What happens when your creativity doesn’t fit neatly inside one genre?
For Saint, also known as St. Clair Du-Berry, the answer has been to stop forcing it.
The Atlanta-area alternative rap and hip-hop artist, producer, and creative has built a journey that stretches across musical theater, acting, songwriting, production, independent music, faith, and personal growth. His sound pulls from hip-hop, electronic music, gospel influences, sampling, and lived experience—without asking any one category to completely define it.
On Episode 52 of Sculpt N Create, host Trea Da Fit Artist sits down with Saint to explore how a shy kid who first stepped onto the stage through The Wiz eventually became an independent artist producing and releasing his own music.
But the conversation goes deeper than genre.
Saint opens up about the freedom and responsibility of being independent, learning how to market music after creating it, discovering listeners around the world, turning pain and relationships into records, carrying his faith into his artistry, and how family and loss helped shape his deeply personal project Agape Vision.
His story raises a bigger question for any creative trying to build something authentic:
Does finding your lane mean choosing one box... or learning how to make all of your influences belong to you?
What Does Alternative Rap Mean to Saint?
“Alternative rap” can mean different things depending on the artist.
For Saint, it creates space to experiment.
His music can incorporate electronic textures, samples, unconventional arrangements, motivational themes, gospel influences, and different approaches to traditional hip-hop structure.
That freedom matters because Saint doesn’t necessarily view himself as belonging to one genre at all.
He describes himself as genreless.
That creates an interesting tension for an independent artist. Genres help listeners, streaming platforms, search engines, and music publications understand where an artist belongs. But those same categories can become restrictive when the music begins moving in different directions.
The challenge becomes finding enough definition for people to discover the music without allowing that definition to dictate what comes next.
During the conversation, Trea and Saint also explore a larger issue: how audiences can place expectations on artists—particularly Black artists—based on what they already associate with them.
If listeners discover someone through hip-hop, will they follow that artist into something electronic, alternative, gospel-influenced, or completely unexpected?
Saint is still figuring out where his music fits commercially.
Creatively, though, he wants room to explore.
Why Independent Music Gives Saint Creative Freedom
For Saint, being an independent music artist means having control over what he creates.
There isn’t a label executive deciding what his next song must sound like or whether a particular experiment fits the image someone has built around him.
He can produce.
Write.
Sample.
Change structures.
Move between sounds.
And follow an idea simply because he wants to hear where it goes.
But independence comes with another reality:
Making the music and getting people to hear the music are two different jobs.
Without the marketing infrastructure of a major label, independent artists often become their own promoters, strategists, networkers, and creative directors.
Saint has experienced that firsthand.
His streaming analytics have shown him that listeners in places including Africa and Europe have connected with his work. That taught him something important: the audience most receptive to an independent artist’s music may not be the audience immediately surrounding them.
Finding those people, however, requires work.
Podcast appearances, collaborations, performances, networking, social media, streaming promotion, and other forms of visibility have increasingly become part of Saint’s strategy.
He has also begun reconsidering how quickly he releases music.
Earlier in his journey, creating something new often meant wanting to release it immediately. After building a catalog that includes multiple albums and EPs, Saint now sees value in giving individual releases more time.
Instead of always asking, What can I drop next?, there is another question:
Have I done everything I can with what I already released?
For independent artists, that can be just as important as making the next song.
How Saint Produces and Writes His Songs
Saint’s songwriting process often begins without words.
The beat comes first.
Before producing his own music, Saint worked with leased and royalty-free instrumentals. As he learned production, however, he gained another level of control over his creative process.
Now he can create the sonic environment before deciding what needs to be said inside it.
The ambience, drums, textures, samples, and overall feeling of the production help determine where his writing goes.
From there, Saint often writes from what he describes as a stream-of-consciousness place. A song may reflect what he is experiencing emotionally at that particular time, whether that means relationships, pain, confidence, frustration, faith, or simply something he needs to get off his chest.
He also doesn’t feel obligated to follow the traditional verse-chorus-verse formula.
A chorus might come first.
Sections might move.
An arrangement might change because the record feels better that way.
Even the song title often arrives after the music has already started revealing what it wants to become.
That process is one reason “alternative rap” makes sense as a description of Saint’s work—even if it doesn’t completely define him.
Sampling and Turning Musical Influence Into Something New
Sampling is another important part of Saint’s production style.
He enjoys taking pieces of existing music and manipulating them—chopping a section, changing its pitch, looping certain moments, adding drums, and building a different sonic environment around it.
One example he discusses on Sculpt N Create is “Romance Scam,” a relationship-centered record built using a manipulated sample from Frank Ocean’s “Ivy.”
The significance isn’t simply the source of the sample.
It is what Saint does with it.
