At just 16 years old, Saint Tatum (né Ben Scott) is already creating music that feels years ahead of him.
Born and raised in eastern Canada, his life has been shaped by a mix of cultural experiences. He spent time living with both an African family and what he calls a typical American-like household. That duality shaped not only how he sees the world but how he hears it too. “Living in an African family… it did get me into hip hop a little bit more,” he says.
His new EP, Are You Awake Yet, captures that blend of lived experience and raw feeling. The title is more than just a phrase. It represents a moment of reflection on the cycles people fall into. “Some people go down paths consciously knowing what they’re doing every day they shouldn’t be doing… and they just stay in that path, and they’re not awake yet,” he explains.
Saint Tatum’s sound, which he describes as a “chiller trap vibe,” is steeped in emotion. Influenced by artists like Lil Skies and Nav, he respects the comparisons but knows his sound has its own unique energy. “I personally think I have my own flavour… I’m not saying better, I’m saying different.”
That energy can be heard in tracks like “Don’t Ask Me Why,” which he says is a fan favorite. The song was built with intention and emotion at its core. “When I made that song, I just had multiple different layers,” he says. “Each layer, I had a different thought that I would try and stick to in my mind… and record with that emotion in the vocals.” It’s the kind of song that doesn’t just sound good. It *feels* like something.
He also highlights “Pretty Boy Life” as a personal favorite. “The vocals are good too, but the beat—I just feel like you could listen to that beat forever.” That connection to the beat is no accident. Saint Tatum usually begins the creative process with the instrumental and builds from there. “I just sit there, and I’ll have a flow come through my head… I just do it until I like it.”
Music, for him, isn’t a hustle or a goal. It’s simply who he is. “It’s not motivation. It’s not determination. It’s passion,” he says. “When I’m making music, I’m not even working… It’s what I’d be doing anyway.” That kind of love for the craft keeps him steady, even as he navigates the challenges of being a young artist in a competitive space. “Getting it into the right people’s faces—that’s definitely the hardest,” he admits.
Still, he remains focused. His goal isn’t fame. It’s connection. “I do want them to see me, but the way they see me after they see me is up to them,” he says. “It’s good if they don’t want to listen to it ever again. I just like that I get to have a place to put my world out.”
Are You Awake Yet is a sonic snapshot of an artist coming into his own. Saint Tatum is still young, but his passion runs deep, and his voice is only getting stronger. “Music is more than just… You build a relationship with it,” he says. For him, that relationship is everything.
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