The story of (born Carlos St. John Phillips) is a classic "hustler’s tale" of a songwriter who eventually decided to save his best work for himself. Born in Brooklyn in 1986, he grew up splitting three-year intervals between the East New York neighborhood and Georgetown, Guyana . His childhood was a stark contrast between New York's energy and the raw, third-world poverty of Guyana, where he recalled bathing in the rain and fetching water. The Early Grind: Behind the Scenes
: Despite the "million-dollar" potential of songwriting, he felt unfulfilled living his dreams through others' eyes. He once spent two months writing for Rihanna , but none of the songs were used—a humbling experience that eventually pushed him to launch his own solo career. The "Roses" Breakthrough Saint Jhn
Adopting the persona (a nod to his admiration for Lenny Kravitz ), SAINt JHN treats his music as curated "collections" rather than just albums. The story of (born Carlos St
Inspired by his older brother's neighborhood rap cyphers, SAINt JHN began making music at 12 years old. He initially built a career as a high-profile songwriter for others. His childhood was a stark contrast between New
In 2016, SAINt JHN released a track he originally wrote with Beyoncé in mind. Her team passed on the record, but SAINt JHN believed it was "too good" to waste and released it himself on his debut album, Collection One .