HipHopDX: You've worked with some notable producers already, like Alchemist and Scram Jones. How is it different working with Just Blaze?

Saigon: I've worked with a lot of producers, but I've never worked with nobody like Just. Just is a perfectionist, and he's also a genius. He's literally a genius, because he knows what every single button does [laughs]. You ever look in the studio and see like four million buttons? You could point to any button and be like, “What's that?” He'll be like, “Oh, that's the blah blah blah,” break it down and tell you exactly what its purpose is. I think that's what makes him so inclined. He knows how to chop up everything perfectly; he just knows what all that shit does, like he sat there and read the whole manual. That's what gives him the edge. Anybody can take a record and sample it and put some drums to it. But it's almost like science when he does it, and I've never seen anybody work like that?

HipHopDX: How much of the album has he produced, and how much have you gotten from other producers?

Saigon: About 85% of it is Just Blaze so far. Me and Just record for it more than anybody else, so there's producers that I did songs with, and they keep getting pushed off the album, because Just keeps coming up with something better. We paid a lot of producers that's not even going to make the album, because Just Blaze keeps throwing some shit out the hat. It's like damn, you can only have but so many songs.'

HipHopDX: You should have the rest on a bonus disc.

Saigon: I think that I'm going to come out with my album, then soon after, come out with another CD, like a lost tapes type thing. Because I have so many good records.

HipHopDX: Since the album hasn't come out yet, some people have whispered that it's because of how shady record labels shit.

Saigon: I don't think that has anything to do with my situation, because we're still in the A&R process. We haven't even turned anything in to Atlantic yet, because most situations, Atlantic comes in and they want to hear every single song. We're just turning in the album when it's done, and saying, “Here, this is what it is.” It's not a situation where they're going to be like, “We don't hear a single.” This is our single, this is what we want you to push. I'm signed to Hip-Hop Since 1978, (with) Hip-Hop and G Roberson. That's who Kanye's signed to. Hip-Hop A&R'd every Jay-Z album since Reasonable Doubt, so these dudes know what they're doing. It ain't like this is some guy who just got the job because he got out of college and now he's an A&R. Continued on page 3 »