Jump to content

Skyzoo

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 8086-PC (talk | contribs) at 11:40, 25 May 2024. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Skyzoo
Skyzoo in 2011
Background information
Birth nameGregory Skyler Taylor
Born (1982-12-24) December 24, 1982 (age 41)
New York City, U.S.
GenresHip hop
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • songwriter
Years active2002–present
LabelsFirst Generation Rich Music Group
Websiteskyzoothewriter.com

Gregory Skyler Taylor (born December 24, 1982), known professionally as Skyzoo, is an American rapper and songwriter. He has released a number of notable solo and collaborative albums, including Cloud 9: The 3 Day High with 9th Wonder in 2006, The Salvation in 2009, A Dream Deferred in 2012, Music For My Friends in 2015, and his most recent solo album All the Brilliant Things. Skyzoo has also released a plethora of non-commercial mixtapes including Corner Store Classic and The Great Debater throughout his career,[1] and has worked with artists such as Jill Scott, Wale, Lloyd Banks, Tyrese, Dr. Dre, Raheem Devaughn, Black Thought, Jadakiss, Talib Kweli, Spike Lee, John Legend, and others. Skyzoo has headlined or co-headlined often-yearly tours throughout Europe, the United Kingdom, Africa, Australia, and Asia, and he owns and operates the independent record label First Generation Rich.

Early life and education

Skyzoo was born Gregory Skyler Taylor on December 24, 1982, in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, New York City.[2][3] He was nicknamed Skyzoo by his parents after the Skyy disco song of the same name[4] (his middle name is Skyler).[3][5] Skyzoo moved to the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn[2][3] in his youth.[6] Skyzoo grew up listening to hip hop artists such as Big Daddy Kane, N.W.A, Kid 'n Play,[7] EPMD, Eric B. & Rakim and A Tribe Called Quest, but it was the music video for Chi-Ali's '"Age Ain't Nuthin' But a Number" that inspired him to begin writing raps and focusing on the music business.[6] He was nine years old at the time.[3] He was raised one block away from rapper Notorious B.I.G.,[8] and has often cited B.I.G.'s success as an influence on his writing.[7] He also cites Jay-Z as an important inspiration,[7] and names his favorites emcees as Jay-Z and Mos Def. During Skyzoo's teenage years his father moved to South Jamaica, Queens, and Skyzoo began spending much of his time there as well as in Brooklyn. He frequently references both boroughs in his music, and has two younger brothers.[6] Instead of going to school in his own neighborhood as he got older, Skyzoo's parents enrolled him in a high school in Manhattan to take advanced classes.[8] Skyzoo also attended college, but didn't finish, at SUNY Farmingdale in Long Island.[4] In 2006, he was employed at Morgan Stanley at the age of 23. However, he was terminated for coming back from lunch late, which led him to pursue a music career full-time.[9]

Career

Early years and material

In 2002 Skyzoo began releasing his own mixtapes throughout New York,[10] and he soon encountered the North Carolina rap crew the Justus League, collaborating on several projects.[11] Skyzoo has won two Underground Music Awards, in the categories of "Best Male Rapper" in 2002 and "Best Lyricist" in 2008.[12] An encounter with Justus League rapper Chaundon[4] led to Skyzoo meeting producer 9th Wonder in 2005,[8] and the two started a long-term collaboration.[13] The pair would go on to record the collaborative EP Cloud 9: The 3 Day High,[14][15] which reportedly took a total of three days to complete from start to finish.[3][16] Released on September 12, 2006, the album was entirely produced by 9th Wonder,[16] and included the singles "Way To Go" and "The Bodega."[4] The release led to Skyzoo's first national feature, when he was placed in the "Show & Prove" section of XXL Magazine in October 2006.[17] The project also lead to the 2007 vinyl release of the DJ Premier produced singles "Get It Done" b/w "Click", both featuring fellow Brooklyn rapper and frequent collaborator Torae.[18] The EP led to media write ups in outlets such as XXL,[2] The Source, Vibe, AllHipHop.com, HipHopDX.com,[19] HipHopGame.com[13] and others.

Skyzoo's mixtape Corner Store Classic was released for free on July 20, 2007.[20] It had production from 9th Wonder, DJ Premier, and others. Skyzoo contributed most vocals, though guest vocalists such as Sean Price, Guilty Simpson, and Torae.[1] The album was generally well-received,[19][21] and XXL gave it a positive rating of XL.[22] In 2007, he stated that he had a sophomore studio album ready, called The Salvation, but was waiting for a major record deal before releasing it.[23] In the spring of 2009, Skyzoo jointly signed to independent label Duck Down Records and to 9th Wonder's Jamla Records imprint.[24] Skyzoo then went on to release the mixtape The Power of Words. Hosted by DJ Drama and Statik Selektah, the project included guest vocals from frequent collaborator Wale, Maino, Talib Kweli, Reks, Young Chris and others.[25]

The Salvation (2009)

