Urban Vault caught up with Sardinia, Italy based producer/rapper/sound engineer Sick Boy Simon to ask him some questions about his latest track BULLSHIT, featuring Hip Hop legends ONYX & more…

Producer, rapper, and Sardinian sound engineer Sick Boy Simon, the artist, a soloist, and founder of the Dirty Dagoes brand, returns to activity in the Italian and international scene after years of silence. His latest single ‘Bullshit’ boasts an exceptional feature, the American emcees Fredro Starr and Sticky Fingaz, members of the iconic Hip Hop group ONYX.

What is your name?

Simone Lumini aka Sick Boy Simon

Where are you from?

Sardinia Island, Italy.

Tell us about the Hip Hop scene in Italy?

The scene I grew up in was varied, I was born in 1987 so I could absorb both 80s / 90s and 2000s vibes. I believe that currently, Italy has reached a defined identity in the way of interpreting rap music in its own reality and language, both in the underground and in the mainstream scene.

How long have you been making music?

I started making music at 13 and I am currently 33.

Tell us more about your latest video single ‘Bullshit’ which you recently released featuring ONYX?

The video is a badass frame for frame animated cartoon I realized teaming up with a dope cartoon designer and a couple of professional animators and editors here in Italy.

Who else have you collaborated with so far in your career?

As a beat-maker, I released many officials remixes or mixtapes or tracks that were involving classic 90’s artists like Tragedy Khadafi, Kool G Rap, Millkbone, or Wu-Tang Affiliated like Prodigal Sunn, 12’O Clock from Brooklyn Zu, Bronze Nazareth, or other names like  Blacastan, Sonni Seeza, Solomon Childs, Sean Strange, Rustee Juxx, Illa Ghee, Mr Criminal, Capitol I Man from the Mexakinz and others. All those connections thanks to my man DJ Tray from Basel, Daima Manzu from Italy, and my connections in L.A. via Barcelona, the city where I spent 5 years between my 20-25 years. In the live show side I toured with the Psycho Realm, I’ve been involved in international tours with Danny Diablo, Slaine from House of Pain/ La Coka Nostra, Ill Bill, Termanology, M.O.P., ONYX, Mr Criminal, Fashawn, and for the Italian scene I can mention Club Dogo, Noyz Narcos, DJ Gruff, and Salmo.

Who would you like to collaborate with in the future?

With dope, talented and humble people.

What inspires you when you make your music?

My hometown, my reality, what my generation and the next are living in the real world, definitely the struggle, that’s why I tend to be less creative when my life doesn’t suck how I was used to as a kid. 😉

How have you ended up in the music industry?

Making music from an early age, there came a point where I realized that I had devoted so much time to the subject that one way or another I had to make a living with it, I’ve been doing it for about ten years between up and down, but my approach is very DIY, I’m not the kind of artist who lives on streaming money (do they really exist?) or who makes 30,000 in a 50-minute show. My reality is Sardinia, not Milan. My music business is different, which allows me not to deform my genre and my themes to please a large audience that changes orientation every 5 years, sometimes 5 minutes. I created for my self an alternative instead to being completely in the hands of someone else, now I am the head of an association that deals with social promotion and educational services for children in need in the suburbs or critical areas of my island, I manage a team of 20 creatives who carry out the projects I have started with local administrations, private individuals or institutions, the projects we push deals with audiovisual art and urban regeneration. Honestly, I always made everything from SCRATCH, all the results achieved, I earned them with what we call in Italy ‘LA GAVETTA’, which I can translate with ‘Payng My Dues’.

What do you think of the music industry in 2020?

There are things I like and things I don’t. I like that today the digital market has stabilized and that there seems to be room for everyone, what I don't like is the superficiality with which people approach artistic products today, the cause is obviously the hyper exposure to digital content, I believe that by 2030 the average attention threshold of a user will be around 3 seconds. Nobody ever said shit in 3 seconds, don’t you think?

What have you got planned for 2021?

I’m in the process to make a plan and I really want to stick with the script, I hope me and my team will be strong enough because I have tons of material to release.

 What’s your favorite track at the moment?

It’s hard to tell you a single track but here is the playlist of this week

What do you do when you’re not making music?

Probably getting stoned, chilling, enjoying life.

Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter?

My fan base seems to be more on Facebook and Youtube, but I really prefer IG, I underestimated that platform for a while, now I want to push more there.

In a few words sum up your thoughts about Urban Vault and what we’re trying to do?

I really like your job and for me it is always a pleasure to get in touch with foreign realities since I am based in Italy, plus London is actually my favorite city in Europe, this fucking Lock-Down keeps me out of the UK, which I consider the main musical environment that I would like to explore more than I have done so far.

Thank you for your time and may you carry on making dope, fresh music…

Thank You!

Sick Boy Simon ft. ONYX – Bullshit via iTunes/Spotify

www.facebook.com/SickBoySimon
https://instagram.com/the_real_sickboy
https://onyxhq.com
www.facebook.com/onyxhq
http://twitter.com/ONYX_HQ
http://instagram.com/onyx_hq