By: Todd “DG” Davis
Rapindustry.com

 

From the gritty streets of BK’s heartbeat, Skyzoo rose like a lyrical phoenix, his words rising from the ashes of struggle and aspiration. With each verse, he paints vivid murals of life—a tapestry woven with threads of hope, pain, and resilience. Emerging in the mid-to-late 2000’s, he didn’t just step onto the scene; he carved out a sanctuary of authenticity and craft, blending the timeless echoes of hip-hop’s golden era with a visionary pulse that pushes the genre forward. His albums—The Salvation, A Dream Deferred, and In Celebration of Us, for example—stand as monuments of storytelling, each bar a brushstroke on the canvas of the culture. Skyzoo’s voice is a bridge—connecting the past’s rich legacy to the future’s endless possibilities. In this conversation, we journey through the soul of a poet, a historian, and a master of the craft, exploring the heartbeat of his music and his perspective on hip-hop’s ever-changing landscape. We recently caught up with Sky to see what’s what.

Let’s hop into this single, “Sky is Like” — how did this particular track come to fruition?

The idea for the single came about with me being an avid fan of Nas. When making the gumbo that is Skyzoo, there’s no way Nas isn’t one of the main ingredients in it. For me, I grew up on him and a lot of my yearning to be a great lyricist came from studying him as a teenager. The original “Nas is Like” is known as a hip-hop classic and staple, and I wanted to put my own spin on it with “Sky is Like” and describe who I am and what I’m like in a similar vein that Nas did when he spoke on who he is and what he’s like. Production wise, I knew I needed the perfect person to make a beat similar but opposite of what DJ Premier did on the original track. My friend and frequent collaborator DJ Manipulator was the perfect person for the job, and he knocked it out of the park.

How then does “Sky is Like” compare to or differ from your previous songs?

It’s similar to all of my other music in the sense that it’s super layered and lyrical. If you know me, you know that all of my music is layered with double and triple entendres, and I depend on the listener to peel it all back and continue to find the meaning. In the same token, it’s also different from a lot of my music because most of my music is heavily based on storytelling, where this one is just me doing what we call barring out. Just going crazy with the pen and showcasing who I am with tons of metaphors. Just rapid fire rhyming.

“Sky is Like” comes courtesy of your latest body of work, Views of a Lifetime — Conceptually, what does this title represent both to and for you?

The title comes from the concept of continuing off of my previous album, Keep Me Company. On that album, the concept was growth and coming to terms with the growth spurt that we all must face that is inevitable. With this album, it’s me accepting and even relishing in that growth, but now looking back on what was, hence the title Views of a Lifetime. The idea is when you accept and embrace and appreciate how you’ve grown, you can now look back on who you were as somewhat of a previous or a different life. You can look back on who you were and break down what was and what wasn’t worth it in that past life of yours. That’s what this album summarizes. 

As a lyricist, where do you draw inspiration from?

My inspiration comes from my everyday life, the way I grew up, and what I am striving for in my future. I can draw inspiration from books that I’ve read, TV shows, and films, and most importantly just the way I’ve lived and the way I’m living. Inspiration can come from literally anywhere, and that’s the beauty of it.

Tell me about your musical beginnings. When did this journey start for you?

I started rapping when I was nine years old, but music was a part of my world before that. Growing up in Brooklyn, NY, as a kid, I was surrounded by hip-hop, by default, so when I picked up the pen at nine years old, I already had all of this base to draw from without me even knowing it. Once I started in the fourth grade, I knew it was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Some people start making music or playing sports leisurely and then it turns into something they strive for as a profession later, but with me I knew from day one it was all I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

Growing up in ‘Breukelen,’ who were some of your biggest influences?

For me, my biggest inspirations were and are Nas, as I mentioned earlier, Jay-Z, Biggie Smalls, The GZA, Ma$e, The Lox, and Black Star. I grew up literally one block away from Biggie, so that inspiration was a 45 second walk away.

How do you define your style?

My style is lyricism first and foremost. I’m known for double and triple meaning in all of my rhymes as I stated before, and knowing that fans will have to pick apart my verses to put the puzzle together. It’s something that goes along the lines of being nice vs. being elite. According to the people, I’ve been at the elite table for a long time now with no signs of ever being moved.

What do you hope people take away from your music?

