In Conversation: Sian Anderson

Sian Anderson just keeps climbing the ladder of success...

If you were to look at Sian Anderson’s CV, you’d be amazed at how much she’s been able to accomplish. Exceling herself in a number of positions in music PR, journalism, radio and much more, she’s proven that she knows a little bit about music.

With her work, Sian has been pushing the grime scene, making sure that it is always on our radar. Through her radio show #SiansStudio on BBC Radio 1Xtra, she’s been debuting the finest tracks and opening our eyes to the rising talents in grime.

Sian has continued to spread her love of grime music, DJing up and down the country and around the world. At the same time, she hasn’t been afraid to give the industry some tough love when needed through her journalism.

As she continues her domination, we caught up with the broadcaster to get her opinion on a few things…

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You've been incredibly successful in weaving your way through some great roles in music. What are your major keys to advancing yourself in the industry?
Thank you. The key of all keys would be being good at what you do. Because the music industry is such a creative space and thrives off of practical work, people will give you opportunities all the time to see what you bring to the table. Knowing which opportunities to accept and be good at is pivotal because everything is so public, when your work is released employers will immediately know how much you put into it, how good you were at it, whether they should use you again. I make sure I put 100% into any job I do and that’s what has allowed me to still exist ten years in.

The second major key would be to ensure you’re not a jack of all trades and master at none. Job roles in music tend to cross over so you have to be careful not to take on too many different roles and not excel at any of them because you’re busy splitting your time between them all. I mastered journalism before I became a PR, mastered PR before I became a Marketing Manager, mastered that, all the while learning how to be a DJ and presenter and now I’m learning how to be the best DJ I can be.

Last major key is STAND FOR SOMETHING!!! I have stood for grime music, young people and bridging the gap between the underground and the mainstream my whole career and never ever wavered from that. If you stand for nothing you’ll fall for everything.

We've seen grime go in and out of popularity in the mainstream. Do you think that grime music is here to stay now that bigger radio stations are fully embracing it?
I hear about a resurgence of grime every couple of years and it always makes me chuckle because grime has always been popular in my space. Grime is here to stay whether it remains popular in the mainstream or gets radio support or not. The day that young people aren't oppressed any more is the day that grime stops being popular. Until then, young people are going to carry on talking about their struggle over emotional instrumentals and young people who are related are going to listen to it.

Radio support is great but it’s not the thing that’s going to sustain grime, it’s the thing that’s going to help it move forward.

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If you stand for nothing you’ll fall for everything.

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With grime taking a bigger place on the music scene, do you think there's ever a fear of it becoming a little diluted or commercialised?
There was in 2012 – 2014 because all the established grime MC's were making cheesy songs but they learned their lesson and went back to the real grime sounds. Nowadays it’s near impossible for a kid on the block to access the kind of instrumental, mix down and master required to make a commercial track to chart with, it takes money and expertise to do that. 80% of mandem on the block making grime are vocalising whatever grime instrumentals they can get their hands on.

Look at Stormzy he came up with 'WickedSkengMan 4' which is an old JME beat and 'Shut Up' was an XTC beat from 2004. AJ Tracey had 'Naila' which Kano had just dropped too and the most popular Mez freestyle on 'Spitfire' is a Rude Kid beat that was given away for free download. Jammz, 'Hit Then Run' was his version of 'Thuggish Ruggish' and it was the catalyst for him.

Those freestyles break the artist to grime’s audience but the journey between those cover tracks and a charting single include mix downs, masters and knowledge on how to get your video to TV, your track to radio and schedule your music on stores. The 20% who do make commercialised grime aren’t outweighing the ones who aren’t for the time being so I think we’ll be alright.

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The day that young people aren't oppressed any more is the day that grime stops being popular.

