Meet Sinko Ceej: The rapper bringing back competition
Peckham rapper Sinko Ceej has been working towards building his name in rap following his 8-year long prison stint.
We sat down on a Zoom call to speak about his journey, goals and the impact his former rap collective PYG had on the landscape of UK rap. He referred to reforming his image, bringing back a competitive streak in rap and chasing his dreams.
Where does your interest in rap stem from?
My interest in rap comes from America to be honest. When I was younger, I took inspiration from Styles P, D-Block and a lot of lyrical rappers. I grew up around all kinds of music though, not just rap music. My mum would play soul and reggae. My sisters liked garage music a lot too.
When did you first start making music?
I have been rapping since I was young. When I was 13 I would MC with my friends, we would sometimes go to the studio. There is a lot of videos of us rapping on the curb or block when we were 15 on YouTube and DVDs. It was never serious, I just made music to be heard and show everyone I was the hardest at rapping.
How has Peckham shaped the music you produce?
Growing up in Peckham made me rap the way I was living. In my era, music was something we all did. Before PYG there was OTB, Colors Miyagi and Slums so I was influenced by them in a way. We were just rapping with honesty.
(Musically, how do you think your sound has changed from when you were Young Killa Ki?)
Back then I did not think about the technical things, it was just about going as hard as I could. If you have been here since the beginning, then you can tell I have developed my sound. I have matured a lot and I now have a formula compared to before. It is just different now.
What do you think about PYG’s impact? Was anyone else rapping at the same time as you?
I don’t know to be honest. Only other people can comment on the impact PYG had on the music scene. When you are in your own bubble you never think about the impact you have on others. We were just rapping for fun it was never serious.
When did you first realise your prison freestyles were going viral on social media? (What was your reaction? Did it motivate you?)
I remember when my “Owner challenge” went viral on social media. It was getting hundreds of thousands of views and loads of blog pages were reposting it. IMJUSTBAIT reposted it too and the public’s reaction was mad. People thought I was cold and were taking me in. I remember being in my cell and feeling mad grateful.
After your stint in prison how did you know you wanted to pursue music?
The response I was receiving on social media made me realise that I could take this seriously, people were taking me in and I knew I had to jump on music. When I got released, I just had to get to work and show everyone that I am really on changing my life.
What are your thoughts on the current music scene and how is it different from when you first started rapping?
A lot of things are different now. Drill music was never a thing. There are masks now too, everyone was bait face when I was rapping. Rap is different now, but it is a new era, so it makes sense.
What kind of music were you listening to in prison? What music do you listen to now?
I used to listen to a lot of guys but a lot of them don’t rap anymore like Fekky, he was hard at rapping. I always took in Drake too he never fails to be honest. Currently, I am listening to KB from Brum, a lot of the American rappers like Lil Durk, Lil Baby, Rod Wave and YoungBoy.
Sinko Ceej’s latest single Good Marnin belowHas your writing adapted to the current popular music scene?
Yeah, it has because now I put more thought into my bars. Before I never really cared. Rapping comes easy to me, but I actually analyse what I am trying to put out. I listen to my music and think to myself whether I would sit down and listen to this or is it dead?
Your work rate has been really impressive, are you in the process of catching up to your peers?
I came out of prison with a plan, and I am very focused. I am just trying to get me and my brothers to the top. And I want to bring rap to its roots, it is has got to be more than catchy, I want people to reflect on my bars and understand you have to go in the hardest to be a rapper.
Are the solo releases a conscious decision?
Definitely, I am in the process of building my brand and my name. Collaborations will come when the time is right and so will a mixtape, I just need to work hard and get to where I want to be with the solo releases first.
Currently, what are your goals?
Just trying to build my name as ‘Sinko Ceej’ and bring rap back to its roots. I want everyone to understand that the person I was before is not the person I am now. I have matured a lot and have a purpose. Everything is different now. I also am working towards a mixtape, maybe it will come out this year.