The Man Behind The Brand: Sincere Lizzy Speaks On Impacting UK Music Culture & Fashion [INTERVIEW]

Sincere Lizzy, ex-rapper and the mastermind behind the Stay Flee Get Lizzy brand, epitomises what it means to be a modern day successful entrepreneur in the age of social media and beyond the digital realm. When speaking to the accomplished artist manager, record label owner and music mogul from inside his new studio, he exuded a type of coolness and collectiveness that was admirable and unexpected, especially from someone who has so many achievements.

Probably one of the most insightful conversations I've had to date, I learnt so much more about the man behind the brand and also about Mr Stay Flee as a businessman. He's played an integral part in the industry over the last decade, including the current landscape of Black music culture and street style and is continuing to expand his brand in a creative way by using music and fashion to connect with his audience. Having a heavy involvement in a lot of successful artists’ careers from Fredo to Knucks, the Creative Director of Europe’s premier exclusive sneaker and streetwear store, Kick Game, took me on a mini tour of his new studio space over Zoom. He expressed to me he was planning on utilising all three rooms for different purposes and will be working on more projects for 2022.

"The brand is my musical outlet for myself and for me to nurture the next generation of talent"

I gathered from our conversation that he's never one to limit himself but in fact is always thinking about the next move whilst in the middle of completing something else. 'You gotta keep it moving', and he's right. He blessed me with his knowledge of the industry and how to stay afloat, 'It's about adapting', nothing was over convoluted, he kept it simple and straight to the point, there was no need for sugar coating with him and I think this translates through his brand. Stay Flee Get Lizzy is steadily becoming the most notable production house out of the UK, and fuses together Sincere Lizzy’s love for music and street culture by showcasing the UK’s flourishing MC talent over world class productions. Assisting both established and emerging artists, Sincere’s first single in 2018 ‘Ay Caramba’ was a runaway hit and is now a platinum selling record with over 100 million streams. Since then, he has released collaborations with the likes of Popcaan, Tory Lanez, RV, Youngs Teflon, Kwengface and many more.

On his way to releasing his Stay Flee Get Lizzy album next year in May, the producer and label owner described the awaited release as 'sounding like carnival' he's recently released two singles lifted off of the album, ‘Meant To Be’ and the latest ‘Scary’ ft. Kwengface. 2022 is looking like a very promising year for the self-made mogul as he expressed there is more to come, featuring more big names in the scene. To add to his many accolades, he is also the owner of record label/management company ‘Young Entrepreneurs Entertainment’ (YE), but the flow from music to fashion has enabled him to become the owner of Lizzy Clothing and the rest is history.

"The internet has made the world smaller, and given more opportunities to the underdogs, less control"

‘Stay Flee Get Lizzy’ encapsulates the perennial influence Black music has on street culture and vice versa and is known for always being on the lookout for what is hot. Expressing his multifaceted artistry through his label and creative direction, Sincere has been able to reach platinum status with his records. Having this musical project at the ready has meant that his brand SFGL, can level with artists as a creative rather than just an executive.

New Wave: I'm talking to the man himself. The official entrepreneur for the youngsters. I just wanted to know more about you and how you started your iconic brand Stay Flee Get Lizzy. I have to admit I didn't really know much about the man behind the brand, I just used to see the brand and assumed it was a collective of people, especially with all the songs and collaborations you do. I had to do my own research. So tell me, how did you start this brand and what is the concept behind Stay Flee Get Lizzy?

Sincere Lizzy: Stay Flee is basically a production house, I'm a producer, I work with a bunch of different producers. I have two in-house engineers, Doocas and Freeze then I also work with one of my main producers Finn Wigan, Doocas produces as well. I just wanted to create a platform and a hub where I could connect with the next generation of artists in a more musical way, I wanted a musical outlet so that I could work on a project where I kind of have a bit more say in how the video looks. The brand is my musical outlet for myself and for me to nurture the next generation of talent, you know what I mean.