Through Duck Down Records, his debut LP The Salvation was released on September 29, 2009[24] with the singles "The Beautiful Decay", "Popularity", "Easy To Fly", and "My Interpretation." Upon release Skyzoo described it as autobiographical and his most personal work.[26] Skyzoo had been planning this album since he was 9 years old,[27] and The Salvation provides an intricate view into his life and experiences.[26] Instead of bringing in a large number of guest artists, Skyzoo handles most of the vocals himself, explaining the "album isn't exactly the way I planned it out at 9-years-old, but it tells my story. With that being said, no one can help tell my story better than me."[28] About the selection of guest rappers, according to Skyzoo, "it wasn't really a 'who's hot, who's not' type of thing. It was more so 'just get what sounds right.' I got a lot of big name producers, and I also got a lot of up and comers."[29] Among the contributing producers are Best Kept Secret, 9th Wonder, Nottz, Just Blaze, Illmind, Needlz and Black Milk.[30] It charted on various Billboard charts, reaching No. 126 on the Billboard 200, No. 4 on the Top Heatseekers chart, and No. 14 on the Tastemaker Albums chart.[31] The album was generally well received.[30][32] AllMusic gave it a positive review and a rating of 4/5,[30] while XXL gave it 4/5 as well.[32]

External videos
video icon Skyzoo – "The Necessary Evils" Music Video (May 13, 2009)

To promote the album, Skyzoo and director Mills Miller[33] filmed a webisode series titled Saving Our Grace.[34] The short documentaries were shot throughout New York City and showed six different characters, such as a single mother and a young drug dealer, each representing a different emotion displayed on the album. The series debuted on Skyzoo's official YouTube page in August 2009.[35] Overall five official music videos were released from The Salvation, starting with "The Necessary Evils" which was released in May 2008. The video was directed by Tee Smif of the production company KCCC and shows a teenage drug dealer attempting to change his lifestyle, and the highs and subsequent lows he faces.[36] On July 30, 2009, the video for "The Beautiful Decay", produced by 9th Wonder and directed by Artemus Jenkins, was released.[26] Following the release of the album, a video for the song "Popularity" was made and released on November 18, 2009. The video, directed by Todd Angkasuwan, is a parody on the popular high-school drama Saved by the Bell.[37] Restless Films director Court Dunn directed the video for the third single "Easy To Fly. Released on March 15, 2010, the video is an ode to the film "Love Jones". Skyzoo plays as Darius Lovehall with model Ashlee Ray as Nina Mosley.[38][39][40] On April 21, 2010, Skyzoo released a video for the song "My Interpretation", the final single of the album. The video is directed by Artemus Jenkins.[41]

Mixtapes and collaborations (2010–2011)

Released on October 5, 2010, Skyzoo's collaborative EP with Illmind titled Live from the Tape Deck[42] was a free-form showcase of his lyricism.[43] Unlike Skyzoo's debut album The Salvation, there largely aren't deeply personal themes in Live from the Tape Deck. The album is a collection of "raw" hip hop with a cohesive backdrop. With this project, the two artists planned to bring what hip hop veterans such as Eric B. & Rakim, Gang Starr, EPMD, N.W.A and A Tribe Called Quest brought by having one producer with one sound and one theme.[42][43][44] With the album, Skyzoo stated that his goal was "to make something that felt like a 2010 cassette tape. I wanted the content to be raw and lyric driven as always, but not as story driven or emotional as The Salvation was. There are still parts of the album that are stories and concepts, but not as much as my debut had. This one was more of a beats and rhymes type of album."[45] It was rated 'XL' (4/5) by XXL Magazine, and received an 'XXL' (5/5) rating in the 'lyrics' category of the review.[46]

In 2011, Skyzoo amicably parted ways with 9th Wonder's Jamla Imprint, with the two remaining periodic collaborators. On June 7, 2011, Skyzoo released the free mixtape The Great Debater. The project was sponsored by the Jordan Brand, and featured the singles "The Definitive Prayer", "Test Drive", "Atypical", and "Written In The Drums".[47][48] Skyzoo has said that the project was created as a "thank you" gift to his fans for continuously purchasing and supporting his releases.[49] The project, 16 songs in total, contains almost all original production (excluding the N.E.R.D sampled "Inside Of Clouds" instrumental on "Could've Struck The Lotto")[50] from producers such as Illmind, 9th Wonder, Swiff D, Best Kept Secret, Oh No, and others.[48] The cover art drew attention for its usage of characters from The Cosby Show.[48] Skyzoo has stated that The Great Debater is loosely based around the theme of achieving success in one's field, and that as a child he saw the Huxtable family as a picture of success. This led to him wanting to portray success on the mixtape's cover as he'd envisioned it in his youth.[49] It was featured most major hip hop blogs,[51] and The Great Debater was rated 'XL' (4/5) by XXL Magazine, where they stated Skyzoo "leaves nothing up for debate when it comes to his pen skills."[50]

A Dream Deferred (2012)

