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SKYZOO INTERVIEW


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Growing up just a block away from The Notorious B.I.G. watching him go from local kid to rap superstar, Skyzoo couldn’t help but dream big. He started making mixtapes in 2002, and in 2005, through a mutual friend, was introduced to Grammy-winning producer 9th Wonder. The North Carolina native was won over by the upstart MC’s talents, and readily sent him beats to record over—which would soon become 2006’s “Cloud 9: The Three Day High”, a mixtape that launched Sky into Hip Hop’s consciousness. His deft wordplay, confident delivery, and vivid imagery were all on display. Fans continued to flock following “Cornerstore Classic” in 2007 and 2009’s “Power of Words”, each mixtape again showcasing Sky’s skillset as a hood poet.

It was September 2009’s “The Salvation”, though, released through Jamla/Duck Down, that solidified the rhymeslinger into an elite class. Still riding the wave of his debut, Sky returned in July 2010 with “Live From the Tapedeck”, an album produced entirely by !llmind. The summer of 2011 brought “The Great Debater”, a free mixtape of album-quality material that Sky treated his fans to as a follow up to two retail releases. In 2012 Skyzoo returned with “Dream Deferred” another album through Duck Down which featured “For What It’s Worth”, “Necessary Evils”, “Speakers On Blast” and more.

Earlier this year Skyzoo returned with his new album “Music For My Friends” which continued in the lineage of elite lyricism, vivid storytelling and open book honesty that Skyzoo is known for. The album features the likes of Jadakiss, Black Thought (of The Roots), Bilal, Jahlil Beats, Apollo Brown and more. It was also the first album released on his own record label First Generation Rich.

What are your earliest memories of music?
My earliest memories of music go back as far as me being three or four years old. My parents had me at a young age so they would drive around with me as an infant and in my early days of school listening to Public Enemy, Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, Slick Rick, and NWA. So even before I started to make music of my own, it was embedded in me. Between that and living in the projects and hearing it in the hallways and outside the windows from the 18th floor, I was surrounded by music.

Who were your musical influences coming up?
I started rapping at nine years old due to seeing Chi-Ali’s “Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number” video on video music box. After that, I wanted to make music immediately. From there, my early influences or pretty much everyone who I named that my parents would play and that I would hear in my neighborhood, as well as your artist later on when I became a preteen. Artists such as Nas, Biggie, Jay-Z, Raekwon, the GZA, and more.

What are some of your most memorable moments from back when you were starting out as an MC in New York?
When I started out, I was really young so the climate was different. Most kids weren’t saying that they wanted to be a rapper, they all wanted to go to the NBA or the NFL. Me being in school and being able to wrap during lunch as a kid was almost a novelty. I was one of the few in my generation. Once I got to high school and it became a little more the norm in there would be tons of was wrapping in the lunch room and tons of us in my neighborhood. As a kid, I did it all. Talent shows, standing in front of the corner store in a cipher rapping, stand in the park in ciphers rapping, everything. I just wanted to set the stage for making memorable music for years and years to come.

With such a rich history of dope MC’s from the 5 boroughs how did Skyzoo stand out from the rest of the pack?
For me, it started with who I was raised listening to. That pretty much laid the foundation for who I was to become lyrically and musically. When I made music as a kid, the goal was the same as when I make music in 2015: be as dope as possible and never take a day off. The guys I grew up listening to never took a day off. They never slacked. They never expected anything less than great from themselves, so I instilled that in myself and moved the same way musically. I stood out lyrically and as far as my knack for storytelling. That easily put me in front of most locally, especially back then at such a young age.

How would you describe the New York Hip Hop scene when you first started out compared to what it is now?
When I first started out, the New York scene ruled the global Hip Hop scene. Other cities were definitely making noise, but the Hip Hop coming out of New York was what everyone somewhat aspired to look to for direction. The ball was definitely in our court. To see other cities get their shine and recognition and begin to take over is a beautiful thing because it shows the diversity and Hip Hop, but to see New York try to mimic other cities when those cities never mimicked us is where the confusion comes in at. Other cities may have slightly gotten some direction from us, but they never tried to implement us or tell our stories. They focused on telling their own stories, which is what gave them the opportunity to be where they are now.

When did you realise you could make music a career?
I realised it from day one honestly. From the moment I started to write, I said that this was what I wanted to do with my life as a career. To me, music became everything pretty fast. Once I started to pen records, I never wanted to do much of anything else as far as a career goes.

