HipHopDX: You've also forayed into acting. What made you audition for Entourage?

Saigon: G Roberson asked me if I would want to do the part. I didn't realize how big the show was, I hadn't even heard of the show at the time. I just heard that it was on some reality shit. I'm like, “Yeah, that's cool.” But when they flew me out there, and I met Mark Wahlberg, I'm like, “Whoa, this is bigger than I thought.” And I went back and watched the episode, that's when it hit me, like, “Oh shit! This shit is real!” [laughs] When they called me and told me I got the part, I was ecstatic. We went out there and did last season, shit came out great, everybody was happy. Went so good, they called me back to do this season. I filmed all my episodes, and shit's looking good, man. And the best thing about it, it's opening me to a whole new demographic that doesn't even listen to rap music.

HipHopDX: How do you think the show has helped you?

Saigon: It's helped me a lot, a whole lot. I always had a big underground buzz, but the white people know who I am now. There are 40-year-old ladies who know who Saigon is, because they watch Entourage. It opens me up to a whole new demographic. And those are the consumers, those are the record buyers. (Consumers) aren't the kids in the hood; the kids in the hood buy mixtapes, or they wait for you to be on a mixtape and dub it from their boy. But the record buyers are the same demographic who watch Entourage. So hopefully it translates (into sales). If it doesn't, it still was a good experience. I know it's going to help to some extent.

HipHopDX: Based on your music and your interviews, you're an opinionated dude, and your intellectualism shines in your music. In a past interview, Talib Kweli said that he gets tired of talking about politics and issues in his interviews, and that he wants to talk more about music. Do you feel that with your reputation, that the quality of your music is overlooked?

Saigon: I think that Talib Kweli must be reading them Internet forums too much. When I read them, they say the same thing. “Shut up, put some music out!” I'm a man before I'm an artist. If I see something wrong, I'm going to address it, point blank period. I'ma talk about it, because that's why I have a voice. That's the purpose of having a voice, so you can fuckin' speak. Of course I like talking about music, because music is what got me here, music is the reason why a mothafucka would even care to interview me at all. But at the same time, I live in this world, and I see certain things that go on that need to be addressed at some point. I'm not discouraged by none of that shit, I'm not discouraged by none of what other people say. If I worry about what other people think about me, then I'm in trouble. Continued on page 4 »