Skyzoo's sophomore full-length solo album, A Dream Deferred, was released on October 2, 2012.[52] The album is the follow-up to his debut The Salvation, and similar to his debut it focuses on an autobiographical writing form, with a larger musical scale.[53] The album features Jill Scott, Freeway, Raheem Devaughn, and Talib Kweli, and includes production by Illmind, 9th Wonder, Black Milk, and others.[52] The first single, "JanSport Strings", was released on August 29, 2012. Additional singles include the Jahlil Beats produced "Range Rover Rhythm", and then Skyzoo' single "Spike Lee Was My Hero" featuring Talib Kweli. The video for the latter, directed by Alex Ghassan, includes cameos from Spike Lee himself, who upon hearing the song reached out to Skyzoo via Twitter to be involved in the video process.[54] The video debuted on BET's 106 & Park as the "New Joint Of The Day" in January 2013.[54] A Dream Deferred met with a largely positive critical response,[55] and became one of Skyzoo's best charting albums, reaching No. 7 on the Top Heatseekers chart and No. 18 on Top Rap Albums chart.[31] The album received an 'XL' rating via XXL,[56] and at Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 86, which indicates "universal acclaim", based on 5 reviews.[55]

Collaborative releases (2012–2013)

He collaborated on the EP An Ode to Reasonable Doubt with Antman Wonder in 2013.[57] The nine-track album, dedicated to Jay Z's album Reasonable Doubt, was released on Jay Z's birthday on December 4, 2014.[58] A music video was also released for the album's track "Meeting the Presidents."[59] According to Skyzoo, the idea for the EP came to him via a tweet from a fan asking him to consider remaking Jay-Z's debut, in a manner similar to how Elzhi recreated the Nas album Illmatic.[60] With guest artists such as Torae, Sha Stimuli, and Kay Cola,[59] the album was entirely produced and composed by Antman Wonder without the use of samples. Instead of sampling, Antman Wonder recreated the production with a live orchestra.[59][61] It was generally well received by music critics, with publications such as HipHopDX giving it a positive review.[61]

In 2013 Skyzoo completed his contractual obligations with Duck Down Records and in 2014 created his own label imprint: First Generation Rich, Inc (commonly referred to as "FGR").[citation needed] At the request of fans over the years,[62] Skyzoo and frequent collaborator Torae began working on the joint album Barrel Brothers. Singles included the Illmind produced "Blue Yankee Fitted", AntMan Wonder produced "Memorabilia", and DJ Premier produced "The Aura" , which was co-produced by AntMan Wonder. The project, released on May 27, 2014,[63] features Guilty Simpson, Sean Price, Blu, Black Milk, and Apollo Brown, among others.[64]

Music For My Friends (2015)

Music For My Friends is the third solo album by Skyzoo.[65] Featuring guest artists such as Jadakiss, Black Thought, Bilal, Elzhi, Westside Gunn, Christon Gray and others,[66] the LP is based on the idea of growing up at 13 years old and seeing the world based on the morals learned at that age.[67] The album includes production by Illmind, Thelonious Martin, Jahlil Beats, MarcNfinit, Apollo Brown, DJ Prince, and others, and also features cover art commissioned by comic book illustrator Chris B. Murray.[66]

"As with every offering from Skyzoo, his lyricism and imagery helps to bring the listener into his stories, this time [with Music For My Friends] speaking from the perspective of a 13-year-old kid trying to find his place in the world… From the sequencing of the album to the production, Skyzoo's new LP highlights his ability to create conceptual albums that offer a breath of fresh air in today's musical climate."
XXL (July 2015)[65]

As the first project released as part of a newly formed label distribution deal between Empire Distribution and Skyzoo's own First Generation Rich imprint, the album serves as the official followup to his 2012 release A Dream Deferred.[67] Music For My Friends was prematurely leaked on file sharing sites on the morning of June 17, 2015, prompting Skyzoo to release the digital versions of the album early.[68] Physical copies stuck to the original street date of June 23, 2015.[65][67] Among the singles are "Luxury", which features Westside Gunn, and had an official music video released.[69] Other singles from the LP included "Suicide Doors", "Women Who Can Cook", and "Civilized Leisure" featuring MoZaic.

The album was generally well received. It peaked at No. 15 on the US Top Heatseekers chart, and at No. 36 at Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums,[31] and was written about positively in the music press.[65][70] HipHopDX gave the album 4/5 stars, writing that the album is "a collection of stories and anecdotes from Skyzoo's youth, with shout outs to — and from — friends and family."[70] XXL wrote that "as with every offering from Skyzoo, his lyricism and imagery helps to bring the listener into his stories,"[65] and in July 2015, the staff at XXL included the album on their list of the "30 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2015 (So Far)."[71] On June 27, 2015, Skyzoo threw an album release concert in conjunction with popular hip hop website Okayplayer at the Blue Note jazz club in NYC. The concert showcased Skyzoo performing with a live six piece jazz band.[72]

Skyzoo's social media use was referenced in the July 2015 edition Bloomberg Businessweek.[73] Skyzoo has also licensed his music in various corporate outlets including NBA 2K11, NBA 2K12.[3] Buffalo Wild Wings, NBA Shoot Around, Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned, HBO's Entourage, and 2K Sports.[citation needed] Skyzoo has had tracks used as both the theme to ESPN's Whiplash TV and the soundtrack to a Guinness advert.[3][11]

The Easy Truth (2016)

In 2016, Skyzoo collaborated with Mello Music Group producer Apollo Brown. The project, a full-length studio album titlted The Easy Truth, was released September 30, 2016.[74] The fifteen-track album contained multiple features from the likes of Patty Crash, Joell Ortiz, Conway, Westside Gunn, and Stalley.[75] It was released to critical acclaim, reviewed by the likes of AllMusic,[74] HipHopDX,[76] and many others.