Hip-hop has a long history of artists and producers hearing something inside an existing recording that other listeners might miss. A few seconds can become the foundation for an entirely different emotional experience.
For Saint, producing his own music means the instrumental itself becomes part of his storytelling.
He isn’t simply rapping over the beat.
He is helping build the world the lyrics live inside.
From The Wiz and Acting to an Independent Music Career
Long before Saint was releasing alternative hip-hop, he was performing someone else’s material.
His creative journey began around age 12.
Saint’s father heard a radio advertisement for auditions for a production of The Wiz and encouraged his son to try out. Saint was shy, but he auditioned—and landed the role of the Wizard.
Something clicked.
The experience led to more musical theater and acting opportunities. He would eventually return to The Wiz in another production, this time playing the Tin Man, and perform in shows including Babes in Arms.
His acting journey later took him west, including time pursuing opportunities in California.
Saint discusses working on projects that included a Disney-related healthy-living production and serving as a stand-in/photo double on Earth to Echo.
But eventually another form of storytelling began calling him.
Music.
While living in Nevada, Saint decided he wanted to make a song. With basic equipment and a willingness to learn, he began teaching himself how to record.
By around 2019, he was pursuing music more seriously.
The transition didn’t erase his acting background.
It gave him another way to use it.
Why Music Became Saint’s Way to Tell His Own Story
Acting gave Saint a stage. Music gave him authorship.
Actors can bring enormous creativity to a role, but ultimately they are often interpreting a character and story someone else created.
Songwriting allowed Saint to speak directly from his own experiences.
Rap was especially suited to that.
The density of words available in a verse gave him space to unpack thoughts, tell stories, express emotion, and communicate things he didn’t always feel could be captured the same way through singing.
That distinction helps explain the range of subjects throughout Saint’s catalog.
When Trea asks him to describe his sound, Saint points toward pain, struggle, and the confidence that can grow from those experiences.
Some records are motivational.
Some are vulnerable.
Some are aggressive.
Some contain gospel elements.
Some carry enough energy that listeners have told him they belong in a workout playlist or the club.
The mood changes.
The person creating it remains the connective tissue.
Pain, Confidence, and Faith in Saint’s Music
Faith has remained part of Saint’s story throughout his creative evolution.
He grew up in church and identifies as Christian. His mother played an important role in instilling that foundation in him.
Saint even jokes during the conversation about hearing his mother’s voice in his head when his music begins drifting too far in another direction—as though she is reminding him to put some God and Jesus back into it.
That spiritual influence surfaces in his music without requiring every record to become Christian hip-hop.
One example is “Notorious to Be Glorious,” which Saint includes when Trea challenges him to create a five-song introduction to his music.
His five selections include:
- “Notorious to Be Glorious”
- “Angles”
- “I’m Venting”
- “Sentimental Vibrations”
- “Flight 705”
The variety within that short playlist reinforces something Saint repeatedly demonstrates throughout the interview:
There isn’t only one version of his sound.
Methylene Blue: Music for Getting It Off Your Chest
One side of that range appears on Methylene Blue.
Saint describes the project as containing more of the emotions that need to be released—anger, bravado, confidence, and the feeling of getting something off your chest.
Tracks including “Chops and Stomps,” “I’m Venting,” and “Blow Your House Down” represent some of that more aggressive energy.
Rather than treating those emotions as contradictory to his reflective or faith-centered material, Saint allows them to coexist.
People contain different emotional states.
So can music.
Interestingly, Saint was still actively promoting Methylene Blue even after releasing his next project.
That reflects his changing philosophy around music releases.
A new record doesn’t automatically mean the previous project has finished its life.
Sometimes the music needs more time—and more promotion—to find the people it was created for.
Agape Vision: Love, Family, Faith, and Forgiveness
If Methylene Blue releases pressure, Agape Vision looks inward.
The title carries a direct connection to Saint’s family.
His parents’ first church building together in Atlanta was Alpha and Omega Agape Outreach Ministry. “Agape,” with its connection to love, became especially fitting for a project exploring family, relationships, forgiveness, and personal growth. Riverside’s original episode article similarly identified Agape Vision as the point where many of these themes converge.
The project includes seven tracks:
- “Doppler Effect”
- “Parallax Perspective”
- “The Side Effects” featuring Steel
- “The Ballerina”
- “The Wedding Bells”
- “The Shy Guy”
- “WWJD”
Saint describes the project as touching different forms of relationships—the relationship with a romantic partner, relationships with family, and the ups and downs that come with both.
There is also the weight of losing his parents.
As Saint has gotten older, forgiveness and letting go have become increasingly important themes in how he looks at life.
That gives Agape Vision a different emotional center from some of his harder records.
It isn’t evidence that Saint has become a different artist.
It is evidence that the same artist contains different experiences.
