Saiming: Grime's Bold New Architect For The Culture Crypt Issue III
Following the release of his new collab EP, The Culture Crypt's digital cover star and neo-grime maverick Saiming discusses Victory Lap Radio, the UK rap scene and what community means to him.
The Culture Crypt Issue III: Saiming. Photo by Hermela Kiflu.
A photoshoot is not the most peaceful setting at the best of times. It's a lot. Between makeup, lighting, and set design, it's an overwhelming concoction of creativity—a bit like making a song or animating a television show. Artists and animators effectively do the same job: world-building. Editorial shoots are organised chaos. They craft both artistic anarchy and a calming sense of serenity.
As Saiming sat down to get his hair braided and styled, a brief moment of relaxation graced the room, offering a moment of calm before the cartoonish money counter, samurai sword and bespoke clothing flew off the rack.
As we clutched composure amid our creative mindfield, The Culture Crypt got a chance to chat with the "S-travagant Man" himself, Saiming. Building a solid repertoire in the UK rap underground for some time now, the South London spitter has received acclaim and placement from mainstream outlets like BBC and fan-led communities like Victory Lap Radio.
As he morphed into beloved cartoon characters Huey and Riley Freeman—from the beloved show The Boondocks—for his cover shoot, Saiming and I spoke at length about his influences, his upcoming music slate and life away from the mic.
Right now, the London underground music scene is thriving. There's a corner of expression for everyone, whether it's Afrobeat, atypical hip-hop, grime, the diverse subset of retro rap remixes, or even R&B. There's so much happening right now. Radio stations, community platforms, and collectives lead the musical battalion, becoming breeding grounds for dynamic post-modern artists like Saiming.
Amassing a cult following from his neo-grime sound, the rapper's signature track, "WOOF MEOW", has surpassed four million streams on Spotify alone. This nocturnal yet lively banger precedes his most critically acclaimed collaboration with Zuko Rosemeid, "Night Tube".
Saiming then goes on to explain how the viral success of his two collaborations with Zuko led to his latest body of work, SOUTH TO THE STARS. "Me and Zuko are always working together in some way-that's my brother. Creatively, it's a bit of a mix, I'm a perfectionist, but I'm a lot more laid back than Zuko. He's more precise and great at executing plans. I think it's a good balance."
"The SOUTH TO THE STARS EP is all about self-belief. Zuko and I have both been making music for over four years now, starting from scratch. We've been slowly building ourselves up and uplifting the community around us. This project captures our shared experiences over the past few years," Saiming adds.
Graphic courtesy of Melika Rahimishad.
Creative Director Nicole Alonzo / Editor Roseline Adusei / Editorial Coordinator Niall Smith / Photography Hermela Kiflu / DOP + Photography Assistant Alina Vuong / Producer Philip PattonFollowing the teachings of mythic South London rap legends before him, Saiming's music is intertwined with land-based influences from the area, which inevitably creep into his music.
As a former Dave fanatic, Saiming acknowledges the significant influence fellow South London rappers had on him during his early days—especially given his proximity to the birthplace of UK drill. Although he has chosen to pursue a more eclectic sound, Saiming admits to The Culture Crypt that his fondness for drill music still subtly influences his work.
Drill and Dave aside, there is an apparent grime influence in the way that he spits, jocular lyrics and strong cadence; though paired with the melodic, bassy instrumentals rather than the traditional 140 BPM, the South London rapper can create a fresh yet nostalgic sound. However, on behalf of grime heads everywhere, the question remained—why not make grime?
Saiming explains that despite the effect of the tenacious genre rearing its unavoidable head in his work—most of his musical influences aren't even rappers, let alone grime emcees, with many of the sounds that he enjoys not even being present in the genre.
From UK R&B star Jorja Smith to the eclectic mix of sounds found on his mum's iPod, Saiming has been nurtured by a multitude of genres and experiences, resulting in a strangely familiar sound. "Making art is about nostalgia," he tells us. Saiming is also no stranger to collaboration, seen not only through his own music but also through his involvement in Da Community—a multidisciplinary creative collective formed through OriiJam, which is a platform for new artists to showcase their music.
Conceptual Advisor, Graphics + Post-Production Melika Rahimishad / Assistant Graphic Designer Radhika Muthanna / Fashion Designers Honey Ojo & Allainah Berry / Technician + Set Designer Ali Salman"When it comes to working with producers, it's always a collaboration, beat selection and making the instrumentals, is half if not more of every song that I make," Saiming exclaims, whilst he discusses hopeful collaborations with Jme and Smino.
You only have to listen to a handful of songs from Saiming's discography to understand what he means; mellow, sample-heavy instrumentals paired with witty lyrics and his laid-back delivery make for a novel sound, one which seems to be taking off.
Live performance has become a massive part of Saiming's career, with his experiences at gigs in his teenage years being a big inspiration for him and playing a massive role in his decision to get into music in the first place. "I think that in terms of building a fan base and building connections within the circles that I'm in, performing live has been a huge part of that." With his powerful performances at the Orii Jam, The Live Supply and various radio shows, it's no surprise that Saiming has gained a solid fan base through his live work.
Stylist Zara Marcos / Hair Francesca Williams / Prosthetic Makeup Iona Knight / Actor Rory Clayton / Studio Kirlian Studio / Assistants Tobias Abdul & Maithem SalmanHaving firmly established himself as a rapper, Saiming shares his enthusiasm for branching out into new areas, such as producing and DJing with The Culture Crypt. His recent graduation from the University of Westminster, where he studied Music Production, Performance and Business, has equipped him with a broad knowledge base.
Saiming points out that much of his learning happened beyond the classroom walls. "Some people go to music school, and then they get lost in assignments, and they don't do anything outside of uni," he asserts. "There's a lot of XP that you can't get at uni." Although it's difficult to quantify the exact amount of musical experience one can gain at university, it's evident that his proactive approach has significantly propelled his career forward outside of academic settings.
Saiming's music rotation, like many of ours, typically features a tight loop of five to ten tracks, he reveals in conversation. This playlist includes new releases from peers like J2 and t.o with their track "Lucid" and deep-cut grime gems. However, Saiming also spends much of his listening time on unreleased tracks that have not yet debuted on streaming platforms.
Reflecting on Saiming's cover shoot, one cannot overlook how the themes of duality in The Boondocks—portrayed through characters Riley and Huey—resonate with Saiming's dual persona in and out of the music scene, facilitating both humour and deep reflection.
As Saiming himself acknowledges, "I have enjoyed watching The Boondocks, and it's a show with replay value… It's funny, but it's also political commentary; you can watch it and laugh at everything about it, but then you can also watch it and be like, you know what, it makes you think." This duality mirrors aspects of his own life and work, bridging entertainment with thoughtful insight.
Saiming highlights how The Boondocks harbours a style he wants to integrate more deeply into his work. "It's something that I've yet to fully dive into, but I definitely want to," he shared. He discussed his collaborative efforts with Da Community: "Especially with Da Community, we're currently developing some projects. Given the name, our goal is to cultivate a space where creative expression can thrive in various forms."
“Making art is about social change as much as it’s about just the art itself…especially if I have a platform, I need to be using that platform to make changes.”
As Saiming continues to broaden his horizons and explore new avenues, we eagerly await his upcoming releases. He promises an exciting year ahead, hinting that his four-track EP with Zuko Rosemeid, SOUTH TO THE STARS, is just the beginning…
Stream SOUTH TO THE STARS below: