THE WEIGHT OF BORROWED TIME

DiSAINT — A man living on borrowed time

WEST COAST HIP-HOP FEATURE / 2006 　

Unvarnished words from Long Beach.

Long Beach, California. In this West Coast city that has birthed numerous artists, there is a rapper with a unique presence. His name is

DiSAINT.

Heavy basslines, smooth synthesizers, and a low-echoing baritone voice. His music breathes with the traditional sound of West Coast Hip-Hop.

However, his lyrics are by no means flashy.

They depict memories of the city where he grew up, things lost, trust and betrayal, and how he faces his own past.

He does not like to turn his experiences into beautiful stories.

Rather than proudly talking about surviving, he tries to look at what was lost and what went wrong in the process.

That is what characterizes the music of the artist known as DiSAINT. 　

ROOTS IN LONG BEACH

The town that made him

[Photo: Long Beach streetscape / The neighborhood where he spent his childhood] 　

Born in Long Beach, California, in 1978. 　 Growing up in a working-class family, home was not necessarily a place of peace for DiSAINT during his childhood. 　 Starting to seek a place for himself outside the house, he eventually began hanging out in local garages.

Ray, an older biker he met during his youth, is an important figure to him.

The time spent in the garage was not just for learning how to handle machinery. Sharing meals, having idle chats, and spending time with people who accepted him. There was a sense of belonging there that was different from home. 　 However, that environment was not always safe. 　 The events he experienced when he was young would have a major impact on his later musical activities. 　 DiSAINT does not tell his past as a heroic saga. He does not turn a blind eye to the mistakes or responsibilities that were there. 　 To him, the past is not something to be proud of, but something that still exists as a part of him today. 　

FINDING HIS OWN VOICE

Music as a method of expression

[Photo: Recording studio] 　 Music is not just a job for Vincent. 　 It is also a means to leave behind experiences and emotions that are difficult to put into words, in his own way. 　 His musical roots show strong influences from West Coast Hip-Hop, Gangsta Rap, and G-Funk. 　 Heavy, deep bass, dark and smooth synths, and dry drums. Layered over that is a low, calm voice and a rap style that feels like placing words down one by one. 　 Rather than showing off flashy techniques, he gives weight to the words themselves. 　 Even in songs dealing with anger, he rarely lets his emotions explode recklessly. Because of his restrained narrative style, the strength of the emotions he occasionally shows stands out. 　 His artist name, "DiSAINT," is a coined word combining "DIS" and "SAINT." 　 It contains irony toward himself for not being a saint, and his own stance of not forcibly justifying the past. 　

BORROWED TIME

An album for reclaiming his own life

[Photo: Album cover for "BORROWED TIME"] 　 The indie album "BORROWED TIME," released around 2003, is an essential work for understanding the current DiSAINT. 　 The title means exactly what it says: "Borrowed Time." 　 Time that, while being his own life, was shaped by other people's circumstances, environments, and choices. It is an introspective work that looks back on a life that was supposed to be his own. 　 The tracklist includes songs that strongly reflect his experiences and values, such as "DON’T CALL IT GLORY," "THEY USED US," and "OLD MAN’S GARAGE." 　 In "DON’T CALL IT GLORY" in particular, he depicts a rejection of glorifying past hardships. 　 What is there is not a heroic tale of a winner. It is a strong will that does not want the fact of survival to be easily turned into a beautiful story. 　 While the sound is based on early 2000s West Coast Hip-Hop, it has a dark, introspective atmosphere throughout. 　 Although there was no large-scale commercial promotion, the work gradually became known to underground listeners. 　 And now, his music is starting to attract attention from music industry figures around Los Angeles.

[Photo: Back cover of the album "BORROWED TIME"] 　

BEYOND THE MUSIC

Vincent Caruso off-stage

　 Outside of his musical activities, Vincent spends his time within a relatively limited circle of relationships. 　 Music production, motorcycle maintenance, time in the garage. The Harley-Davidson he has been riding for years is not just a means of transportation for him. 　 Understanding the structure of the machine, maintaining it with his own hands, and gradually making it his own. He has a craftsman-like side that enjoys such tasks. 　 In contrast to his heavy presence on stage, he is usually a man of few words, though he is said to crack dry jokes with those close to him. 　 He has no interest in grandiosely performing a persona. 　 The persona discussed in his music and the human being living his daily life. The two are not completely separate, but they are not necessarily the same either. 　

WHAT COMES NEXT?

To the next stage

[Photo: Live performance / DiSAINT on stage]

As of 2006, DiSAINT is continuing his underground activities while trying to move to the next level.

Major record labels showing interest in his musicality have begun to appear, but no formal contract has been reached at this point.

Moving to a larger stage is a new possibility for him, but at the same time, it is a question of how much he can keep his music as his own.

It is not yet known what choices he will make in the future.

Only one thing is certain: DiSAINT is not trying to cast aside his past and play a new version of himself.

His music still starts from Long Beach.

And what will he find beyond that?

We want to keep an eye on his future activities.