NAME & AKA: SHEIKH HAIKEL
AGE: 36
WHERE YOU FROM / LIVE: SINGAPORE. BORN AND BRED.
WHAT YOU DO: I DO EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING THAT IS TO DO WITH HIP HOP
WHAT’S YOUR PHILOSOPHY / ATTITUDE TOWARDS WHAT YOU DO AND THE WAY YOU CHOOSE TO LIVE:
TO LIVE LIFE WITHOUT REGRETS, NEVER SAY THINGS LIKE COULD’VE WOULD’VE AND SHOULD’VE
YOU’VE MANAGED TO STRADDLE BOTH THE ARTISTIC AND COMMERCIAL WORLD SUCCESSFULLY. HOW THE HELL DO YOU DO IT?
BY BEING ME, HUMBLE, STABLE, AND ALWAYS TRY NEVER TO FUMBLE.
TELL US ABOUT THE PEOPLE YOU MEET / AROUND YOU AND HOW THIS INSPIRES YOU?
THE PEOPLE AROUND ME ARE EVERYTHING THAT I DO, IN EVERYTHING THAT I DO, AND THEY PLAY A VERY BIG ROLE IN WHATEVER I DO, BECAUSE EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT PEOPLE NEED PEOPLE.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO SHAKE UP YOUR GENERATION?
TELL ALL OF THEM THAT TOMORROW MIGHT NEVER COME.
TURN US ON TO SOMETHING?
THAT IF JOIN TWO PHONE BOOKS TOGETHER PAGE BY PAGE, IT CANNOT BE SEPARATED.
WHAT HAS BEEN MOST INFLUENTIAL TO YOU & YOUR GENERATION?
9/11. IT MADE LIFE MORE URGENT. SO WHEN I MAKE MUSIC, IT HAS TO BE MADE NOW, TO BEST OF ITS POSSIBILITY, BECAUSE I BELIEVE MUSIC WILL KEEP US ALIVE.
WHAT KIND OF MUSIC ARE YOU LISTENING TO NOW?
HIP HOP
WHAT IS YOUR SCENE AND HOW DID YOU GET INTO IT?
HIP HOP IS MY SCENE, BECAUSE OF MY MUM. MY MUM INTRODUCED IT TO ME. SHE WAS THE ONE WHO BOUGHT ME MY FIRST RUN DMC TAPE – BY MISTAKE. SHE THOUGHT THAT THE 3 MEN ON THE COVER WAS THE PIPS.
EVERYONE’S A DJ… COMMENTS?
NO DOUBT. BUT I THINK ITS MORE LIKE, EVERYBODY THINKS THEY ARE A DJ – AND IF THEY’RE NOT, THEY THINK THEY CAN BE ONE. AND IF PERFORMING DOESNT WORK OUT THEY ALL END UP AS DJS.
WHAT ARE YOUR PEEPS GETTING INTO THESE DAY?
ANYTHING THAT SOUNDS GOOD. MUSIC HAS TAKEN A BIG TURN AND TO PUT A GENRE TO IT, IS DIFFICULT. THEY PICK MUSIC ACCORDING TO A MEMORY IN TIME.
WHAT ARE THE MUSIC TRENDS THAT YOU SEE HAPPENING GLOBALLY?
I HONESTLY FEEL THAT MUSIC TRENDS GOES BY AGE. FOR EXAMPLE, THE BOYBAND ERA IT HAPPENED DURING A PERIOD WHERE THERE WAS A LOT OF GIRLS BORN IN THAT ERA. THEN IT MOVE TO BANDS. BUT WITH HIP HOP, ITS TAKEN A VERY STABLE LINE. WE’VE TRIED TO PUT OTHER GENRES OF MUSIC AND DESPITE TRYING TO PUT OTHER GENRES INTO IT, IT HAS THE SAME BASE.
SO WHEN YOU SEE JUSTIN BIEBER, HANNAH MONTANA, HILARY DUFF, ITS BECAUSE THERE’S AN INFLUX TO PUSHING MUSIC TO THE YOUNG AGAIN. AND MTV PLAYS A BIG PART SHAPING WHAT HAPPENS ABOVE THE LINE.
BUT HIP HOP HAS ALWAYS REMAINED HIP HOP. BUT I MAY BE BIASED. HAHA.
WHO ARE THE BEST LOCAL MUSIC DJ/ ARTIST COLLECTIVE THAT YOU HAVE SEEN?
IN SINGAPORE YOU HAVE DEFIANTO, MY PEOPLE FROM THE BEDSTY TEAM INCLUDING SIXX, KEVIN LESTER, DJ J STYLES, SYAFII, FACTION 1OR8, DA FAM, XS COLLECTIVES, AND NOT FORGETTING MY DJ RATTLE.
WHAT MUSIC GADGETS ARE YOU INTO THESE DAYS THAT YOU CANNOT STOP PLAYING WITH?
MY BALLS. WHENEVER I HAVE THEM IN MY HAND, WATCH ME HUM.
TOP 3 ALBUMS / TRACKS / DJS (WITH GENRES) THAT IN YOUR OPINION HAS BEEN INFLUENETIAL TO YOUR GENERATION
READY TO DIE, NOTORIOUS BIG – HIP HOP
ILLMATIC, NAS – HIP HOP
ENTER SANDMAN, METALICA – METAL
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE THINGS TO DO IN YOUR CITY?
WHERE CAN WE FIND THE BEST EATS? CAN YOU RECOMMEND A COOL SPOT TO EAT?
KOMALA VILLAS, AND NEWTON CIRCUS
BEST PARTY IN YOUR CITY… WHAT IS IT?
ANY PARTY AT ZOUK, ANY PARTY THATS THROWN BY BEDSTY.
THEY’RE THE BEST.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATION? WHY?
VIETNAM, CUZ THE GIRLS ARE GREAT AND THE CITY IS FINE AND PARTYING IS GOOD.
YOUR TOP 3 FAV CITY IN THE WORLD. WHY?
NEW YORK – IT DOESNT SLEEP. I LOVE IT THERE
KUALA LUMPUR – CUZ MY PEOPLE NEVER SLEEP
SINGAPORE – CUZ I NEVER SLEEP.