Peddler Themes EP and In Celebration of Us (2017)

On March 27, 2017, Skyzoo announced, via Instagram, that he would be releasing two projects in 2017, an EP in July and a full-length studio album in December.[77]

The first project of the year, an eight-track EP entitled Peddler Themes, was released on July 21, 2017. It features production work from the likes of Illmind, Apollo Brown, among others. Skyzoo even provides his own producing abilities on one of the tracks.[78] The EP became available for pre-order on July 12, 2017, and its lead single "Finesse Everything" was released via iTunes, SoundCloud, among others.[79][80] In November, it was revealed that his album was completed and he later revealed the release date for February 2, 2018.

Musical style and influences

Skyzoo has cited as influences hip hop artists such as Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, Nas, N.W.A, Big Daddy Kane, and Kid 'n Play, as well as non-hip hop artists such as Sade and Nirvana.[7] He has credited J Dilla as one of his biggest inspirations and favorite producer.[7] A self-professed fan of the HBO crime drama The Wire, he frequently references the characters and plotlines in his music, and has cited show creator David Simon as one of his biggest idols as a writer.[81] Also a fan of jazz, Skyzoo has stated that Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Horace Silver, and Wayne Shorter as his favorite artists in the genre.[82] He has further stated that Coltrane's A Love Supreme is his favorite album in any genre.[72]

Personal life

An avid basketball fan, Skyzoo at times guest blogs for the online version of Slam magazine with a column named "Chain Link Champions."[83] He is a vocal supporter of the New York Knicks basketball team.[84]

On September 18, 2015, Skyzoo married long time girlfriend Courtney Taylor (née Hinckson).

He was previously linked to Sharlee Jeter, the sister of former New York Yankees baseball player Derek Jeter, which attracted some attention in the media.[85] The couple called off an engagement and stopped seeing each other in 2010. Two years later there was speculation in the press that Skyzoo was the father of her newborn son,[86] which was refuted.[86] He is the cousin of Charlamagne Tha God.

Awards and nominations

Year Award Nominated work Category Result
2002 Underground Music Awards Skyzoo Best Male Rapper Won
2008 Skyzoo Best Lyricist Won

Discography

Albums

Solo and collaborative albums by Skyzoo
Year Album title USA Billboard chart peaks Release details
200 Heat R&B Indie Rap Taste
2006 Cloud 9: The 3 Day High
(with 9th Wonder)
2009 The Salvation 126 4 16 14
  • Released: September 29, 2009
  • Label: Jamla Records/Duck Down
  • Format: Digital download, CD
2010 Live from the Tape Deck
(with Illmind)
3 33 30 16
  • Released: October 5, 2010
  • Label: Duck Down
  • Format: Digital download, CD
2012 A Dream Deferred 191 7 25 40 18
  • Released: September 18, 2012
  • Label: The Faculty/Duck Down
  • Format: Digital download, CD
2014 Barrel Brothers
(with Torae)
196 8 29 40 16
  • Released: May 27, 2014
  • Label: First Generation Rich/Internal Affairs/Loyalty Digital Corp.
  • Format: Digital download, CD
2015 Music for My Friends 15 36
  • Released: June 23, 2015[87]
  • Label: First Generation Rich, Empire
  • Format: Digital download, CD
2016 The Easy Truth
(with Apollo Brown)
11 25 45
2018 In Celebration of Us 5 26
  • Released: February 2, 2018
  • Label: First Generation Rich
  • Format: Digital download, CD
2019 Retropolitan
(with Pete Rock)
26
  • Released: September 20, 2019
  • Label: Mello Music Group
  • Format: Digital download, CD
2021 All the Brilliant Things
  • Released: June 11, 2021
  • Label: Mello Music Group
  • Format: Digital download, CD
2023 The Mind of a Saint
(with The Other Guys)
  • Released: January 13, 2023
  • Label: First Generation Rich, HiPNOTT
  • Format: Digital download, CD

EPs

Solo and collaborative extended plays by Skyzoo
Year Album title Release details
2013 An Ode to Reasonable Doubt
(with Antman Wonder)
  • Released: December 4, 2013
  • Label: First Generation Rich/Loyalty Digital Corp.
  • Format: Digital download
2014 Tomorrow Morning
  • Released: February 14, 2014
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
2017 Peddler Themes
  • Released: July 21, 2017
  • Label: First Generation Rich
  • Format: Digital download
2020 The Bluest Note
(with Dumbo Station)
  • Released: April 24, 2020
  • Label: Tuff Kong Records/First Generation Rich
  • Format: Digital download
Milestones
  • Released: June 19, 2020
  • Label: Mello Music Group
  • Format: Digital download

