Skyzoo has been a mainstay on the New York underground Hip Hop scene since 2005 and has not slowed down since. The Brooklyn native has earned the support of people like DJ Premier as well as 9th Wonder, who eventually signed S-K to his Jamla imprint, through Duck Down Records. The Salvation will mark the emcee's proper debut, and comes September 29th.
In an engaging discussion with HipHopDX, Skyzoo explains the magic of yesterday's Hip Hop that he keeps in his tool-kit to help make for a better tomorrow.
HipHopDX: You’ve released eight mixtapes and two LPs and are now prepping your debut…What is your favorite project so far?
Skyzoo: The Salvation. Besides it being the newest release, it’s also the one I wanted my entire life. There’s a saying: “You take your whole life to make your first album.” Since I was a kid and began rhyming, all you think about are your first album, what your cover’s going to look like, standing on stage and winning an award; this is that album. And as I got older, I thought more about what I wanted the album to consist of, what I wanted to talk about and what message I wanted to get across. All of that is this album.
DX: How was the creative process different for The Salvation versus the mixtapes you’ve done in the past?
Skyzoo: Well with the debut album, this is what it all boils down to so it was definitely more thought-out. Mixtapes are more about showing and proving, getting busy, nothing more nothing less but with the album it’s supposed to last a lifetime. You’re supposed to be able to listen to an album 10 years from now and say, “That was real,” no matter what genre of music you’re doing. My process was to get out all of the stories and emotions I ever wanted to let out.
DX: You have producers Just Blaze and Nottz on the album…Who else did you work with, and how’d you decide who made the final cut?
Skyzoo: It was me 100%, deciding what tracks made the final cut. Nobody came in and picked beats, everything from the orchestration to the sequencing of the tracklist, it was all me alone. 9th Wonder [click to read], Black Milk [click to read], Illmind [click to read] all contributed to the album. I got a few up-an-comers on there as well, like Eric G, Cyrus the Great and Best Kept Secret.
DX: Every beat sounds tailor-made for your flow and each song topic that it’s no shock you oversaw what tracks made the final cut. With so many dope producers, what was the process of elimination like?
Skyzoo: For the album I had a ton of concepts so of course, I wanted to find beats that matched what talked about. For instance, the song “Shooter’s Soundtrack,” I knew I wanted to make a record that was not preachy but that talked about how easy it is for youth to get a gun in the hood. So I wanted a melancholy, aggressive beat that was still musical. That was the main process for choosing every track that made the final cut, making sure it fully complimented what I was trying to get across.
DX: How much of the album has that '90s boom-bap influence that’s heard on your first single, “Beautiful Decay?”
Skyzoo: Beat-wise and musically, “Beautiful Decay” is the only record on the album that sounds the way it sounds. The album, whether it surprises people or not, isn’t a boom-bap album. It’s not a super-underground album at all. It’s an extension of that except it’s what’s now and what’s next. Musically, the album is what boom-bap would sound like if it continued to grow and dominate the industry. Like if you look at the mid-'90s, Nas, Jay-Z [click to read] and Big’s stuff. If that sound continued to reign dominate and grow up, this album is what it would sound like. The album is dope musically, and there’s nothing like it out right now.
DX: You just described your music as what boom-bap would sound like if it continued to grow and merged with today’s Hip Hop…Do you foresee this particular sound becoming a musical movement in Hip Hop?
Skyzoo: I hope so. The only way that’s gonna happen is with success; the album has to be a success. The reason why Auto-Tune and things like that are winning is because they’re successful. When something works everyone is gonna run to it, no matter what type of business you’re in. If the album is a success and people are really supporting it, then other people will latch on to it. Hopefully that will happen because I feel like its incredible music. I believe it’s one of the most incredible albums that’s coming out this year because of how personal and thorough it is.
DX: Your style is heavily influenced by the Golden Era of Hip Hop yet you don’t bash mainstream/commercial rappers…How did you get to be so diplomatic when a lot of people complain about today’s Hip Hop?
Skyzoo: I’ve always felt like complaining about the next man has never helped me. I don’t badmouth people unless it’s warranted. As far as seeing someone else on TV and saying he or she sucks, that doesn’t do anything for me so why waste my time on it? Beyond that, as far as doing records with other people, I’m a fan of all music. If I do a record with Maino [click to read], it’s because I’m a fan. Plus, he’s a friend of mine. I think that’s the ill thing about what I do…I can do a record with Talib Kweli [click to read] and on the same mixtape, you’ll hear a song with me and Maino or me and Wale [click to read] or me and Young Chris [click to read]. And that’s because we’re all mutual fans of each other’s work. It makes sense and it shows my versatility. I think as fans, a lot of them feel you have to be on one side or the other. A lot of people forget, back in the day, [A Tribe Called Quest] [click to read] used to tour with N.W.A. [click to read]. As much as fans may love the essence of Hip Hop, I think taking sides divides Hip Hop.
