By David Jenkin

When did you start SlikourOnLife and why? What has the journey been like?

I started SlikourOnLife in December 2013 and it’s still a journey, but the purpose was to create a communication platform that will reflect the artists from their own perspective. In that way, the consumer or the fans will get an honest account of what it means to work in the industry. I’m trying to bring the human aspect of the artist across and also make their music accessible.

How big is the team, and is there much leg-work or do the artists approach you when they have something new to showcase or talk about?

We have a team of eight people and growing. With the artists, its mutual. They approach me for the music placement and I approach them for the interviews or vice versa.

Having recently made a film about authenticity in branding, Brands Doing Dope Sh*t, what are your thoughts on being a documentary film-maker? Would you like to make more films?

I don’t think much about what I do, but I do know I want to make more long format content. I always toy around with ideas but I haven’t really got to a point where I write and follow up on creating what I’ve written. Short version of the answer: yes.

What kinds of changes have you witnessed in the local music industry since the early days of Skwatta Kamp? How have things changed?

I think business has embraced our culture more than they did ten years ago with kwaito and even hip hop in its inception. Brands are trying to learn and some are still playing cut and paste. I think the overwhelming ripeness of the business and the pace of the internet is not allowing artists and managers to develop their craft and represent their talent properly. There are more opportunities today and, unfortunately, some of the new talent is not prepared to expand on it and brands also haven’t discovered how to completely build on it. Which means there’s a lot of opportunity for both worlds to learn and my idea with Brands Doing Dope Sh*t is a platform that I want to extend to a workshop where both these worlds meet, learn and build.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

The fact that I’m involved in something I love, which is urban music, and I’m also in a position to bring the world of urban culture and business in one room to help build authentic relationships and ground-breaking strategies is what keeps me going. I feel I have a purpose to not only show the power of music but to also show the stories of the people that are touched by the music and if brands are willing to be a part of that, we’re automatically broadcasting an authentic South African truth.

For more information, visit www.slikouronlife.co.za.