Guyanese rapper SAINt JHN featured on Beyonce’s ‘Brown Skin Girl’ soundtrack l

Jul 29, 2019 News

Guyanese rapper and songwriter, SAINt JHN is making waves on the international music scene with the hot new soundtrack “Brown Skin Girl.”
The song, featured on Beyoncé’s The Lion King: The Gift album, has become a celebratory anthem for brown-complexioned women and girls everywhere.
SAINt JHN ,who was born in Brooklyn, New York, but spent parts of his childhood in Georgetown, Guyana is featured at the intro and outro of the song, along with Beyonce‘s seven -old daughter Blue Ivy, who made her singing debut on the track. The song also features the vocals of Nigerian singer, Wizkid.
Carlos St. John, better known by his stage name Saint Jhn (stylized as SAINt JHN), released his first album under the Saint Jhn moniker, Collection One, in March 2018.

Guyanese rapper, SAINt JHN (Photo credit @SaintJhn IG)

Prior to that, JHN wrote songs for a number of acts, including Jidenna, Hoodie Allen, Usher, Kiesza, and others. He is a founding member of the GØDD COMPLEXx music collective.
An online profile noted that “Carlos St. John was born in Brooklyn, New York and is of Guyanese descent. Growing up, he split his time between Brooklyn and Guyana.
He began creating music when he was 12 years old and was inspired by his older brother who would rap in the neighbourhood with friends. He wrote his first song in his first year of high school while living in Guyana.
The album was, indeed, released on March 30, 2018. At that time, the already-released songs on the album had accrued 50 million total streams on various platforms. In addition to working on music and a tour in support of Collection One, Jhn was hired by Gucci as a model for its “Guilty” campaign alongside Adesuwa Aighewi.”
According to various sources, SAINt JHN’s music career is steadfastly evolving. The artiste started out rapping but put his rap career on hold to write songs for artistes, including Rihanna.
SAINt JHN said that he grew up listening to a lot of Caribbean music. He lists Jay-Z and Beenie man among those who has impacted his career and writing.
In a recent interview with American radio personality Sway Calloway about writing the song for Beyonce, SAINt JHN spoke about growing up in a Guyanese household and how the mix of cultures influences his music.
Despite the fact that he has penned the lyrics for quite a few songs, the rapper counts Brown Skin Girl among his most inspiring and impactful pieces. Asked how it feels to be part of such a cherished tune SAINt JHN said “It’s hard to describe.”
“I actually started in Jamaica. The record started in Jamaica. Beyonce had asked me to be a part of the project. She had asked me to be a part of Lion King and they gave me a beat to write on but I couldn’t catch it. That‘s the truth I couldn’t catch it.
“They heard it. They said it was cool but they didn’t use it, but then they heard Brown Skin Girl, it was record I had started in Jamaica and it just resonated. In fact, it was the only record I ever sent to my mom…
“For me, it was important for her to hear that. I had made lots of records, lots of other songs but I felt like it was important for my mom to know that this is something that I felt was important for her to hear…
“And when Beyonce heard it, she made it even bigger. She got on the record and scaled it up in a way that I couldn’t even imagine.
“But in my mind when I made the record, there were only two people on the planet that were the right people, the right vessels to communicate this—she at the top of the list.”
The soundtrack which features the lyrics “Brown skin girl; Your skin just like pearls ;The best thing in the world; Never trade you for anybody…” encourages young girls to love their skin—particularly in a culture that often upholds lighter skin as the standard of beauty.
Sung over an African-infused beat, it’s the standout track on the soundtrack album, and also the kind of song that young black girls fighting issues of colourism need to hear.

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