Sir Spikes - Cast the First Stone

‘I’ve always been into music from a young age, I used to turn all the pots upside down and beat them with sticks' says 21 year old Samuel Jimmah formally known as Sir Spikes from East London, who is a musician, poet and aspiring actor. After migrating to the UK, just over 10 years ago he found his love for music. Samuel is currently working on his forthcoming mixtape 'Cast the First Stone' which débuts July 2011.

I thought I'd catch up with him to find out where it all started. 

'I'm a poet, rapper and an aspiring actor' I have always been into music from a young age. When I moved to the UK ,I fell in love with Grime’. This is where it all started for Sir Spikes, who originally claimed the alias 'Spikes' due to his love of knives. ‘I used to listen to and record sets on my mums old tapes, which she wasn't too happy about.' What he loved about Grime, was the rawness of the scene, the ability to say anything. Sir Spikes found himself writing lyrics which he then recited over the beats recorded making him feel as though he was really there on the radio himself, but it wasn't until year 8 where he decided to write more. 

'I was way too shy to let anyone hear, but as I got older my confidence grew. I was a very angry and violent growing up which influenced a lot of my early material. I felt like an outcast the only tune I felt that people listened to was when I rhymed so to me that was my voice.' As he got older 
he started to realise that he could do more with his gifts, but it only really hit him after loosing two of his close friends and coming close to loosing his own life. From his experience he started writing poetry, as he found it easy to put his words on paper. For him 'poetry quickly became a release rather than waiting for a beat' to record music. 'My music has grown and matured a lot and have finally found my self through music. '

'No other musician is like me', he says when I ask how he differs from other artists. 'I'm far from big headed, but I feel that the scene hasn't experienced a mind like mine. I bring soul to a track which enables the listener to fall in a trance and be taken on a journey. I appeal to a lot of people from males to females and to a general age simply because I am very versatile. I don't tie my self down to one thing, like to explore to create new things'.

It's obvious to see that the UK music industry has opened up and allowed a variety of artists to take the mainstream by storm, but for Samuel all he can see in the current industry 'is people who really don't have a passion for music'. He says 'most people go into the industry simply for the money so the messages they reveal are shallow. I would like to bring back heart and soul to music. I am inspired by singers such as Adele because she is real. Nowadays when you switch on the TV all you see are recycled versions on a few people. No one is original any more.'

Michael Jackson, Alicia keys, Jessie J, Adele, Eva Cassidy and Tracy Chapman are just a few of his many inspirations he feels 'they are true to themselves and they truly care about the influence of their music.' In the same vein he admires artists from the rap scene such as ‘Kanye West, Dizzie Rascal, Wretch 32, Tu-pac, and Gigs’. He feels inspired by them as they prove that it is possible to make it in the music industry, despite all the negativity around. He says 'if you work hard and push for it then nothing is impossible’. He is also inspired by a lot of Nigerian artists such as Debanj, 2face Idibia and Ice Prince, he says ‘I am a proud Nigerian so I support the music’.

'Open your eyes and go for it' is the advice he gives to up and coming musicians 'you only loose when you stop trying. Hard work plus determination gives birth to success. Clear your minds and vision how your life will be when you make it'. In the future, Sir Spikes hopes to have a successful career in music and give back to others by 'helping the less fortunate'.

His mixtape ‘Cast the First Stone’ is due to be released July 2011 so be sure to support him. For more of his music check out his Soundcloud, Youtube and follow him via Twitter.