Exclusive Sika Studios Interview

Date: 22/01/13

Author: Administrator

Underground collective SIKA Studios crew have been putting in work for years, known for their increase in creativity at at a number of festivals. SIKA's reputation has grown due to their high quality graffiti, circus shows and also their workshops at the festivals. They also produce some heavy clothing and have recently set up SIKA prints and SIKA records with a lot more projects in the pipe line.

Sika Studios are furthering the growth of underground artists and putting together some of the sickest line ups I've ever seen. Recently Sika Studios went back to the NASS festival for the third time bringing rappers, DJ's, Graffiti artists, jugglers, beatboxers, fire spinners, singers and a lot more. Their long list of rappers/DJ's who joined them at the biggest hip hop festival is almost endless, featuring Dirty Dike, Ronnie Bosh, Bill Shakes, Jman, Jam Baxter, 3 Amigos, Fliptrix, Don't Flop, DJisGOD, BVA MC, The Four Owls and many more.

We've caught up with Sika Studios to get an exclusive interview, so let's get into it.

Sika Studios Interview

Easy, cheers for dropping through. Firstly, can you explain exactly what Sika is for those not in the know?

A underground movement brought to you by heads from across the UK. We specialize in all elements of UK Hip Hop and many other audio and visual arts.

And what made you decide to start it?

It wasn’t just me that started it all. It was me and a few heads from Plymouth. But after having my yard raided too many times and receiving continued police harassment and undergoing investigation for graffiti etc. I took a look around and realized that there are so many talented underground artists that their society is just fucking over so I decided to get these heads all together and push them forward as a stronger unit, festivals was the first real exposure for us back then. This is when the UK Hip Hop scene was very dry.

How many people are involved and who’s the extended family?

Uhh that’s a long one. Numbers for artists that we book regularly and consider family is roughly 70 deep but that’s just the music side of things. On top of that we have all thevisual artists/performers + crew so well over 100 in total. With the tight core crew what organize it all behind the scenes were talking 20 heads tops but it is always growing from year to year. I wouldn’t like to say all the names as its long and would be deep if I forgot someone!

I read that you first started the clothing line to get funds together for the other ventures; did you look at securing any official funding? If so, did you get a positive reception to the idea of a Hip Hop influenced company?

Naah, funding has always been off our own backs, I did speak to a few places but my understanding of them was that they were not there to support me because I was studying and not on the dole or fresh from jail at the time.

Looking back to a few years ago, was this all in the plan, or has it grown beyond your control? What do you think has made it what it is?

I dreamed of it all working out like this! With the UK Hip Hop scene popping off and being where it is at right now. SIKA has grown with the new age of UK Hip Hop to the point that the work load is well beyond my personal control but thankfully we have a strong crew who are dedicated to the cause and allow us to deliver and live up to the name every time.

We were lucky to link with other underground businesses in the early stages, like TOP BILLIN and AEON festival, so shouts to them but SIKA is what it is because of the people who make it happen and the fact we have never been on a straight money tip. We just looking to link, support and promote the underground scene so eventually in the future everybody will be able 2 live off what they love doing alongside each other. I feel you always have to have goals in what you do

This is a past event and tickets are no longer on sale.

Are there any particular heads in the hip hop scene that have helped give you a leg up, or any defining moments in the growth of Sika?

Yea there is a load of heads what have helped us and come along to play for free to all our events back in the day. The most defining point for us was AEON festival back in 2009 when we did our first festival stage that brought all the heads together from across the UK to host the biggest UK Hip Hop line up I had ever seen or heard of at a festival.

I rah put myself in a the deep end on that one as had never run anything like that before and somehow pulled it off! I do remember thinking the day after that I will never want to do that again as I felt physically aged and mentally younger (both in a bad way) after the festival finished. However in 2012 SIKA hosted 6 UK Hip Hop based music stages at festivals and was involved in a further 4!

Check out the Sika Clothing range over at SikaStudios.co.uk.

Has there been any moments where things just weren’t going right and you felt like packing it all in? What got you through?

After we were living, printing and renovating a squatted house what had been abandoned for time. The pigs knocked the doors down waking us up in full riot gear took all our paint and computers / other “evidence” and arrested everybody in the house. I was bailed with conditions that made It impossible for me to legally get my stuff back. It later turned out that they could “help me if i grassed in some next heads. Losing my positions was a low point and I did consider a change of direction. I do feel that life is all about making a positive from a negative so I decided it wasn’t about Plymouth and its sometimes backward views/ways so SIKA re-located where we are based to this day in the midlands.

You run festival stages as well.... What gigs been your highlight so far? And what’s coming this summer?

Ha I should have read all the questions before answering em eh? Hehe… highlight… ohhh its all such a blur of sikness to be honest. Each festival has its own strengths and weaknesses from year to year. You will be able to see a load of new SIKA festival stages and the new clothing range. More details to come soon… check the facebooks! Sika Clothing

What advice would you give to young hip hop heads wanting to get into the industry in a similar way?

Get in touch with us when you have got some fire material rather than just putting any shit out to us or the public. There is way too much waste out there polluting the scene. Hold it down and get your shit tight before promoting your music fully as its harder to change a reputation than it is to make a new one!

Where do you see Sika heading in the future?

I see the new projects; SIKA prints and SIKA records to be supporting the underground scene with exclusive deals and at the same time rinsing the commercial world for everything we can get! FUCK THEIR SOCIATY – check the T-shirt!

I see the clothing / festival stages and events progressing even further and SIKA studios continuing to be at the top in the UK Hip Hop and underground scenes brand names.

We have a lot more to come from the brand and even more next shit but at the moment we are keeping it to ourselves! Too many snakes and copy cats! What do you think of the state of the UK Hip Hop scene at the minute, and what’s the key to progression? UK Hip Hop is in a complete 100% big, don, dappa, SIKA, bad man, state of nangness at the moment with even more positive progression to come. The main thing is that we keep on bringing more unique heads through so the scene doesn’t become stale and keeps evolving!

So what artists are you feeling?

Oh dear! Uhhh being on how late I have been sorting this interview out (half a year) and how little time at the moment im going to just say that… Im happy to say that im very very lucky to have been able to book almost every UK Hip Hop artist I feel! SIKA is now expanding to in 2013 not just supporting UK Hip Hop but every other decent underground artist doing positive things!

Thanks for inviting us in to do the interview and nuff respect for all the work ya putting in! Woooha!