Meet Jimmy DaSaint

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Jimmy DaSaint – Author • Artist • Entrepreneur • Producer
From the Streets to the Spotlight

Born and raised in West Philly’s tough Mantua neighborhood, Jimmy DaSaint (James Mathis) faced poverty and street life head-on. Arrested multiple times by 15, he turned things around, graduating high school—the first in his family to do so.

In the early '90s, he founded the rap group Inner City Hustlers (I.C.H.), gaining buzz in Philly's hip-hop scene. But tragedy hit in 1995 with the city’s first quadruple murder, claiming four I.C.H. members. Two years later, Jimmy survived being shot ten times, spending a month in a coma.

Despite the setbacks, I.C.H. rebounded and caught the attention of industry giants like Jadakiss and Jay-Z. In 1999, I.C.H. members Oschino & Sparks signed to Roc-A-Fella. Jimmy was on the verge of a label deal—until a federal indictment in 2000 led to a 10-year prison sentence, the result of a setup by a close friend-turned-FBI informant.

Behind bars, Jimmy discovered his gift for storytelling. Without formal training, he wrote powerful street-lit novels that inmates couldn’t get enough of. His talent landed him a book deal with A&B Distributors, and by the time he was released in 2009, he had three published novels.

Today, Jimmy DaSaint is a prolific author with over 30 books, a music catalog spanning rap and R&B, and several films streaming on Tubi and other platforms. He's been featured in Feds Magazine, Philly Uncut, and on radio stations across the country.

From surviving the streets to redefining street drama literature, Jimmy DaSaint continues to motivate, entertain, and inspire.

Follow the movement. DaSaint is just getting started.