Saint Jhn, the Guyanese-American singer and rapper, has refuted claims of being influenced by Nigerian afrobeats artist Divine Ikubor, widely recognized as Rema.
The artist, known for his hit "Brown Skin Girl,"
made this clarification following a fan's assertion that his recent afro-themed
single, "Humble," bore a significant resemblance to Rema's style.
Saint Jhn acknowledged Rema's talent but stated that he has not listened to
enough of his music to draw any influence from it. In a response on X, he
remarked, “Nah, he’s dope.
But I haven’t heard enough to be influenced.” Born Carlos
St. John Phillips, Saint Jhn gained prominence with the 2019 remix of his 2016
track "Roses," which was produced by Kazakh DJ Imanbek.
This remix achieved remarkable success, reaching the top
five of the US Billboard Hot 100 and securing the number one position in
several countries, including Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Ireland, New
Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
The track served as the lead single for his third studio
album, "While the World Was Burning," released on November 20, 2020.
Prior to this, he launched his debut album, "Collection One," in
2018, followed by "Ghetto Lenny’s Love Songs" in 2019 under L.A.
Reid’s Hitco label.
Additionally, he has penned songs for various artists,
including Kanye West, Jidenna, Usher, Hoodie Allen, and Kiesza, and is a
founding member of the music collective Gødd Complexx.