Rapper Saintfloew has said that, contrary to popular belief, he was not discovered by Holy Ten, but instead sought out the man who eventually became his rival and they began a partnership before things soured between them.

Saintfloew and Holy Ten have had a long-running feud, with Holy accusing his fellow wordsmith of biting the hand that once fed him.

In an interview with DJ Ollah on his podcast, Saintfloew said he was surprised by Holy Ten’s suggestion that he had given him a career leg up.

“Holy ten did not make me. He is not someone who found me hungry. No. I was the one looking for him before he looked for me. I was the one who took my project to him and said listen to this and maybe we can do a feature. I did not suggest that we eat and live together,” he said.

Saintfloew suggested that Holy Ten had started looking for him when he realized his music was good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t71-2mKXDoc

“He was doing functions and I said if you can put your verse on that item, it would be 100 percent flames. But when I sent it, it was already 100 percent flames. He then came looking for me after he realized that I had a good thing going.

“We got together and did the feature and then he said Young man, come to the studio. It’s not because I didn’t have a studio to record in, because having the material I did showed that I already had a studio,” he said.

Saintfloew also revealed that he had fallen out with his mother when he started abusing drugs.

“I couldn’t even get along with my mother anymore. She would tell me that you are no longer the child I raised… Ever since I started doing drugs, I have not felt like myself anymore.

“There’s a normal person’s ego but when you take drugs you feel like you’ve stuffed it,” he said.

The rapper said his drug use was influenced by the type of environment he grew up in.

Saintfloew said he had rediscovered himself when he checked into a rehab center in South Africa.

“Rehab is helpful. It’s a new thing, a place you go when you’re removed from places that make you attracted to drugs. You get to learn and talk to other addicts a lot.

“We would sit down in groups and talk about the problems that have driven you towards drugs, from your childhood onwards,” he said.