4.) SyKi On The Rise (Music Groups/Collaborations 2021)
**2021: Local Popularity, FlyAss Ent., Flapjack, Sleepwalking EP**
https://audiomack.com/syki-1/album/sleepwalking-1
2021 was a year where SyKi was involved in a series of self promotion in the local music scene.
SyKi became the opening act at a youth driven variety show event at *The Don Mateman Hall, performing the spoken-word poem 'Deification', a lengthy lyrical piece which would go on to be used as an intro piece for his ANDiTGo album. Apparently this performance was unplanned and SyKi was a stand-in for a martial arts academy who were originally meant to open the show. SyKi also performed an unreleased remix of Kendrick Lamar's 'ADHD' later in the show.
SyKi spoke on topics of his unconventional genres, creative processes, plans for new music, his music journey since his youth, and his lyrics manifesting during his on air interview with radio host *Tyroline Franks, who at the time presented the afternoon show on the local radio station *Eldos FM.
SyKi was also featured in an article in a monthly issue of *The Eldorado Times newspaper, which introduced him to the local community and music scene. Soon after the article was published, it drew the attention of Twiddø ThanX, a versatile hip-hop artist and crew member of *FlyAss Ent., who lived in close proximity of SyKi's then, new living location and called upon SyKi for their first meeting.
FlyAss Ent. or *FlyAss Entertainment was a music crew and creative movement, also involved in creating and selling apparel and offering videography and photography services in addition to their own music videos and short films. SyKi inevitably came to know the other members being artists FLK, Double A Platt, Nino Golden and photographer Jay Visuals. SyKi became friends with the crew, frequently accompanying them on their creative ventures and spent time participating in their freestyle rap sessions, talks about the music industry and explorations of new artists and music.
SyKi had also still been occasionally collaborating with Hooligan Ent. artists, namely Warwick Da.Kidd and Ne Cole, providing features on songs for both of their respective music projects. SyKi had guest verses on Né Cole songs 'Beast Mode' and 'Phases' with the former included in the 'Beast Mode' mixtape, and the "Phases" song becoming a key piece in the "Letter To Né" album. He also had featured on Warwick Da.Kidd's 'I'm The One' and 'Back To Basics', the songs released in close relation to Warwick's "Far From Famous" mixtape.
https://audiomack.com/syki-1/song/phases-syki-verse
SyKi's verse on 'Phases' had piqued much interest of hip-hop producer *Flapjack Davis, who then sought out SyKi through social media and presented the rapper with a set of instrumentals to choose from, resulting in the recording and eventual release of singles 'Light' and 'Circles' by SyKi. 'Circles', easily described as a poetic, fast paced song.
https://audiomack.com/syki-1/song/circles
SyKi had additionally been working as a casual member of the *Eldorado Kartel, a boom-pap, hardcore and old-school & lyrical rap conglomerate, appearing on rap-cypher style crew songs alongside fellow Kartel members such as *Johnny Storm, *Josey Wales and *Cerebro which were often produced by in house producer *TRNQL Daddy. It is said that while SyKi was with the Kartel, there were several songs recorded meant for a full length project, yet only 3 of which were released; 'Keep Up' & 'Screeching Eagle' were released much later as a double-single titled 'SyKi 2.0'. The third song 'Foolish' was released on March 29th, 2021. It was an alternative rap record initially intended for the SyKi 2.0 EP, produced by TRNQL Daddy.
November 14; Sleepwalking EP
In friendship with the FlyAss Ent. group, SyKi spent quite some time with the artists, usually in support of their creative ventures and solo music projects. In a session of exploring upcoming rap artists, Nino Golden introduced SyKi to USA rapper *Sean Leon's music, namely songs such as 'Black Sheep Nirvana' & 'The Rat Race' which made an impression on SyKi to pursue exploration of the sound and create a project of that genre or incorporate elements of it in his music. After having gone several months of no official involvement in FlyAss Ent. content since meeting them, SyKi recorded 4 songs for an EP through the group. The extended play was titled 'Sleepwalking' and consisted of the *Sean Leon inspired songs, being SyKi's final release for that year. The first song on the project "SyKi × ThanX" featured a verse from Twiddø ThanX. Sleepwalking was described as dark and club worthy with heavy basslines and more simplicity in SyKi's rapping style, to better suit the project's commercial music elements. Aesthetically the project was themed to convey a 'sleepwalking' kind of lostness in night life, intoxicating substances and incorporate ideas relating to SyKi's pursuit of material wealth as a successful artist in the music industry.
The EP would also be considered as the last musical work by SyKi created in Eldorado Park before leaving the Southern Johannesburg region to relocate to the North. SyKi released Sleepwalking on November 14, 2021 and it was credited as a product of FlyAss Ent.
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