NW: I really respect that. It's interesting to hear you say that, because I had the perception that the artists have

majority of the creative direction. It's interesting to see with your brand how you've been able to incorporate all your knowledge and have a creative in-put. You are definitely one of the leaders in the UK that's bringing the crossover between music and fashion simultaneously I believe. You're definitely the guy that has been able to merge the two in the current music space.

SL: Definitely, I remember building that, so we've got Lizzy Clothing that started about six or seven years ago when I was touring myself as an artist, we got different artists to wear the brand and the brand was just doing really well within itself. Then I started to think, how can I make this become all one thing and 'StayFleeGetlizzy' was what I always used to say. So it's still two different businesses, Stay Flee Get Lizzy, the music and Lizzy Clothing is the name of the brand, but people say both together. It is what it is.

NW: Well it's definitely become something significant now, and has built up to the point where people actually know what it is and what the brand stands for which is a good thing. Sometimes you have brands that come and go, but this one is definitely cemented in the scene. So I know you previously said you used to be a rapper, and then you turned into an entrepreneur. What made you stop rapping?

SL: I just think at the time, for me personally, the music that I was making, I wasn't 100% in it and wasn't feeling music seriously when I started. I was living a different lifestyle at the time, I just felt like I wanted to focus more on not rapping about how I'm living. Living and rapping about it at the time was a bit creepy for me. So I just thought, I would live it instead of living and rapping about it. Then I wanted to transition into a different type of space and set up different businesses. Sometimes you need to evolve and I never wanted to be one of those rappers getting older and it's not working out. So yeah, I never wanted to be that guy.

That's no disrespect to anyone else but I thought let me just transition, let me leave the game before the game leaves me, you know what I mean. I wanted to leave the game to help the next generation and we need to remember we serve a purpose now because we've been in the game so long.

NW: Definitely a smart move. I feel like a lot of other people in the industry have started to do that as well. Feeding the community with their knowledge. One thing I'm intrigued to know is, how did you navigate and create connections back in the day without social media?

SL: I was an artist as well, so when I went to the radio, I'd meet the DJ then I'd get my video on the TV. I was just a pro-active person. My company is called 'Young Entrepreneurs', so I've never been afraid to introduce myself and not been afraid to speak. So I think that could have been one of the factors that helped me, and being an artist I got a lot of attention from that. I just did it more the traditional way through the music business and putting out music and I built it like that. Also, you had to be there, there was more events and it was more personal back then.

NW: Yeah, definitely seems like it was more personal, I mean if we compare it to today, it can be easier in the sense that you can blow up on social media from one song. I think PinkPantheress is a good example of dominating the social media and TikTok age of music. Circling back, tell me more about Young Entrepreneurs, is that something separate to StayFlee?

SL: Stay Flee Get Lizzy is signed to Young Entrepreneurs and Young Entrepreneurs is a label and a management where we manage Fredo and co-manage Knucks, a lot of people don't know that. Two of Knuck's projects came out under the label. Now Knucks is with 'No Days Off'. A lot of people don't know my involvement with Knucks. Yeah, man. that's what Young Entrepreneurs is, I got a couple of people that I'm trying to sign, I can't say much. I'm putting all the money on City Boy Mo's first project and putting a lot into Knucks next year.

NW: Tell me more about your connections with the artists that you've done music collaborations with. I know you've worked with Fredo and Kwengface for example.

SL: It's just artists I'm a fan of init. Obviously Fredo and Central Cee I'm a fan of them both, that's why it was important for me to have both of them on the album. I'm also a fan of KwengFace, 'Do Road' is on my next album, Knucks is on the album, I got Tiny Booth, I got Backroad G, I got UnknownT, SlowThai, Lancey Foux. I also have a lot of new people like Nippa, from the new generation coming up.