Mixtapes

List of mixtapes, with year released
Title Mixtape details
I'm for the People
  • Released: 2004
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
Back for the First Time
  • Released: 2004
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
Ghetto Celebrity: The Mixtape
  • Released: 2004
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
The Greatest Flow on Earth
  • Released: 2005
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
The City's Favorite: The Mixtape
  • Released: 2005
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
The Way You Get Down
  • Released: 2006
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
Corner Stone Classic
  • Released: July 19, 2007
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
Corner Stone Classic (The Remixes)
  • Released: 2008
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
The Power of Words
  • Released: April 17, 2009
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
The Great Debater
  • Released: June 7, 2011
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
The Great Debater Revisited
  • Released: 2012
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
The Penny Freestyle Series
  • Released: 2012
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
Theo VS. J.J. (Dreams vs. Reality)
  • Released: August 30, 2012
  • Label: FGR/First Generation Rich
  • Format: Digital download

Singles

Incomplete list of songs by Skyzoo
Year Title Label
2006 "The Way You Get Down" Custom Made/DBRG
"Way to Go 12"" (with 9th Wonder) Traffic Entertainment Group
2008 "Perfect Timing" (with CL Smooth) Coalmine Records
"Lyrically Inclined" (feat. Wale) Audioworx
2009 "Strung Out" Coalmine Records
2010 "Click" (with Torae and DJ Premier) Soulspazm/Internal Affairs
2011 "Get It Done" (with Torae and DJ Premier)
2012 "Jansport Strings (One Time For Chi-Ali)" The Faculty/Duck Down
"Jansport Strings (Remix)"
2013 "Spike Lee Was My Hero" (ft. Talib Kweli)
2014 "Blue Yankee Fitted" (with Torae) First Generation Rich/EMPIRE/etc.
2015 "Luxury" (with Westside Gunn) Music for My Friends/First Generation Rich/EMPIRE/etc.