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Do you think pirate radio stations will forever have their place in grime?
A million percent. They are the most important platform for a grime MC. Artists sometimes moan that they haven’t been in #SiansStudio on 1Xtra and I’m like 'Erm, have you gone to NTS to spit bars on A.G’s show? Have you gone to Mode to spit bars on Spooky's show? Have you been on The Grime Show on Rinse with Spyro? Have you been on Radar with DJ Argue? No? So why are we having this conversation?' If you can’t stand up on a set with five other MCs and a veteran DJ and hold your own, spray your heart out for two hours, and really put in the work then why are you coming on a set on a national radio station with people who have, you’re just going to embarrass yourself.

Pirate radio used to be practice hours for an MC but it’s not just that anymore, the DJs on pirate stations in 2016 are so good and have such big platform as well that you need to be able to master their shows first.

Outside of London, which places have been representing for grime around the UK this year?
Birmingham have Saf One, Trilla, Bomma B, Jaykae, Sox. Nottingham have Mez, Snowy, Kyeza, Manchester have LVLZ, Manchester Hypes, XP, Coventry have Skatta and Subzero this is just me naming a few, and they’ve been around for years representing grime. It’s mad healthy outside of London.

The likes of Drake and Kanye West have helped grime to get some attention in the US. Do you think there's real scope for it to catch on in the States?
I think they helped Skepta get some attention in the US for sure, then Skepta done a fantastic job of making sure he was showcasing other grime artists to his newfound audience. Grime will catch on in the States when they start getting MCs out there to do the rounds, radio, stage shows etc. I can’t imagine Americans who listen to Drake and Kanye West understanding a word a grime artist has to say, especially a regional MC. Imagine being from America and trying to keep up with Mez, someone who spits so fast and has a Nottingham accent. They need to experience it first hand.

I’ve just seen AJ Tracey and Spyro do some US shows and D Double E out in Canada so that’s progressive. Grime DJs have been running the US circuit for a while too but it’s about time they brought some MCs with them and really gave them a first-hand experience. That’s when it will really catch on.

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Bar our families, music is the only thing that’s left that’s ours…

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Different artists in music have had different views on the #BlackLivesMatters movement. Is it important for artists, and big names in the game to speak out about it?
It is. Bar our families, music is the only thing that’s left that’s ours. And by “ours” I mean “the peoples”. Everything else has been infiltrated. In grime, when I see Stormzy, Maxsta, Koder, Novelist etc speak out about any political issue it warms my heart because they’re giving a level of knowledge and understanding to their audiences on subjects that at a young age are so hard to decipher and from a point of view that resonates with me personally. Young people are more likely to listen to a young educated black boy who lives in South London and has a similar upbringing to them, that they’ve been following, than a politician they’ve only just heard of who speaks in language they might not understand.

Even the fact that they talk about it as much as they talk about their music shows, their audience that it’s something they find as important to their future as their music is. In the time that I’ve been following artists like Stormzy, Maxsta, Koder and Novelist I’ve seen that they all have similar morals in general, holding family, friendship, love and religion in high regard. I’m not mad at anyone who finds those things important talking to their fan bases about global injustice or social development.

When it comes to US artists I’ve seen the Game, Snoop Dogg, Beyonce support some serious issues too and they all stand for similar morals. A$AP Rocky has knocked #BlackLivesMatter and as much as he’s my man crush I proper only loved him for his looks, fashion sense and tunes that make me turn up in the clubs – those aren’t the things I look for in a role model, so I don’t expect or want him to be someone held responsible for talking to an audience about things that matter… that’s not what he came here for and people should pay close attention to that.

Who's given us some of the best music this year in your opinion?
Kojey Radical, Tanika, Newham Generals, Skepta, TE dness, Avelino, Capo Lee, Murlo and My Nu Leng.

What's coming up in the year for you Sian?
I’m doing lots of documentaries for the BBC, one for 4Music/Kiss/Box TV, working with VEVO on something new for grime. Monthly I write for The Fader on grime and do mixes for i-D Magazine's SoundCloud with my favourite MCs. I’m playing Egg London on August 26th and Warehouse Project in Manchester on September 23rd and December 3rd, too, so follow me @SianAnderson on Instagram and Twitter and look out for all those dates.

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Words: Nikita Rathod

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