Nobody wants to hear about your swag anymore

Currently based in Jo’burg, Eastern Cape native (or rather, jam, as he refers to himself), Sixfo has been a promising muso with an ambition that matches his diverse musical capabilities and skills for a while now.

Live: Please introduce yourself. Who is Sixfo? Where are you from? etc.

Sixfo: Sixfo is a guy who writes songs about people and for people. The best way to understand the guy is to just listen to the music. Born in Mthatha and raised in Mt Ayliff. A true Eastern Cape gem.

Live: When did you start making music?

Sixfo: I started making music at the age of 13 back in 2006, I was an angry kid and I needed to vent.
My best friend introduced me to Fruity Loops 5, all we had was a pencil mic and some PSP earphones, the rest is history…

Live: You produce, you sing, you rap and you do all of them really well but if you were to choose one, which one would it be?

Sixfo: I like producing music, not in a sense of just making beats and stuff but rather producing songs, giving ideas and stuff and sort of helping create a song, but since I can only choose one…yeah, it’d be producing.

Live: After a couple of years of being indie and a few days ago, you tweeted that you signed to Universal. Please give some insight into how that deal came about.

Sixfo: I believe the Universal deal was imminent yo, I mean being indie was great and all but when you work with people who don’t share the same vision then it becomes a problem. Thanks to the legendary Mr Vusi Leeuw and Stan, I found myself signing the biggest deal of my entire life so…yeah.

Live: In recent years, most artists feel that being signed to a major limits you as an artist and as a business man. I know you haven’t really experienced how being signed to a major label is, but what’s your take on the issue I just mentioned.

Sixfo: I beg to differ, you see in this industry you’re only as your team so if you have a strong team of professionals behind you then you can’t go wrong – indie or major. If you’re gonna work with clueless people who just wanna start a label cause it sounds cool then you’re in for a pretty stagnant career but if you work with a major label which’s done this properly for years – you’re sorted. Trust me, there’s more to it but…yeah.

Live: What was going on between you and Sheer?

Sixfo: signed a licensing deal with Sheer back in my days of naivety and well…we had our differences, so I left and I ended up in yet another bad deal and stuff. But yeah, no hard feelings or whatever.

Live: Even as an independent artist, you were making some remarkable moves. How did you manage to do that?

Sixfo: Research and Maxhoseni. Maxhoseni really had a big hand in some of my achievements if not most not only by hooking me up with the relevant people but also giving me reading material and stuff. And not to brag (’cause I don’t do that) but when you make great music, people will notice and they will play it.

Live: Speaking of your “big brother”, Maxhoseni, he is someone who somehow put you on the map. Could you give an insight into your relationship with him. And is your collaborative album still happening especially since you signed now?

Sixfo: Like I said, Maxhoseni is one of those guys who genuinely want me to succeed and stuff and he’s a pretty cool guy so we formed somewhat of a brotherhood through our music and such. As for the collaboration album, very possible. I mean, yes I’m signed to Universal now but I still co-own my own label and I can release what I want should the time come.

Live: You recently won a slot on Cassper‘s Gusheshe remix on YFM. How did that come about?

Sixfo: Simple. I sent him my verse, he liked it. Mission complete.

Live: And the album, you’ve been going on about it for sometime now. What’s the hold?

Sixfo: The album is in its third year of development and it was supposed to have been available from the 31 August this year but label politics tend to f**k things up, but now that I’m with a PROPER label, the album should be available latest March 2013. I promise.

Live: Who do you look up to in SA?

Sixfo: My mom. Musically…nobody.

Live: If you could change anything about the SA music scene, what would it be?

Sixfo: A lot. I won’t go in to detail.

Live: So what’s next for Sixfo now?

Sixfo: Well, there’s that album I’ve been promising, more hits produced by yours truly and yeah…more stories to tell.

Live: Is there anything you’d like to say to the young musicians out there?

Sixfo: No one wants to hear about your swag anymore.

Twitter: @Sixfo_SA

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Sixfobaby