Guest appearances

Selected songs featuring Skyzoo
Year Title Primary artist(s) Album Label
2007 "Merchants Of Dreams" (feat. L.E.G.A.C.Y., Chaundon, Torae, Skyzoo) 9th Wonder The Dream Merchant Vol. 2 Caroline
"Let It Bang" (feat. Ness, Skyzoo)
"Talk to Me" (feat. Jon Hope, Reks, Skyzoo) Statik Selektah Spell My Name Right: The Album Showoff Records, Brick Records
2008 "Let Your Hair Down" (feat. Skyzoo, Lil Eddie) Kidz in the Hall The In Crowd Duck Down Records
"Money on the Ave" (feat. Skyzoo) Reks Grey Hairs ShowOff Records
"Do You" (feat. El Da Sensei, Returners, Skyzoo) King Magnetic The Co-$ign King Mag Music
"Let's Move" (feat. Skyzoo) JR & PH7 The Standard Revolution Recordings, Supercity, Grindin
"Talkin Bout You (Ladies)" (feat. Skyzoo, Joell Ortiz, Talib Kweli) Statik Selektah Stick 2 the Script Showoff Records, Brick Records
"Left 4 Dead" (feat. Skyzoo) EPMD We Mean Business EP Records, Fontana
2009 "Money on the Ave" (Remix) (feat. Termanology, Skyzoo) Reks More Grey Hairs ShowOff Records
"Appreciation" (feat. Skyzoo) Analogic Appreciation EP Soulspazm
"Inside Out" (feat. Skyzoo, Copywrite, Pacewon) Tone Spliff Authentic Mind Write Music
"Trouble" (feat. Skyzoo) Ginuwine A Man's Thoughts Notifi, Asylum, Warner Bros.
2010 "Get Out" (feat. Skyzoo, Big Pooh, Torae, Lee Wilson) Statik Selektah 100 Proof: The Hangover Showoff Records, Brick Records
"One Day in Heaven" (feat. Skyzoo, Jaiden) John Regan Sorry I'm Late Culture VI Records
"Hoop Dreams to Rap Dreams" (feat. King Mez, Skyzoo) Rapsody Return of the B-Girl Jamla Records
"Honda Accord Music" (Remix) (feat. Thee Tom Hardy, Skyzoo)
"Perfect Timing" (feat. Skyzoo) CL Smooth Perfect Timing EP Empire, Sony/ATV, UMPG Publishing
2011 "Hearing the Melody" (feat. Fashawn, King Mez, Skyzoo) 9th Wonder The Wonder Years It's a Wonderful World Music Group
"Half Moon Part" (feat. Skyzoo, Chuuwee, Tayyib Ali) Statik Selektah Population Control Showoff Records, Duck Down Records
2012 "Until It's All Said And Done" (feat. Sean Price, Skyzoo) JR & PH7 The Good Life JAKARTA
"It Was All A Dream" (feat. Skyzoo) Kydd Jones Sounds In My Head 2 LNS Crew
2013 "Can I" (feat. Rapper Big Pooh, Tony V, Skyzoo) Ron Rico D.O.E.
"Champion" (feat. Skyzoo) Local-Mu12 Labor Day Loyalty Digital Corp.
"Goin' Nowhere" (feat. Skyzoo, Lydia Caesar) Syler One Minute To Midnight Syler Music
"The Come Back Kid" (feat. Skyzoo, F.T.) Shabaam Sahdeeq Keepers of the Lost Art Hardtimes
"City of Angels" (feat. Skyzoo) Rav.P Rav.P
"Pour Cups (For the Summer)" (feat. Skyzoo) Sandy Solo Die Geldmaschine
"Welcome to America" (feat. Skyzoo, Havoc) P-Money Gratitude Dawn Raid Ent.
"Moment of Truth" (feat. Skyzoo, Warren Wint,
Sha Stimuli, Señor Kaos)
Spectac and Shakim For The People HiPNOTT Records
2014 "City of Giants" (feat. Skyzoo, Torae, Cortez) Fokis THE WWE-P Loyalty Digital
"Rider Music" (feat. Skyzoo) Julian Juellz Loyalty Digital
"Where's the Love" (feat. Talib Kweli, Elzhi, Skyzoo) Diamond D The Diam Piece Dymond Mine Records, Fat Beats, Empire Distribution
"Get Away" (feat. Skyzoo, Torae, Reks) Termanology Shut Up and Rap ST. Records, Showoff Records, Brick Records
2015 "Ain't Nothing Funny" (feat. Skyzoo, Craig G) Sadat X Never Left RPM/Short-Fuze
"The Trophy Room" (feat. Skyzoo, Ea$y Money, Domo Genesis, Masspike Miles) Statik Selektah Lucky 7 Showoff Records, Duck Down Records
"Pulling Strings" (feat. Skyzoo) Ice Grill RPM/Short-Fuze
"Neva Eva" (feat. Skyzoo & Torae as Barrel Brothers) Apollo Brown Grandeur Mello Music Group
2016 "50 In. Zenith" (feat. Skyzoo) Westside Gunn FLYGOD Griselda Records
2017 "The Shadowed Gallery" (feat. Skyzoo) Dex Gallery OTEOT District10
2018 "Ima F*ckin Rockstar" (feat. Skyzoo) Onyx Black Rock Steakhouse Recording Studios, OPM Studios
2020 "Silver Alley" (feat. Skyzoo) Nuch & Tony Digz Silver Alley EP Odd Ball Gang, 3 Day Old Pizza.
2021 "If You're The One" (feat. Skyzoo) Raheem DeVaughn & Apollo Brown Lovesick Mello Music Group, First Generation Rich, Inc.
2022 "What It Seems" (feat. Skyzoo, Rome Streetz) Ghettosocks & DK Listen to the Masters Black Buffalo Records
TBA "The Signal" (feat. the bum., sene, Elzhi & Skyzoo) Dex & Small Professor A Long Absence District10 & Beat Goliath