One project releases pressure. Another processes love. Both belong to him.
Independent Artists Have to Build More Than Music
There is an uncomfortable reality underneath almost every independent music career:
Talent doesn't automatically create visibility.
Saint has learned that releasing music is only the beginning.
He wants more collaborations.
More features.
More performances.
More podcast appearances.
More networking.
More opportunities to get his music in front of people who may genuinely connect with it.
And while building toward those goals, he is also doing something thousands of independent creatives understand very well:
Working a nine-to-five to help fund the dream.
That part of an artist’s journey rarely looks as exciting as the finished product.
Listeners see the release.
They don’t necessarily see the job helping finance it.
They hear the song.
They don't see the hours spent trying to market it.
They see an artist's growing catalog.
They don't always see the challenge of deciding which project deserves attention next.
Saint is navigating that middle ground—the space between having already created substantial work and reaching the level of exposure he ultimately wants.
And that may be one of the most relatable parts of his story for independent creatives.
How Saint Stays Grounded Outside of Music
Building a creative career requires energy, but constantly creating can also drain it.
Saint discusses several things that help him stay grounded outside of music, including prayer, faith, occasional meditation, learning, motivational and philosophical content, comedy, and video games.
Not everything has to contribute directly to the career.
Sometimes the thing that helps an artist continue creating is having parts of life that don't demand another piece of content.
For Saint, music itself can be an outlet.
But maintaining the person behind the music matters too.
That idea fits naturally within Sculpt N Create and its larger exploration of the physical, personal, and career growth behind artists, entertainers, and creatives.
Saint’s Advice to Creatives: Stay Focused and Dare to Be Different
Toward the end of Episode 52, Trea gives Saint the opportunity to leave listeners with whatever message he believes they need to hear.
Saint brings it back to focus.
Stay focused on what matters.
Don't allow distractions or difficult seasons to completely pull you away from your goals.
Don't be excessively hard on yourself.
Learn to forgive yourself for things you may still be carrying.
And creatively?
Dare to be different.
Try the idea.
Experiment.
See what happens.
If it works, build from it.
If it doesn't, you can try something else.
That philosophy connects almost every chapter of Saint’s journey.
The shy 12-year-old who auditioned for The Wiz.
The actor who pursued opportunities across different states.
The aspiring artist who taught himself how to record.
The producer learning how to shape samples into something personal.
The independent musician discovering listeners across the world.
The son carrying pieces of his parents and his faith into his work.
And the artist still figuring out exactly where all of those pieces will take him.
Saint’s story isn't an argument that artists should reject genres, labels, commercial success, or structure.
It's something simpler:
A category can help describe your art without deciding what your art is allowed to become.
Sometimes finding your lane isn't about choosing one box.
It's about creating enough room for all the pieces of you that belong there.
Frequently Asked Questions About Saint and Alternative Rap
Who is Saint?
Saint, also known as St. Clair Du-Berry, is an alternative rap and hip-hop artist, producer, and creative from the Atlanta area. Before pursuing independent music, his creative background included musical theater and acting.
What kind of music does Saint make?
Saint describes his music as alternative rap and hip-hop but also considers himself genreless. His work can incorporate hip-hop, electronic sounds, samples, motivational themes, gospel influences, experimental song structures, and personal storytelling.
How does Saint make his music?
Saint frequently begins with production and the beat first, allowing the atmosphere of the instrumental to influence his songwriting. He produces music, experiments with sampling and song structure, and often determines the title after the record has begun taking shape.
What is Saint’s Agape Vision about?
Agape Vision explores love, family, relationships, faith, forgiveness, and personal growth. Its title also has a connection to Saint's parents and Alpha and Omega Agape Outreach Ministry, giving the project additional personal meaning.
Was Saint an actor before becoming a music artist?
Yes. Saint began performing through musical theater as a child, including The Wiz, and later pursued acting opportunities. He eventually moved more heavily into music because songwriting and rap gave him another way to tell his own stories.
What is Sculpt N Create Episode 52 about?
Episode 52 features Trea Da Fit Artist's conversation with Saint about alternative rap, independent music, acting, production, songwriting, sampling, faith, family, relationships, personal growth, Methylene Blue, Agape Vision, and building a creative career without forcing yourself into one box.
Hear the Full Conversation on Sculpt N Create
An article can capture the lessons.
It can't completely capture the conversation.
On Episode 52 of Sculpt N Create, Trea Da Fit Artist and Saint go deeper into the experiences behind his music—from childhood theater and acting to producing his own records, navigating independent artistry, dealing with loss, maintaining faith, building an audience, and figuring out where he wants his career to go next.
Listen to Episode 52 of Sculpt N Create featuring Saint to hear the full conversation and the story behind the artist who refuses to let one creative box define what comes next.