What was your breakthrough as an artist?
For me, In my late teens and early 20’s I had done a lot of things locally. Local mixtape throughout New York, driving to the cities and states to sell those mixtapes in stores before blogs existed, those were all the routine for me. From there, my real breakthrough came in 2006 when 9th Wonder and I made the “Cloud 9” EP. Once 9th and I made that project, anyone who didn’t know me definitely knew me by then. It’s something that I always feel indebted to him for, because no one knew me but he was still down to take a chance and create a full project with me just out of the love for my music.

Explain the title for your new album “Music For My Friends”?
The title was pretty literal this time around, because I wanted to make music that my friends directly and solely related to. This album is all stories that my friends and I experienced firsthand with one another. I wanted to make an album that showed why as adults, we think the way we think. To me, the reason why we think the way we think and prioritize the things we do as adults is based on what we saw as preteens and teenagers growing up the way we did in New York City. I feel like the experiences that you absorb at that age shape you for the rest of your life. That’s what this album is about.

What’s your favourite track off the album and why?
Honestly, all 15 of them, LOL. But if I had to choose a few, it would be “Everything’s For Sale”, “Civilized Leisure”, “See A Key”, “The Moments That Matter”, “Luxury” and “Women Who Can Cook”.

What do you want listeners to take away from the album?
I want listeners to continue to relate to the music. The story of my career thus far has been lyricism, relatability, and replay value. This album is no different in that regard, but different from everything else I’ve done in the past in the sense of the continuous growth and open book aesthetic.

How would you describe the Skyzoo sound?
My sound is predicated on lyricism first and foremost. Along with that, musically I’m always looking to make the music as grand as possible without overproducing it. Being able to mix loops and dirty drums with live trumpets and string sections and fender roads are pretty much the embodiment of my sound.

You have set up you own label First Generation Rich to coincide with this release. What are your plans for the label, do you have other releases/artists lined up?
Yeah I’m extremely proud to have FGR set up and running. I do have a few artist that I’m working with, including Kay Cola and Saba, who both are on “music with my friends”.

Going the total independent route, what are some of the challenges you faced on the release of the album compared to when you were with Duck Down?
Well just knowing that you literally have to do everything yourself, it’s definitely an added challenge. In 2015, as an artist you have to have somewhat of an independent mentality, no matter who you are. The game has changed completely, so to sit back and think that you can rely on a label or team to do everything for you while you kick your feet up is asinine. But, when you’re totally independent those pressures get more vivid and that laundry list gets longer. But it’s great though, no complaints. Being able to execute a plan exactly the way you see it is a beautiful thing, so its worth whatever headaches may gradually come with it.

Along with releasing your own music you have also been seen in the studio with the likes of Dr Dre and Tyrese. Can you let us know what you were working on?
I can’t specifically speak on those sessions at the moment, but they were all incredible learning experiences as well as having created some incredible music and moments. Soon enough though, the light will shine. LOL.

You have made tracks with the likes of Jill Scott, Black Thought, Talib Kweli, Jadakiss, John Legend and more. Who else would you like to work with?
I would definitely love to work with Pharrell, Kanye West, Madlib, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and a few others. I know the list is a little all over the place but that’s my taste musically; a smorgasbord. Lol.

What 5 tracks to you best represents New York Hip Hop?
Nas “NY State Of Mind”, Nas “The World Is Yours”, Jay-Z “Streets Is Watching”, DMX “Get At Me Dog” and Biggie “One More Chance”.

You recently performed at the Sean Price’s memorial show. How much of a loss is he to you personally and to Hip Hop?
Sean was a big brother to me indeed, so the loss for me is deeper than hip-hop. He was someone who was literally like family, and as far as music goes, there aren’t too many in the same league with him. The game is definitely going to miss him from here on out. The only good thing is that we do have a ton of music to remember him by as well as potential music coming forward in the future, so hopefully new fans can get familiar and jump on board with him.

What one thing does Hip Hop need right now?
Balance in the corporate sense. There’s balance due to the Internet, but the radio is still one sided, and like it or not the radio is what controls who people listen to and what they gravitate towards.

What new producers/MC’s out of New York should we be checking for?
I like Stro a lot, as well as a few others but it’s tough in NY at the moment. Outside of NY I think Joyner Lucas is definitely next.

What advice would you give to aspiring MC’s?
My advice would be to keep the love and the passion for the music at the forefront, but also remember that this is a business, and most people on the other side of the table aren’t thinking about anything else but business. Once you figure out how to juggle the two successfully, you career will last as long as you want it to.

What does the future hold for Skyzoo?
For me, more music is on the way as well as more ghost writing that I’ve been doing for a lot of artists, and some television writing as well. Anything with a pen, I’m game.

What’s your definition of Grindin’?
Grindin’ is around the clock effort, for life long success.

Interview by Duggs.