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Skyzoo – Corner Store Classic Free Download". hiphopdx.com. July 20, 2007.
  2. ^ a b c "FEATURE:The Next Next? Archived 2010-10-24 at the Wayback Machine", XXL, November 10, 2008
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Cordor, Cyril "Skyzoo Biography", Allmusic, Macrovision Corporation
  4. ^ a b c d Jones, Todd E. (November 2006). "Interview with SKYZOO – by Todd E. Jones". Insomniac Magazine. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  5. ^ "Skyzoo – Return of The Real". Tha Corner. Archived from the original on March 8, 2010. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
  6. ^ a b c Heins, Scott (June 2015). "Skyzoo Talks Teamwork, Growing Up In New Mini-Doc "Comradery: The Making Of 'Music For My Friends'"". okayplayer. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  7. ^ a b c d e "Skyzoo interview", Bhagat Vinyl, May 22, 2015
  8. ^ a b c "How They Came Up: The Skyzoo Story". Indiehiphop.net. July 4, 2011. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  9. ^ "Skyzoo – Leaving Morgan Stanley & Doing Music Full Time, Upcoming Projects (247HH Exclusive)". 247HH.COM. YouTube. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  10. ^ "Skyzoo Biography". Duck Down Records. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  11. ^ a b Ivey, Michael (2006) "Skyzoo – Brooklyn Water Archived 2007-09-26 at the Wayback Machine", Nobodysmiling
  12. ^ "Winners and Nominations". Underground Music Awards. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  13. ^ a b Kayser, Brian (2006) "Skyzoo", Hip Hop Game
  14. ^ "9TH WONDER presents SKYZOO". YouTube.com. September 20, 2010. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  15. ^ "iTunes – Music – Cloud 9: The 3 Day High by 9th Wonder & Skyzoo". Itunes.apple.com. September 12, 2006. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  16. ^ a b "MVRemix Interviews – Skyzoo | Online Rap Magazine | US and Canadian Underground Hip Hop and Soul". Mvremix.com. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  17. ^ Lavin, Will (October 14, 2012). "Interview: Skyzoo talks A Dream Deferred, humility and Bad Boy fanaticism". Soul Culture. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  18. ^ "Skyzoo And Torae – Get It Done / Click". discogs.com. 2007. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  19. ^ a b "Skyzoo To Drop Corner Store Classic-Remix Mixtape", Hip Hop DX, April 7, 2008, Cheri Media Group
  20. ^ "Off the Radar: Skyzoo", The Source, October 2007
  21. ^ Stolich, Danielle (July 24, 2007). "Skyzoo: Corner Store Classic Mixtape". AllHipHop. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  22. ^ "Corner Store Classic". XXL. September 12, 2007. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  23. ^ Rhett, Starrene (2007) "Features: Skyzoo: Going Nowhere But Up Archived 2009-02-18 at the Wayback Machine", Hip Hop DX, Cheri Media Group
  24. ^ a b Ortez, Edwin. "Skyzoo Signs to Duck Down Records, Debut Album in August" Archived February 18, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, hiphopdx, May 9, 2009.
  25. ^ "Skyzoo – The Power Of Words [Mixtape]". Okayplayer. 2009. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  26. ^ a b c "Skyzoo "The Salvation" Press Release". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  27. ^ "Skyzoo Hits Studio To Work On New Debut Album "The Salvation" « Street Hop Magazine". Streethopmagazine.wordpress.com. April 29, 2008. Retrieved March 8, 2012.
  28. ^ Stewart, Justin (July 23, 2009). "Skyzoo To Drop "The Salvation" on Duck Down Records". hiphopwired.com. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  29. ^ "DX News Bits: Slim Da Mobster, Sky". HipHopDX. July 23, 2009. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  30. ^ a b c AllMusic review of The Salvation
  31. ^ a b c "Skyzoo Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  32. ^ a b "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved July 23, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  33. ^ "Skyzoo Presents – "Saving Our Grace, Episode 5 – The Need"". Birthplace Magazine. September 25, 2009. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  34. ^ "Skyzoo Presents – Saving Our Grace, Episode 5 – "The Need"". Duck Down Records (Mills Miller Media). September 22, 2009. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  35. ^ "Skyzoo Presents-"Saving Our Grace, episode 1-The Doubt"". Skyzoo: YouTube. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  36. ^ "SKYZOO "The Necessary Evils" Directed by Tee Smif, KCCC". YouTube. Retrieved March 8, 2012.
  37. ^ "Skyzoo Popularity Music Video". YouTube. November 18, 2009. Retrieved March 8, 2012.
  38. ^ "New Video: "Easy To Fly (Feat. Carlitta Durand)". Dir. By Court Dunn Van Skyzoo Op Myspace". Blogs.myspace.com. Archived from the original on July 8, 2012. Retrieved March 8, 2012.
  39. ^ "Skyzoo – Easy To Fly f. Carlitta Durand (prod. 9th Wonder) (Video)". 2dopeboyz. March 15, 2010. Retrieved March 8, 2012.
  40. ^ "Skyzoo feat. Carlitta Durand – Easy to Fly [Directed by Court Dunn". YouTube. Retrieved March 8, 2012.
  41. ^ "Skyzoo – My Interpretation (Video)". 2dopeboyz. April 21, 2010. Retrieved March 8, 2012.
  42. ^ a b "Skyzoo & Illmind to Release Collab Album". 2dopeboyz.com. May 27, 2010. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  43. ^ a b Abstract by Andrew Martin. "Album Review: Illmind, Skyzoo – Live From the Tape Deck | Prefix". Prefixmag.com. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
  44. ^ "Skyzoo to release new LP "Live From the Tape Deck"". Hiphopruckus.com. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  45. ^ "Live From The Tape Deck". Duck Down Records. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  46. ^ Staff. Fleischer, Adam (October 2010). "Retrospective: XXL Albums". XXL.
