CREATIVE DIRECTOR & PHOTOGRAPHER: DANIEL OLUBANJO | STYLIST: TOMIWA OYE | ART ASST: TAMMIE TAKON | STYLING ASST: MICHAEL CHIBUEZE
The behind the scenes: Managing artists in the UK Drill scene."
A sit down with SK, Finesse Foreva’s co-founder.
SK, aged 29 and a successful entrepreneur created the entertainment company Finesse Foreva, alongside his business partners. As well as being an established music manager for artists such as Russ Millions, Skengdo & AM and many more, SK is also community centred and works towards improving the lives of the young people around him.
PWR:
On how he started in his career... telling us how he started out as a rapper called Skillz.
SK:
...“that’s where the SK comes from. I always had a business acumen, but I didn’t really understand music, I was just rapping. My father passed away when I was 18, and I found myself not knowing what I wanted to do..."
..."When I went to university, at that time a lot of people were getting more popular from my area, like Stormzy, Yung Reeks, Bully, Hardy. Hardy, I got him his first studio session. So, I wanted to come back to Croydon not as an artist but doing some business."...
PWR:
On supporting their artists at Finesse Foreva and people they work with...
SK:
"The way I am and the way my team are especially, we like to help people because I come from a hard background, like even now there are artists that I don’t manage and don’t make a penny off, but I just help them"...
... "With Russ, I've been knowing him and helping him since he was a street kid, I gave him his first ever pound from music and not a lot of people know that. To get into managing him from last year, it is all about timing, you know what I mean?"...
PWR:
On working with Russ and Russ becoming the first drill rapper to have a song reach number one in the charts...
SK:
"I've worked with him for years; I've seen his ups and downs in his personal life. But the thing about him is that he works hard, and he makes me want to work hard. That’s the thing I think I love the most about him. His work ethic, he’s a genuine brother, he looks after his family and looks after his people..."
..."he wants to be the Michael Jackson of drill. Who can say that about themselves? Like who’s Michael Jackson? He's the biggest artist/entertainer of all time..."
I work so hard because I want to make my family proud, make my dad proud. I know this is a milestone and now there is a whole new world."