Slikour Interview
With approximately 11 years in the Hip Hop scene. Slikour still mantains his love and passion for the music industry. Bestly known as being part of the succesful Hip Hop group Skwatta Camp, Slikour took off as a solo artist and released his first album Ventilation Mixtape Vol.1 in 2005, followed by Ventilation Mixtape Vol. 2 in 2007. Of his many achievements Slikour won a Metro FM Music Award for Hit Single Of The Year at the 2008 for the record Umsindo in 2008, he presented the leading R1-million award prize alongside Miss South Africa, at the South African award shows including the first ever SABC1 Stars of Mzansi. Slikour co-owns Buttabing Entertainment with Lebo “Shugasmakx” Mothibe ( Skwatta Kamp) , a record label and artist management organisation which was founded in 2002. It is evident that Slikour is a hard worker and he is definitely climbing the ladder of success.
In the interview we focus on Slikour’s personal life, his career and his love for Hip Hop.
YV: Describe Slikour in three words?
Slikour: Cool,calm,collected
YV: How did the name Slikour come about?
Slikour: I used to do my own scurls and id curl the hair on top and put on a lot of jell on the side of my head so it becomes straight. They guys at the basketball started calling me slick cause of the hair.
YV: How were you like growing up?
Slikour: Opinionated, ambitious, excited to be alive,generous, nothing much has changed about me but my age
YV: What inspired you to get into the music industry?
Slikour: The music industry found me I was just always doing music I never saw myself in the industry infact that was a far fetched dream for me.
YV: You are currently hosting the show Jam Alley, how is the experience?
Slikour: Its been a great learning experience for me and its great to come back to the show that helped me start my career 15 plus years later as its host.
YV: What inspires you when you write your lyrics?
Slikour: I got to know what im talking about and it has to be something in my gut that tells me I must say whatever im saying. That’s really it either that Im hardly inspired by anything but the urge to do and say.
YV: Of course we are going to ask about your song titled “Blacks are fools”, what motivated you to write the song?
Slikour: It’s the non progressive thinking that I sometimes see with black south Africans across the board its just not the government its all of us. We lack self love and assurance and that’s the only thing that can make us respect ourselves and trust ourselves to be leaders without cheating ourselves and sincerely shape our future.
YV: How do you think the youth can overcome the challenges their facing?
Slikour: They got to first mentally see themselves out of the challenges and that alone will restructure their perception on life from then on they need to apply themselves to that urge of wanting to be what they envision at all costs.
YV: What’s your take on the SAMA’s changing the Hip Hop category to street Urban category?
Slikour: Randell explained it properly but I still don’t think that was necessary
YV: If you would do collaboration with an international or local hip hop artist, who would you join forces with?
Slikour: I’m never sure whether I want to collaborate with guys or just be in a studio session with them cause im really more a fan of the music so id want to start by seeing some of my favourites in studio and if the urge to be a part of the magic calls I’d get it.
YV: If you were not an artist or presenter which career would you have loved to pursue?
Slikour: Maybe marketing
YV: How would you define success?
Slikour: Only you can know your own success being alive to persue some thing greater than you or where you come from is a blessing. Achieveing it is a reaffirmiation that you can conquer any mountain. I think a repitition of that type of action eventually grooms success.
YV: If you were to write a story about your life, what would the title be?
Slikour: To see beyond by looking within
YV: What’s the craziest and romantic thing you’ve ever done for a woman?
Slikour: I’ve done a few things but you know I’ll keep that for my book
YV: What is the first thing that you do when you wake up?
Slikour: I sit outside my balcony if its not too cold and take in everything for an hour or so and ask God to carry me through the day.
YV: If you were given a chance, would you enter Big Brother?
Slikour: I would infact I was asked last yearbut schedules clashed
YV: Women or Cars?
Slikour: I don’t dream about none I only get whats coming to me and im ok with that.
In other words I can do without both give me a great female friend to love and a car to get to wherever and Im done. Im simple like that or maybe I understand its none of it as much of a challenge if I apply myself.
YV: How many pairs of shoes you own?
Slikour: Shoes maybe three, the rest of the cupboard just has sneakers. I sometimes need a search engine to find the formal shoes in that cupboard lol
YV: If we come to your home and looked inside the refrigerator, what would we find?
Slikour: Ultra Mel
YV: If you could meet anyone in the world dead or alive, who would it be? and what would you say to them?
Slikour: Steve Biko and Robert Sobukwe I’d ask them how did they get our people moral to where it was in such trying times when it should be easier today its actually so much harder
YV: Any other projects you working on at the moment?
Slikour: That will also be in my book
YV: Any advice for the youth who want to get into the Hip Hop industry?
Slikour: The music is not the only avenue into music we need educated dudes to understand finances,legalities marketing and all the other work opportunities music creates> if we all doing the same thing the rest of what matters still wont be owned by us. So get you books up to own more than a master own the business behind the masters.
