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Mr Sicc - "Cannibal Music"
Karlos 'Mr Sicc' Diamond, Otara's favourite son and New Zealand's realist MC is about to embark on a mission to bring the harsh realities of Otara's dark streets to speakers near you.
Mr Sicc came up hustling drugs in South Auckland during the 1990's while still in high-school. His crew quickly gained a name for themselves as one of the most feared gangs in Auckland city - The Flatbush Ward. All the while Mr Sicc had aspirations to succeed in the music industry. He formed a group called 'Sicc-Face' with longtime friend Tuface, and they started producing no-budget underground tapes for their friends and families in the late 1990's. They garnered a lot of attention from people outside of Otara, and earned a solid reputation as some of the most respected MCs in Auckland city - A reputation that paralleled their crews' criminal infamy.
Mr Sicc was approached by fellow Otara MC - Ermehn, who was working on his second album "The Path of Blood" in 1999. The album was a steady body of work being progressively recorded between 1999 and 2002. Unfortunately, the criminal element of life caught up with Tuface, and he was sentenced to 4 years in jail in 2002. To add to that loss, Ermehn's album was shelved for 3 years, and that meant Mr Sicc was back to square one, but without his partner in rhyme by his side.
Prior to Ermehn's album "The Path of Blood" finally being released in early 2005, Mr Sicc crossed paths with Mark Thomson, CEO of West Auckland's 833 Records at the Otara markets, and was introduced via Ermehn. He invited Mr Sicc to contribute to a project he was developing called "Street Illegal" a collaborative effort between a number of artists Mark was associated with. Impressed by how Mr Sicc's style and skill set had evolved, Mark urged Mr Sicc to record an album with him. Mr Sicc's "Cannibal Music" was born.
Leaving the street life behind, but with a barrage of life experience in his heart and mind, Mr Sicc began putting together a project that would become a pioneering effort from any local MC. "Cannibal Music" although still in production, and not scheduled for release until early 2007, boasts upwards of 30 tracks making it the first double CD release from a local artist, and features international collaborations with top named U.S MCs.
The street single and video "Ear To The Street" is a perfect introduction to the hard-edged Southsiders' music, and a fitting warning for the fake artists around today trying to represent lifestyles they know nothing about. This is social commentary at its finest lead by a street album "The Flea Market". Comprised of left-over tracks and development songs from his debut, "The Flea Market" is set to shake up the industry and keep the public in anticipation.