For me, the main goal is for people to relate to my music, find themselves in it, and be able to dig through it and appreciate it for years and even decades to come. My goal is to speak in a way that no one really has in the past, and make sure people like myself are represented and can find themselves in there somehow, someway. Storytelling is and always will be my main forte.

Dream collaboration — who would it be?

I would say, Jay-Z, Nas and Herbie Hancock.

If you could play any venue in the world, where would it be?

I’ve been so blessed to perform all over the world, that’s actually a hard question for me, lol. It’s not a flex, but absolutely a blessing instead. With that being said, I would say Madison Square Garden for sure.

How do you feel about the current state of hip-hop?

The current state seems pretty good because of the independent wave. We are in an era now where you can literally make the music that you want, put it out, and grow an organic fan-base without anyone being able to stop you. An artist doesn’t have to depend or rely on a radio station or television network in order to build a fan-base, go on tour, and succeed in their career. On the flipside, it leaves the door open for way too many people to make music who really shouldn’t be making music, lol. But I guess there’s two sides to every coin.

 
What’s the key to your longevity?

My longevity is due to my consistency, my fan-base, and the fact that I’ve never let them down. Some people build a fan-base and then try to change what it is that got them that fan-base to begin with, and then are mad when they lose it. For me, I know that my consistency in my work as well as knowing what my fans and supporters want and expect of me, that’s why my longevity has been so clear cut. 

Beyond music, what else, if anything, do you want to do?

Outside of my music and my son, my family as a whole, I’m known for other business ventures that I have including a restaurant that I own in Atlanta, which came from me being known as a very good cook. If you know me personally, you know I can cook pretty much anything and I’m now looking to do more in that world since people keep telling me that I should, lol, but for me, everything starts and ends with the pen. If there’s a story that needs to be told and there’s room for me to write it, I’m going to do so.

Biggest career moments thus far?

Every day feels like a big career moment, honestly. But I would say being able to tour the world every year, headlining 30,000 people in South Africa, working with my heroes like Spike Lee and The Lox, and just being known as someone who has an absolutely classic catalogue, those are my highlights.

What’s an average day like for you?

For me, my day starts and ends with my son. Once he’s up and in school, I’m either in the gym or on my computer going through emails, setting up tours, or negotiating offers for my ghost writing. I’m also heavily in the studio, working on new music for myself, others, and whatever else needs to be done on my list. Once my son comes home from school, the music world is turned off and I get into the homework and cooking and Dad element of life, which is honestly my favorite part of my life. Once he’s in bed, I get back to music, and then restart the day all over again.

How do you interact with your fans?

I handle all of my social media pages, so I interact with my fans that way, but I really prefer to interact with them in person. Whether on tour, randomly in the street, or anywhere else that we may cross paths.

Favorite and least favorite parts of this work?

My favorite part of my work is the fact that it still doesn’t feel like work. Making music is something I’ve wanted to do and have been working on doing my entire life, so being able to do it for a living and not having had a 9-to-5 in almost 20 years, that’s an absolute blessing that I never take for granted. My least favorite part of it all is being away from my son when I’m on tour, even though I love touring and performing for my supporters, and I would also say the nonsense that comes with the game. The bad business and the people who wish they could do what you do so they find light for themselves in negativity and trolling, that part is corny. Mainly because you can’t see them in real life, as they would never have that same energy in person, lol.

What advice would you give to someone following in your footsteps?

The advice I give to any and  everyone listening would be to do this for the love, because there are so many things that happen in this game that can steer you away from it and turn you off, the love for your craft will be what saves you. Also, remember that this is a business first and foremost. Everyone around you will treat it as such, so make sure to protect yourself in that regard.

Five to ten years from now, where do you see yourself?

Five years I see myself still making music, but 10 years I probably won’t be. I’ll probably be focused on my other businesses and hopefully continuing to reap the benefits off of the catalogue that I’ve built since 2006.

What’s next for you, Sky? 

Next up for me is touring the new album, and probably another project in 2026, but way down the line. Right now it’s all about this new album which has been getting an overwhelming amount of love from everyone. I’m truly grateful and appreciative of it all.

Any parting words for our readers?

Thank you to everyone who’s reading and who’s been listening to the music day in and day out. We’ve come so far, but we still have so much more to go. Much love to everyone.