  47. ^ "Skyzoo – The Great Debater". djbooth.net. 2011. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  48. ^ a b c "Skyzoo – The Great Debater [Mixtape]". okayplayer.com. 2011. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  49. ^ a b Flesicher, Adam (June 9, 2011). "The Making of Skyzoo's The Great Debater". xxlmag.com. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  50. ^ a b Flesicher, Adam (June 16, 2011). "Skyzoo, The Great Debater". xxlmag.com. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  51. ^ "Skyzoo Breaks Down "The Great Debater," Promises An Ode To Jay-Z's "Reasonable Doubt" By Year's End". hiphopdx.com. June 23, 2011. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  52. ^ a b "Skyzoo "A Dream Deferred" Tracklist & Cover Art". HipHopDX.com. August 20, 2012. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  53. ^ Mlynar, Phillip (October 10, 2012). "Skyzoo – A Dream Deferred". HipHopDX. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  54. ^ a b "Skyzoo – Spike Lee Was My Hero (Behind the Scenes) feat. Talib Kweli & Spike Lee". Duck Down Records. January 21, 2013. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  55. ^ a b "A Dream Deferred – Skyzoo". Metacritic. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  56. ^ Lelinwalla, Mark (October 4, 2012). "Skyzoo, A Dream Deferred". XXL. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  57. ^ "Skyzoo & Antman Wonder Pay Homage to Jay Z On "An Ode to Reasonable Doubt"". 2DOPEBOYZ.com. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  58. ^ Ortiz, Edwin (December 4, 2013). "Skyzoo & Antman Wonder Release "An Ode to Reasonable Doubt" EP on Jay Z's Birthday". Complex. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  59. ^ a b c "Skyzoo – An Ode To Reasonable Doubt [EP Stream]". Okayplayer. December 2013. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  60. ^ Kyles, Yohance (December 4, 2013). "EXCLUSIVE: Skyzoo Discusses "An Ode To Reasonable Doubt", Jay Z's "MCHG", & Future Projects". AllHipHop. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  61. ^ a b Smith, Bruce (December 17, 2013). "Skyzoo & Antman Wonder – An Ode To Reasonable Doubt (Mixtape Review)". HipHopDX. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  62. ^ "Skyzoo and Torae to release joint LP: Barrel Brothers". Loyalty Digital Corp. April 16, 2014. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  63. ^ "Skyzoo x Torae: Barrel Brothers [Artwork x Tracklist] | The Underground Hip Hop Authority | Hip Hop Music, Videos & Reviews". KevinNottingham.com. April 18, 2014. Retrieved April 27, 2014.
  64. ^ Fitzgerald, Trent (April 25, 2014). "Skyzoo & Torae Tip Their Hats to NYC on 'Blue Yankee Fitted'". TheBoombox.com. Retrieved April 27, 2014.
  65. ^ a b c d e Krastz, Roger (June 25, 2015). "Skyzoo Speaks to the Youth on 'Music For My Friends'". XXL. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  66. ^ a b "Music For My Friends". Allmusic. 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  67. ^ a b c Garrett, Ural (April 28, 2015). "Skyzoo "Music For My Friends" Release Date, Cover Art & Tracklist". hiphopdx.com. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  68. ^ "Music For My Friends". djbooth.net. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  69. ^ Maxwell, Ryan (June 24, 2015). "Skyzoo ft Westside Gunn – Luxury". hhkmag.com. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  70. ^ a b Johnsen, Homer (June 23, 2015). "Skyzoo – Music For My Friends". hiphopdx.com. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  71. ^ "The 30 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2015 (So Far)". XXL. July 14, 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  72. ^ a b Mester, Amanda (May 12, 2015). "Rapper Skyzoo to host album-release party during Blue Note Jazz Fest June 27". AXS. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  73. ^ Walker, Rob (July 10, 2015). "Can SoundCloud Be the Facebook of Music?". Bloomberg. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  74. ^ a b "The Easy Truth – Apollo Brown, Skyzoo | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  75. ^ "The Easy Truth by Apollo Brown & Skyzoo". Music.apple.com. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  76. ^ "Skyzoo & Apollo Achieve Gatekeeper Status With "The Easy Truth"". HipHopDX.com. October 4, 2016. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  77. ^ "Login • Instagram". Instagram.com. Retrieved November 22, 2020. {{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  78. ^ Skyzoo [@skyzoo] (June 14, 2017). ""Peddler Themes", the new 8 song EP, available for purchase July 21. Lyrics will never be the same... 🚲" (Tweet) – via Twitter./photo/1
  79. ^ "Peddler Themes by Skyzoo". Music.apple.com. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  80. ^ "Finesse Everything". Soundcloud.com. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  81. ^ "Skyzoo Breaks Down "The Great Debater," Promises An Ode To Jay-Z's "Reasonable Doubt" By Year's End". hiphopdx. June 23, 2011. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  82. ^ Kyles, Yohance (December 6, 2013). "Skyzoo Names His Top 5 Brooklyn Rap Albums, Jazz LPs, and Basketball Players". AllHipHop. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  83. ^ "Loose Links: David Dallas, Mobb Deep And Skyzoo". HipHopDX. May 12, 2011. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  84. ^ "How to Fix the New York Knicks: An Open Letter". slamonline.com. February 26, 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  85. ^ Markman, Rob (October 11, 2012). "Skyzoo Never Wanted To Exploit Romance With Derek Jeter's Sister". mtv.com. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  86. ^ a b Patracuolla, Christina (September 7, 2014). "Jalen Jeter, Derek's Nephew: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy.com. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  87. ^ Skyzoo [@skyzoo] (September 17, 2014). "RT @LIRIXIZNICE: Need a new @Skyzoo solo project!! - "Music For My Friends", my 3rd solo album, summer 2015" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  88. ^ "The Easy Truth by Apollo Brown & Skyzoo on Apple Music". itunes.apple.com. Retrieved August 5, 2016.