We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Amari Hunter. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Amari below.

Amari, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The most meaningful project I’ve ever created is my upcoming 2025 album, PINK VERSACE FLAME CHILD. This album isn’t just a story—it’s a journey through different timelines and possibilities, tracing my own highs and lows, and the complex realities I’ve lived through. It reflects on pivotal moments, showing how life’s paths can twist and turn, ultimately leading us somewhere inevitable.

It begins with my childhood, caught in the crossfire of violence—drive-bys, domestic abuse—and how those early experiences shaped who I am today. This part of the album sets the foundation, revealing how I was forced to grow up fast and deal with adult problems while still a kid. As I got older, I relied on coping mechanisms like drinking and isolating myself from loved ones, trying to figure out the root of my depression. But there’s no clear resolution, no simple answers.

The album also explores my struggle with my sexuality—something I’ve questioned for years. To this day, I still wrestle with how true I can be to myself, and that tension is woven throughout the project. It also touches on forgiveness, particularly towards my father, and on my experiences with fame—meeting influential people and wondering if their motives are genuine. In darker moments, the album recalls my time in the hospital, where I grappled with the overwhelming sense of death during seizures. It’s about the loss of that youthful feeling of immortality, replaced by the growing awareness of life’s fragility.

There’s a distinct shift in the narrative when it delves into the disconnection between Saint Deon, my artist persona, and Amari, my true self. This duality—the back-and-forth between who I am and who the world sees—is a key theme, representing the inner conflict that has defined much of my life.

The album’s title holds deep symbolic meaning. Pink reflects my sexuality, a part of me that’s always been complex. Versace represents my greed—not just for material things, but for success, for the ability to support my family and friends. I’ve always wanted more, whether it’s to help those I love or simply to satisfy my own desires. Flame represents my anger—often irrational, sometimes justified, but always burning. And Child stands for the innocence I lost too soon, the part of me that longs for peace and simplicity, the version of me that existed before I was exposed to death and violence, before I became numb to the loss of it all.

As the album progresses, there’s a sense of slipping further away from that light, drifting into something darker and more uncertain. The ending doesn’t bring resolution or peace—it leaves you with the feeling that the inevitable has arrived, though it’s not spelled out. PINK VERSACE FLAME CHILD is ultimately about navigating love, heartbreak, anger, and the weight of existence. It’s a reminder that time chases us all, and for some, the chase ends sooner than we expect.

Amari, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m Saint Deon, a producer, songwriter, rapper, and singer originally from Anchorage, Alaska, now based in Seattle. I’ve been creating music since I was 11 years old, but my journey has been shaped by more than just beats and melodies. Growing up, I faced a lot of hardships—violence, loss, and inner turmoil—things that I’ve translated into my work as a way to process and share those experiences with others.

Musically, I create across genres—from EDM to Indie to Hip-Hop—because I believe in the power of versatility. Each genre allows me to express a different side of myself, and my upcoming album “PINK VERSACE FLAME CHILD” is the most personal project I’ve ever worked on. This album is a reflection of my life, exploring themes of identity, sexuality, forgiveness, and inner conflict. It represents the struggle between who I present to the world as Saint Deon and who I truly am as Amari, while also touching on themes of love, anger, and loss. I’ve navigated those feelings by mixing and engineering my own music, ensuring that every piece of work is directly connected to me.

I’m proud of the performances I’ve done—opening for Macklemore and ASAP Ferg, headlining Tacoma Block Party, and performing at Capitol Hill Block Party and SXSW—but what I’m most proud of is the community I’ve built around my work. I’m surrounded by artists from all different mediums, and that collective energy pushes me to keep creating and exploring new boundaries.

What sets me apart is the rawness of my art. I don’t shy away from difficult topics or the complexities of life. My ultimate mission is to create work that resonates with people, offering a space where they can feel understood, especially those who have faced similar struggles. For me, it’s about more than just creating music—it’s about storytelling, connecting with others, and providing a soundtrack for those navigating their own journeys.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

One thing I think non-creatives often struggle to understand about the journey of a creative is the deeply personal nature of the work we produce. For me, music isn’t just a job or a product—it’s a reflection of my inner world. Whether it’s exploring my struggles with identity, grappling with difficult emotions like anger or grief, or processing trauma, the art I create is an extension of my lived experiences.

Non-creatives may not see the emotional weight behind every decision—the late nights spent perfecting a sound, the vulnerability of putting a piece of your soul into a song, and the challenge of presenting that to the world without knowing how it will be received. Creating something so personal and then sharing it publicly requires a level of emotional bravery that’s difficult to explain if you’ve never experienced it.

Another aspect is the inconsistency of the creative process. Unlike more structured jobs, creativity doesn’t always operate on a schedule. There are periods of intense productivity, but there are also times when inspiration just doesn’t come, and the pressure to produce something meaningful during those lulls can be overwhelming.

Ultimately, the journey is about balancing vulnerability with resilience—pushing through self-doubt, dealing with external pressures, and finding ways to turn life’s chaos into something that resonates with others. Hopefully, by sharing this, I can provide a little insight into what it means to live and create as an artist.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My creative journey is driven by a desire to be as honest and vulnerable as possible through my music. My main mission is to create art that resonates with people on a deep emotional level—especially those who feel unseen, unheard, or misunderstood. My work is rooted in personal experiences: growing up around violence, grappling with identity, exploring my sexuality, and navigating fame and mental health.

I want my music to be a place where listeners can feel a sense of connection, like they’re not alone in their struggles. Through my projects, particularly my upcoming album “PINK VERSACE FLAME CHILD”, I aim to open up conversations about issues we often avoid—like mental health, anger, and the complexities of identity. My goal is to turn my personal experiences into something universal, offering comfort or even just a soundtrack for someone else’s journey. It’s about being raw, real, and human in an industry that sometimes values image over substance.

Ultimately, I’m trying to create music that outlasts trends and makes a lasting impact by being as true to myself as possible. Through that authenticity, I hope to inspire others to embrace their own complexities and find their way through the highs and lows of life.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saint.deon/?hl=en
• Other: spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3KW8J29TYxmSTzbCwzsJNl

Image Credits

Ben (Macklemore) Haggerty, Jake Magraw, Antone Galileo