DX: Most fans associate you and rapper Torae from the two Premier joints you did together…What were some of the highlights of you working with DJ Premier?
Skyzoo: The first time is when you’re nervous but excited at the same time. Doing a joint with Premier is like something that’s on your “to-do” list, as far as being an emcee and getting on in the game. When you’re at the point when you’re actually doing it, you’re excited. We had a blast both times but once we did the second record, it was more relaxed since the nerves were out of the way. It’s something I’ll always remember and I’m blessed to say I did it. It’s rappers with plaques on their walls that can’t say they’ve done a Premier joint. And to be able to do it twice, like so many of the greats? It’s definitely an honor.
DX: You once said in an interview, “I make music with a full sense of reality in it.” Is that what’s missing from today’s Hip Hop since most artists are making music that’s out of touch with the times we are living in?
Skyzoo: I think a lot of the music that’s being pushed to the forefront, isn’t a complete reality to what an artist is living. It doesn’t have to always do with times, for example, people might say, "You can’t make music about ballin’ ‘cause we’re in a recession." But if you’re ballin’ despite a recession, you can make music about that since that’s your lifestyle. You’re supposed to make the music that reflects you. When I say reality, I think people are just rapping to rap, with no goal or motive in mind when they make an album.
DX: You showcase your storytelling skills on songs like “Maintain.” Do you think storytelling is a lost art in Hip Hop or that more emcees today simply choose not to do it for other reasons, whether lack of skill or lack of interest...
Skyzoo: I think it’s lost but I also think there’s a lack of storytellers. There’s not that many people who can do it. But it’s also something that, if you’re gonna call yourself whatever you’re gonna call yourself, artist, emcee, etc., you need to be able to do it all. You can’t call yourself a great ballplayer if you can’t pass or play defense. If you can’t do everything or even push yourself, you shouldn’t be able to call yourself whatever you want to call yourself.
DX: What makes this album worth listening to and adding to one’s Hip Hop music collection?
Skyzoo: I think a lot of people just buy albums or download music and they don’t look forward to it being part of their collection. People don’t look forward to “collecting” as a whole anymore because 90% of what makes it to the store, not free mixtapes or downloads, is just not worth it. A lot of albums that make it to the stores to be sold are trash, just a lot producers, features and posse cuts. [The Salvation] is an album. This is music, this is art. This is storytelling, this is live instrumentation and it’s cohesive. It’s like nothing I’ve ever done and I don’t think anyone’s done anything close to it in a long time.
In an engaging discussion with HipHopDX, Skyzoo explains the magic of yesterday's Hip Hop that he keeps in his tool-kit to help make for a better tomorrow.
HipHopDX: You’ve released eight mixtapes and two LPs and are now prepping your debut…What is your favorite project so far?
Skyzoo: The Salvation. Besides it being the newest release, it’s also the one I wanted my entire life. There’s a saying: “You take your whole life to make your first album.” Since I was a kid and began rhyming, all you think about are your first album, what your cover’s going to look like, standing on stage and winning an award; this is that album. And as I got older, I thought more about what I wanted the album to consist of, what I wanted to talk about and what message I wanted to get across. All of that is this album.
DX: How was the creative process different for The Salvation versus the mixtapes you’ve done in the past?
Skyzoo: Well with the debut album, this is what it all boils down to so it was definitely more thought-out. Mixtapes are more about showing and proving, getting busy, nothing more nothing less but with the album it’s supposed to last a lifetime. You’re supposed to be able to listen to an album 10 years from now and say, “That was real,” no matter what genre of music you’re doing. My process was to get out all of the stories and emotions I ever wanted to let out.
DX: You have producers Just Blaze and Nottz on the album…Who else did you work with, and how’d you decide who made the final cut?
Skyzoo: It was me 100%, deciding what tracks made the final cut. Nobody came in and picked beats, everything from the orchestration to the sequencing of the tracklist, it was all me alone. 9th Wonder [click to read], Black Milk [click to read], Illmind [click to read] all contributed to the album. I got a few up-an-comers on there as well, like Eric G, Cyrus the Great and Best Kept Secret.
DX: Every beat sounds tailor-made for your flow and each song topic that it’s no shock you oversaw what tracks made the final cut. With so many dope producers, what was the process of elimination like?
Skyzoo: For the album I had a ton of concepts so of course, I wanted to find beats that matched what talked about. For instance, the song “Shooter’s Soundtrack,” I knew I wanted to make a record that was not preachy but that talked about how easy it is for youth to get a gun in the hood. So I wanted a melancholy, aggressive beat that was still musical. That was the main process for choosing every track that made the final cut, making sure it fully complimented what I was trying to get across.
DX: How much of the album has that '90s boom-bap influence that’s heard on your first single, “Beautiful Decay?”
