Recently the line between mainstream and underground has been getting thinner and thinner. Artists like Tech N9ne, Insane Clown Posse, and The Kottonmouth Kings storm the charts with every release having little to no TV and radio support, simply with the love of their loyal fan base. I am guessing this love is what artist Saigon was looking for when he signed with independent record label Suburban Noize for his new release “The Greatest Story Never Told.”

Saigon was swinging for the fences, and in a way, hitting a home run with this album. Almost every song on this album could be a hit. With Just Blaze on the beats, you would expect nothing less. The only problem with that is many of the beats and songs have the same feel with not a lot of variety. Let us walk through some of the stand out tracks that make this album the underground classic it is going to be. The first track to stand out is “Come on Baby” featuring mainstream heavyweights Jay Z and Swizz Beatz. The two lyricists share a similar style and compliment each other on the track. The next track “Bring Me Down Pt.2” has my favorite hook on the whole album. This song has a nice piano track on the beat and Saigon has a very smooth flow. “Enemies” has a hook that appears on track seventeen “And the Winner Is” featuring Bun B. This sounds like a live remix of “Enemies” and it would have been better to have Bun B in the studio to make it one track. Moving on to track eight and title track “The Greatest Story Never Told.” I really enjoy this beat. The lyrics, like most of the album, are just straight reality rap. Track nine “Clap” features superstar Faith Evans on the hook and is a plea for everyone to stop hurting each other and start helping one another . Track ten “Preacher” is the song I think has the strongest message on the album. It attacks priests and the church for using their power to take advantage of the less fortunate who are just looking for faith and hope. Track twelve “Believe It” is a strong and powerful song about the struggle of a family living in the lower class. Skipping ahead to track fifteen, “Better Way” featuring Layzie Bone is a great track. I was just a little disappointed Layzie was only on the hook. No one does it better then Bone, and Layzie should have had a couple bars. The last track on the album “Too Long” features Black Thought and is a great song to close the album. It has a very deep hook that you can tell is straight from the heart of Saigon. In conclusion, this is definitely an album worth checking out. Also, look for him on tour this spring with the annual Strange Noize tour.