the first time people locally saw I could
rhyme. I impressed the crowd and beat the kid. I
will never forget it because in the middle of the
second round Daz Kaz said “Look it’s another cracker
tryin to be black again” and some white kid ran on
stage and it almost started a riot at my school. It’s
was an interesting experience in which kids at my
school still remember.
Have you ever found Jesus?
Yes, I was saved in Aug. of 2000. My g/f took me to
her youth group and I started to talk to her youth
pastor questions and he had me read the book of John,
and I prayed to be saved. Ever since then, I have
felt God in my life and things have been great. In
fact, during the spring break of 2001 I went to
Mexicali with an organization called YUGO which is an
outreach program to reach youths in Mexico.
How long have you been rhyming? How do you see hip
hop, and you? Do you see Hip Hop as a religion, art,
culture, a career, job, or just a hobby?
To me hip-hop is an art and culture. All tracks to me
are just as artistic as a piece of classical music. I
mean, when I heard a great hip-hop track it makes me
think, yet it sounds like a masterpiece. But, it’s
also a form of therapy to me. When I’m angry I write
lyrics about what I’m upset about, which helps me deal
with the situation.
Do you have any hip hop quotables that you live by?
Any song lyrics ever touched you?
“I feel great even though we got mad things to deal
wit/ happiness is all in the mind/ let’s go out and
find a reason to smile/ I’m just glad to be living,
feeling fine/ leaving my bad times behind”- dead prez
from “happiness”
That line just made me think real hard about me having
a negative attitude; I mean it really makes me be
thankful.
“Sometimes I stand under a street lamp, and talk to my
shadow/ cause even through dark times, he knows what I
go through”- Rasputin of C.O.R.E. from “Nature’s Eye
N’Mind”
That line really is how I felt for along time. My
shadow was my only friend, and it was the only that
really knew me.
Do you have any shot outs you would like make?
Yes I would like to shoutout to everyone at Dream On
Records including my manger Flex. You all are helping
me get to that next level. I’d like to give shoutouts
to the whole Unorthodox Krew (ya’ll know who you are)
you guys have always shown me love and helped support
me. Pack FM, for being there to listen to what I had
to say and giving me your advice and showing me what
it takes to be great. All the producers who have made
tracks for me, ya’ll every talented people and I have
a lot of respect for ya’ll. If you ever need someone
to throw you some exposure just hit me up. Props to
Lordeast at RhymeLife.com, this kid has been there
since day one. I mean he’s always been supportive and
helped me with graphics, whether it was my “Iller Than
You! EP” or banners for my mp3.com site, he was always
willing to hook me up with help. Jaintor at
Rapmusic.com for always answering my annoying
questions and being helpful, he was always quick at
adding me to his station and his underground section.
I respect him greatly for running such a huge board
without any real serious problems. Blaze & Kumaro at
411hype.com for just being curious in my music. ALL
the people who have contacted whether live, or on the
Net that have told me they like my music. I mean,
without my fans I wouldn’t have anything and for that
I am truly thankful.
Artist Spotlight —
A lot of white emcees are being compared to Eminem and
Eyedea (the white kid who won the 2000 Blaze Battle by
Blaze Magazine & HBO). What is it that makes you
different than those two artists?
We’ll for one thing Eminem is a hip-hop artist who has
a lot of negativity in all his songs. His lyrics are
violent and offensive and I think he’s been dragged
out of his character into this media superstar which
is seen in songs like “Kim” and “97 Bonny N Clyde”.
The difference is that, I don’t have his negative side
or his vulgarity. I do hip-hop that is about my life,
not about old men and viagra and shit like that. It
sometimes makes me sick knowing that people buy his
music for the simple fact that it offends people. The
difference between Eyedea and I is that Eyedea is a
straight up battler and I am not. He goes to battles
and destroys emcees with freestyles, and I concentrate
on doing tracks in the studio and putting them out.
So I don’t see any comparison to either one of these
artists besides the simple fact that our skin tone is
the same.
What projects have you completed and what is in the
making?
Well I completed my first ever EP which is called
“Iller Than You” and is available at www.mp3.com/sigon
and showcases my early work as an emcee. I have also
done many battle audios against some of the Net’s best
emcees such as Rubix*, ViRTuaL, QuOte One*,
SpainshPhly, APOLLO, DOULJA, InTaCt, Venom of the
First Legacy Krew, BalPlaya, DOX, Rasputin of
C.O.R.E., and many more.
I am in the works of finishing my first LP which is
called “Breakin It Down” and is due out in the summer
of 2001.
You’ve said that your album is going to feature some
artists that you have met. Give us some names of
artists that will be involved in you LP.
My album will have artists such as F-Tezzy from Dream
On Records. Micat That Bitch who is known for
recording a track with E-40. I am working on a track
with the Yakuza Krew, as well as trying to do a track
with Pack FM and Xpoondiggy. My album will also see
appearances from hopefully OkWeRdZ, and ILL LITERITE.
I have more people in mind, but they are still in the
working so I can’t really say their names.
Peace. Respect. Props.
https://www.hiphophotspot.com
—–
Interview By DaHipHopPlace.Com