Skyzoo: Beat-wise and musically, “Beautiful Decay” is the only record on the album that sounds the way it sounds. The album, whether it surprises people or not, isn’t a boom-bap album. It’s not a super-underground album at all. It’s an extension of that except it’s what’s now and what’s next. Musically, the album is what boom-bap would sound like if it continued to grow and dominate the industry. Like if you look at the mid-'90s, Nas, Jay-Z [click to read] and Big’s stuff. If that sound continued to reign dominate and grow up, this album is what it would sound like. The album is dope musically, and there’s nothing like it out right now.
DX: You just described your music as what boom-bap would sound like if it continued to grow and merged with today’s Hip Hop…Do you foresee this particular sound becoming a musical movement in Hip Hop?
Skyzoo: I hope so. The only way that’s gonna happen is with success; the album has to be a success. The reason why Auto-Tune and things like that are winning is because they’re successful. When something works everyone is gonna run to it, no matter what type of business you’re in. If the album is a success and people are really supporting it, then other people will latch on to it. Hopefully that will happen because I feel like its incredible music. I believe it’s one of the most incredible albums that’s coming out this year because of how personal and thorough it is.
DX: Your style is heavily influenced by the Golden Era of Hip Hop yet you don’t bash mainstream/commercial rappers…How did you get to be so diplomatic when a lot of people complain about today’s Hip Hop?
Skyzoo: I’ve always felt like complaining about the next man has never helped me. I don’t badmouth people unless it’s warranted. As far as seeing someone else on TV and saying he or she sucks, that doesn’t do anything for me so why waste my time on it? Beyond that, as far as doing records with other people, I’m a fan of all music. If I do a record with Maino [click to read], it’s because I’m a fan. Plus, he’s a friend of mine. I think that’s the ill thing about what I do…I can do a record with Talib Kweli [click to read] and on the same mixtape, you’ll hear a song with me and Maino or me and Wale [click to read] or me and Young Chris [click to read]. And that’s because we’re all mutual fans of each other’s work. It makes sense and it shows my versatility. I think as fans, a lot of them feel you have to be on one side or the other. A lot of people forget, back in the day, [A Tribe Called Quest] [click to read] used to tour with N.W.A. [click to read]. As much as fans may love the essence of Hip Hop, I think taking sides divides Hip Hop.
DX: Most fans associate you and rapper Torae from the two Premier joints you did together…What were some of the highlights of you working with DJ Premier?
Skyzoo: The first time is when you’re nervous but excited at the same time. Doing a joint with Premier is like something that’s on your “to-do” list, as far as being an emcee and getting on in the game. When you’re at the point when you’re actually doing it, you’re excited. We had a blast both times but once we did the second record, it was more relaxed since the nerves were out of the way. It’s something I’ll always remember and I’m blessed to say I did it. It’s rappers with plaques on their walls that can’t say they’ve done a Premier joint. And to be able to do it twice, like so many of the greats? It’s definitely an honor.
DX: You once said in an interview, “I make music with a full sense of reality in it.” Is that what’s missing from today’s Hip Hop since most artists are making music that’s out of touch with the times we are living in?
Skyzoo: I think a lot of the music that’s being pushed to the forefront, isn’t a complete reality to what an artist is living. It doesn’t have to always do with times, for example, people might say, "You can’t make music about ballin’ ‘cause we’re in a recession." But if you’re ballin’ despite a recession, you can make music about that since that’s your lifestyle. You’re supposed to make the music that reflects you. When I say reality, I think people are just rapping to rap, with no goal or motive in mind when they make an album.
DX: You showcase your storytelling skills on songs like “Maintain.” Do you think storytelling is a lost art in Hip Hop or that more emcees today simply choose not to do it for other reasons, whether lack of skill or lack of interest...
Skyzoo: I think it’s lost but I also think there’s a lack of storytellers. There’s not that many people who can do it. But it’s also something that, if you’re gonna call yourself whatever you’re gonna call yourself, artist, emcee, etc., you need to be able to do it all. You can’t call yourself a great ballplayer if you can’t pass or play defense. If you can’t do everything or even push yourself, you shouldn’t be able to call yourself whatever you want to call yourself.
DX: What makes this album worth listening to and adding to one’s Hip Hop music collection?
Skyzoo: I think a lot of people just buy albums or download music and they don’t look forward to it being part of their collection. People don’t look forward to “collecting” as a whole anymore because 90% of what makes it to the store, not free mixtapes or downloads, is just not worth it. A lot of albums that make it to the stores to be sold are trash, just a lot producers, features and posse cuts. [The Salvation] is an album. This is music, this is art. This is storytelling, this is live instrumentation and it’s cohesive. It’s like nothing I’ve ever done and I don’t think anyone’s done anything close to it in a long time.
