Sian Anderson, south London's own, has dedicated her career to elevating grime and underground music at every level. Whether it's through her show on BBC Radio 1Xtra, getting press through her Sightracked PR agency, or penning features for a whole host of publications, Sian—also a skilled DJ—is at the core and wholly passionate about the growth of British black music.
FLOOR SIXX is Sian's latest venture, alongside rapper and entrepreneur J2K. Inspired by the demand for mentoring programmes to create valuable skills, connections, and job opportunities—and shaped by the lack of inner-city youth clubs and free specialist music schools—the academy's first year is fully filled, and bubbling with enthusiastic future talent. Before FLOOR SIXX takes over the Roundhouse on October 20, featuring the likes of Kojo Funds, P Money and Shola Ama, Complex caught up with Sian to take it all the way back and handpick 10 songs that soundtrack her life.
Expect the unexpected.
Ray Keith — "Chopper"
!["This track was a blessing and a curse. My brother used to bang this song in his room, when I was like 15 or 16, and spit bars over it; his room was above mine so I'd get the wrath of it. For years, I associated it with my ceiling shaking and I just hated it [laughs], but then I remember hearing the Shy FX remix and being like, 'I like this version! The original does my head in.' And all my brother's friends thought I was super cool for even knowing what the original was."](https://img.youtube.com/vi/jdnmisaCLpQ/mqdefault.jpg)
View this video on YouTube
"This track was a blessing and a curse. My brother used to bang this song in his room, when I was like 15 or 16, and spit bars over it; his room was above mine so I'd get the wrath of it. For years, I associated it with my ceiling shaking and I just hated it [laughs], but then I remember hearing the Shy FX remix and being like, 'I like this version! The original does my head in.' And all my brother's friends thought I was super cool for even knowing what the original was."
Nu Brand Flexxx — "Gash By The Hour"
!["Oh my days! I didn't even have Sky, imagine [laughs]. All my friends talked about this tune and hyped about it, doing the dance and everything, and there was me, not having a clue what was going on. But you know, in school, you just have to go along with it and pretend you know it. The first time I actually saw the video was by accident: Channel U was on at my godmother's house and I caught it. I was so gassed! I knew all the words, but had never seen it. I really felt like I'd been brought in [laughs]. I spent the next couple of years at her house bredding Channel U after that as well; I then went on to interview Nu Brand Flexxx as my first piece as a journalist... I sound like a stalker. Wow."](https://img.youtube.com/vi/P5t9z2gd2CU/mqdefault.jpg)
View this video on YouTube
"Oh my days! I didn't even have Sky, imagine [laughs]. All my friends talked about this tune and hyped about it, doing the dance and everything, and there was me, not having a clue what was going on. But you know, in school, you just have to go along with it and pretend you know it. The first time I actually saw the video was by accident: Channel U was on at my godmother's house and I caught it. I was so gassed! I knew all the words, but had never seen it. I really felt like I'd been brought in [laughs]. I spent the next couple of years at her house bredding Channel U after that as well; I then went on to interview Nu Brand Flexxx as my first piece as a journalist... I sound like a stalker. Wow."
Ja Rule f/ Lil’ Mo And Vita — "Put It On Me"
!["In hindsight, I had no idea what this song was saying because, if I did, I wouldn't have been riding out for it in the way I was [laughs]. Live PAs in school, pretending to be Ja Rule, spitting all the words, doing all the actions, all the ad-libs, the Lil' Mo rap, the whole shebang—I lived this song like I knew what 'Put It On Me' meant. This era was my favourite for music; I'm still obsessed with this song now."](https://img.youtube.com/vi/QM9uL8WG4ZY/mqdefault.jpg)
View this video on YouTube
"In hindsight, I had no idea what this song was saying because, if I did, I wouldn't have been riding out for it in the way I was [laughs]. Live PAs in school, pretending to be Ja Rule, spitting all the words, doing all the actions, all the ad-libs, the Lil' Mo rap, the whole shebang—I lived this song like I knew what 'Put It On Me' meant. This era was my favourite for music; I'm still obsessed with this song now."
So Solid Crew — "Broken Silence"
View this video on YouTube
"I idolise So Solid Crew. They are my heroes. Their songs were so sick, their visuals were sick, the way they really came across like family, the brother/sisterhood of it all was so inspirational to me. They had songs for every single mood, and don't laugh: I think this song probably made me cry when I first heard it."
Swiss — "Cry"
View this video on YouTube
"Do we need to talk about this song? Like, really? Surely, we just put it up there with Bashy's 'Black Boys' as one of the most culturally important songs of our time and just get on with our day, innit?"
Fish Go Deep — "The Cure And The Cause"
!["House parties were tun up when this came out! I learned to cut shapes to this song [laughs]. I don't think I'd ever embraced a song that wasn't hip-hop, R&B or grime before this, but Fish Go Deep made me seriously move. This song opened up a whole new world for me, musically, that I really enjoyed and still to this day enjoy."](https://img.youtube.com/vi/JbM0DtQZ9AY/mqdefault.jpg)
View this video on YouTube
"House parties were tun up when this came out! I learned to cut shapes to this song [laughs]. I don't think I'd ever embraced a song that wasn't hip-hop, R&B or grime before this, but Fish Go Deep made me seriously move. This song opened up a whole new world for me, musically, that I really enjoyed and still to this day enjoy."
Ms. Dynamite — "It Takes More"
View this video on YouTube
"The slick in her hair and the messy bun in this video... Oh. My. Days! I vowed to live my life like this since 'It Takes More' and the album—and it's going great. When faced with any tomfoolery in life, I just think: 'What would Ms. Dynamite do?' She is the absolute truth."
The Streets — "Get Out Of My House" (Remix)
View this video on YouTube
"'Get Out My House' is when I discovered men are trash. The ends were so reckless when this song came out and women were getting so disrespected. Like, it was funny to kick a girl out of your house after this, and then brag about it. I remember being so nervous on links because if you're not giving it up — get out! was a real thing. Obviously, it always was and there are different generational versions of this tune, but it was peak being a virgin in my day when this came out and you were on a link and had to explain there wasn't going to be any sexing going on."
LeAnn Rimes — "Can't Fight The Moonlight"
!["Don't really need to explain this one, do I? We all watched Coyote Ugly and pressured our families into buying us karaoke machines and then spent six or seven months wanting to be singers and dance on bars [laughs]. It definitely wasn't just me."](https://img.youtube.com/vi/bx3s99FNXzI/mqdefault.jpg)
View this video on YouTube
"Don't really need to explain this one, do I? We all watched Coyote Ugly and pressured our families into buying us karaoke machines and then spent six or seven months wanting to be singers and dance on bars [laughs]. It definitely wasn't just me."
B2K — "Badaboom"
View this video on YouTube
"Lil Fizzzzz! I had an obsession with that guy, to one day wake up and completely forget he existed. Mad. Mad. We have to have a minute for when it was cool for mandem to have synchronised dances, synchronised outfits and black girls in their music videos. I don't know why any of these things became uncool, or were seen as negatives, but this was the norm to me growing up and I love and miss everything about this time."
