The introduction to Sik-K began long before meeting him in person. I’ve long been fascinated by how the Koreans have “perfected” hip-hop, eradicating the language barrier, recalibrating rap without diluting its essence. By how their rappers traverse the realms of commercial music while maintaining the integrity of the genre’s complex lyricism. Intricately employing cadence and melody, and not without finesse, nor being emasculated.

With SNKRDUNK presenting Sik-K for Drip82’s inaugural Korean hip-hop night, this was my excuse to delve deeper into his discography. Waxing lyrical on “The Purge” while tugging heartstrings on “Rendezvous”, Sik-K is indeed one of the flagbearers of Korean hip-hop, and the country’s finest artists.

Sik-K Is in the Building!

There’re many ways to recognize a star in your midst. One is the curious crowd that forms around them; the staple sunglasses, the bold, ostentatious outfit; or simply, the cheers. The audience’s unified voices riding over the blaring music just seconds prior. The man of the hour has arrived.

Dressed in a plain white t-shirt paired with blue bedazzled jeans. His beanie, its brim unfolded more like an R&B singer than a rapper, it keeps his long hair out of his face. The mane an indicator of how long he’s been removed from his mandatory military service. At least, long enough to complete his month-long, North American “Pop A Lot” tour a month before.

He exchanged pleasantries with his peers, the fellow artists (ShiGGa Shay and Zadon) that sat with him at the table with a de rigueur pound hug. And in less than a minute after arriving, epitomizing the readiness of a firefighter, he goes to the console and delivers his hits. A 30-minute set that would make the wait for everyone, no matter how long they did, worth it.

Fans would sing along to tracks from FL1P and Headliner, his two full-length studio albums. At 28, he’s clearly mastered the game. His 10,000 hours materialized through his stage presence: effortless but not lackadaisical, energetic but not aggressive. The kind of performer that can be at a club’s DJ booth or a festival’s runway stage, and he’ll perform every time like it was a stadium. It was the same that night, even without soundcheck.

There’s an archaic debate in hip-hop whether one was just a rapper, or a full-blooded MC. He’s both, and then some. Without missing a beat or lyric, he engages with his fans, occasionally stepping out of the booth, giving them their time, and money’s worth.

He’s an artist cognizant of what his fanbase is (to say nothing of him, at one point, lifting his shirt to put the “merchandize” on display), and plays the business like Robert Greene was his advisor. He’s an artist unabashed by his celebrity but mature enough to understand its responsibility as a public figure.

He doesn’t refuse anyone close enough to get a photo with him after his set. As well as his skills are on the microphone, he knows just as well how to pose for pictures with fans. Seasoned, like the front-facing camera of our phones was his bathroom mirror. Displaying a thespian’s proficiency when it comes to molding his facial expressions from a jovial smile to a jestful smirk.

Thus, as artists of his stature does, he slips away from the venue a lot quieter than his entrance.

SNKRDUNK Interview With Sik-K

The next afternoon, for the first time ever, the SNKRDUNK flagship store was closed for a few hours to film an interview segment. A vis-à-vis about him and his sneakers, a meeting without the presence of a crowd that usually surrounds him (save for his entourage). He’s been seen in many kinds of shoes across varying brands, enough for us to do a listicle of Top 10 Sick Kicks Spotted on Sik-K.

He arrived at the store with an energy like he never left the stage the night before. Perhaps, that’s his natural disposition. There’s Kendrick Lamar, one of rap’s most energetic showmen, and there’s Kendrick Lamar the introvert from Compton. There’s André 3000 the flamboyant side of OutKast, and there’s the reclusive André Benjamin. But Sik-K and Kwon Min-sik, just seem one and the same.

An entertainer on stage and off, he’s what the book The Art of Seduction describes as the Natural, or the Star. The kind of character that finds their element in the spotlight. The kind you’d be happy to let stay there. The kind who managed to retain the youthful spirit life usually jades out of us. He speaks with his entire being, his body language as expressive as his speech.

Y-3 has kindly loaned us a few set of clothes for the shoot. It’s hard to choose between the cardigan, hoodie, and varsity jacket, when they all feature the exquisite make of Yohji Yamamoto’s signatures. Nevertheless, Sik-K hovers over the clothes laid out for him, wide-eyed, and settles on the varsity jacket. He puts it on and pulls it off with the confidence of a king.

Said confidence, evident from the beginning of the interview. He introduces himself to the camera—hand gestures and all—as if delivering his lyrics a cappella, without stutter or interjections.

Throughout filming, he expounds on his love for fashion and sneakers, sharing anecdotes like his long admiration for LeBron James, his surprising ranking of Air Jordan 1s, and the MO behind some of the looks we’ve seen of him.

He answers over a dozen questions (including those that won’t make it to the final cut for brevity) with wonderment in his ponder. His gregariousness would’ve allowed for a longer conversation, but time would not. He had to fly back the same evening to apply the finishing touches to his collaborative mixtape with HAON, ALBUM ON THE WAY, a prelude to his Pop A Lot LP.

We couldn’t let him leave our store empty-handed so we gifted him a pair of Travis Scott x Nike Air Jordan 1 Low OG SP “Black Phantom”, and in return he signed a pair of Supreme x Nike Air Force 1 Low “White” for us to give away to one lucky fan.

With another album cycle ramping up for him, so will another tour. And when that tour happens, we’ll be sure to see him again in Singapore—as he himself has promised. We thanked him for making time out of his busy schedule to pop in before he popped out. For now, we’ll be waiting for his upcoming album to pop off. It’s mandatory for an article about him, to have “pop” a lot. An article about a rapper does necessitate a wordplay.

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