No Longer Local My Thoughts R Global

WWW.SAJSUPREME.COM "THE FIRST MILLION IS ALWAYS THE HARDEST"Supreme: Invinicible, mighty, unsurpassed, paramount, superior.It’s no coincidence they call him Saj (pronounced “Sage”) Supreme. A master of wordplay, this Cleveland MC brings a poetic intensity to every line he spits. Saj’s razor-sharp delivery explodes with a confidence that rivals the most seasoned MC’s. In a city that has struggled for recognition on the hip-hop map, Saj has emerged as Cleveland’s crowned king, destined to bring respect to his hometown.The son of a professor/missionary mother and a cop turned hustler father, it was this union that set the stage for a series of extremes that ultimately would define Saj’s life. Raised by a single-mom, Saj accompanied her around the globe as she pursued her doctorate in third world education. Her studies led them to a series of temporary homes from New York, Cleveland and Boston, MA to as far away as South Africa. Saj’s early memories range from playing soccer in Zambia and eating with his hands to facing a felony gun charge as a juvenile in Massachusetts.Ironically or perhaps appropriately, it was in Africa when he first discovered hip-hop. “I was 10 years old and we had no TV and the radio station was only on for a few hours out of the day. The only hip-hop song I ever heard on that station was ‘I Aint No Joke’ by Eric B & Rakim. Words can’t describe how that song made me feel”.Fueling this discovery was an early interest in writing. He recalls poetry assignments from his English class that dealt with subjects like cultural and environmental awareness. Saj found in hip-hop a chance to explore his two passions – writing and music.By the time he returned to the States hip-hop had exploded. Saj became a devoted student, immersing himself in beats & rhymes. His early influences included the lyrical greats; Big Daddy Kane, KRS One and Keith Murray. “I was fascinated with the way they put words and ideas together. I studied them down to their very last syllable and found a blueprint from which my own style was born.” Saj quickly connected with friends who shared his excitement and before long they were making records of their own.After finding himself on the wrong side of the law one too many times, Saj moved back to his hometown eager for a new start. It was there he began perfecting his craft both in the booth and on the stage, recording and performing with many of Cleveland’s most notorious crews. Saj’s reach expanded, eventually earning him the respect as one of the “Land’s” most dangerous MC’s. He combined grit with insight and found his voice through the convergence of these extremes. His instinctive, raw energy and thoughtful lyrics produced a blend passionately of told life stories and crowd pleasing anthems. While still maintaining allegiances to a handful of cliques including Lone Gunmen and HNT, Saj’s focus began to shift as visions of solo success took over. Firmly rooted in his sound and backed by Cleveland’s most respected Club/Mixshow DJ, Mick Boogie, Saj was ready for his introduction. He began headlining his own shows and securing opening slots for some of hip-hop’s greatest including De La Soul, Jay-Z, Common Raekwon, Erick Sermon, Beanie Siegel and Ghostface Killah. With Cleveland on lock, Saj took his show on the road booking dates in LA, NY, Toronto, Miami, Philly & Pittsburgh. It wasn’t long before he was able to grab the attention of independent, Oakland-based label, ABB Records (Little Brother, Defari & Dilated Peoples).In July 2003, ABB released Saj’s first 12-inch, aptly entitled “The Won”. Produced by Moss (Obie Trice, Shaw Price, Ranahersi & Z-Man) “The Won” garnered Saj a ..1 most added slot at college radio waking up heads around the world to one of hip-hop’s future trailblazers.Riding the momentum of “The Won”, Saj released his first full-length mixtape in August of 2003 featuring appearances by Keith Murray and Breeze Evahflowin. 5,000 units sold and still counting, Saj is preparing for the follow-up release entitled “The Art of Word”, due out in February 04 “The Art of Word” features appearances by Young Zee, Ghost Face Killa, and production by Jake-One, Moss, Beat Minerz, and Fatin.After years of intense grinding, Saj Supreme is undoubtedly poised and ready to make his mark. “Every year I’m in the game I make significant progress. I believe the time is right for a voice like mine. And sooner or later, I’m gonna be heard.”“Saj represents a new voice in hip-hop. He brings the kind of intensity and hunger that’s been missing from the game. Lyrically and performancewise, he’s the most polished MC repping Cleveland right now.” – Eddie Bauer MD 107.9 WENZ“I see in Saj the potential to do big things. He’s got a great and unique ability to put songs together and his versatility as an MC allows him to be relevant in both the underground and mainstream communities.” – Beni B ABB Records