NW: It's a new generation thing for sure, you came up in a completely different era and now you're inputting into this new era. What are your thoughts on the new generation of music at the moment?

SL: I love the scene now, I'm a Black businessman right, so I like to see young kids from inner city working class environments and get the opportunity to change their life. So for me, it's incredible that there's actually money to be made in the industry now. When I first started making music, you couldn't even make a living off it, it wouldn't be enough to pay the mortgage. Artists can make a very healthy salary now.

NW: Why can you now make a healthy salary off music, what's changed?

SL: The internet you know, the radio isn't controlled and the industry isn't controlled by the radio. The world is becoming smaller, like me and you, we could have done an interview over the phone but I wouldn't have been able to see you 10 years ago, there was no such thing as Zoom or FaceTime. The internet has made the world smaller, and given more opportunities to the underdogs, less control. For example, no one can control PinkPantheress going on radio, she just went online and the sound took off. So, the internet's really helped with that, the fact we can communicate and people can discover music much easier now. The internet has made the world smaller, and given more opportunities to the underdogs, less control

NW: I agree, I think social media is all about how you utilise it and how you use it to your advantage. Moving on to another topic, I didn't know you had involvement in the development of Kick Game?

SL: Yeah, I'm the Creative Director of Kick Game. So the Fredo deal, he bought shares in Kick Game and I bought shares and then just through the deal I became Creative Director. I'm doing a lot of work with them, a lot of the stuff you see I'm heavily involved in. We've just done a Christmas Campaign called the 'Gift Drop', we had Ardee on it, and gave away a lot of sneakers to a school in Brighton, we did it last week with Fredo and gave away a bunch of stuff. With Kick Game, we're trying to do other things, not just music but trying to influence the culture in different ways.

NW: What's your thoughts on awards shows, do you think they do credit the artist or is it more of a popularity contest?

SL: I think life is a popularity contest especially now that we live with social media. How many views have you got? How many likes have you got? So you can't hold some people accountable and others not because we live in an era of popularity contests. I think that award shows are good and important, they celebrate artists and give them a chance to be celebrated but they're never gonna get it right are they? It's all perception and opinion. I think award shows are important and we do need them, it's all business.

NW: True, that’s an insightful way of looking at it… Okay, so what's Flee and what's Lizzy? Lizzy is money right?

SL: 'Lizzy' is money and 'Flee' is like the upgrade of 'Fly', when you're beyond fly. A whole different level to being fly, my mentality is Flee, it's all in the mind man and how we feel about ourselves. How we feel about ourselves is the most important thing, not what other people think.

NW: I hear that, so touching back on my previous point about when people see themselves being represented, that they're more inclined to believe they also have a shot of achieving in that same field. I definitely think the same thing applies in the culture too, that's why a lot of young Black and ethnic people feel that they can actually be successful in rapping or music, because they see themselves on screen being successful. How do you feel like street culture has impacted Black music and vice versa?

SL: I think street life impacts music, and what happens in real life, people just talk about it, but hype it up a bit and add a bit on top. So the fact is that we live in an era now, where we talk about drill music, originally influenced by Chicago, and gang violence. That's why we have drill because of postcode wars, and postcode wars is something that's really happening in the industry, that's the sad thing and people are rapping about what they did in the booth. So this street life impacts music and has done for a long time.

Also if it's not authentic, but you're promoting a negative message, I think it's a bit silly. If you are from that life, and you're talking about your life experience, and it's not promoting, then okay but if you're just going in the booth and making up some nonsense, just to be like a gangster, then that's silly.

NW: Agreed…What do you think are the three key things to lasting in this music industry? How do you stay afloat?

SL: You gotta have good relationships and be nice to everyone you come in contact with, you've got to trust your gut instinct. Don't let other people tell you what's cool, and what's not and you've got to keep it moving. Meaning the world just keeps spinning. Every year I keep it moving and don't stop. Respect also, because you never know who someone's going to be.