Production from 9th Wonder, Just Blaze, Nottz, Ill Mind, Black Milk, Needlz, and more
Brooklyn-raised emcee Skyzoo is here to remind Hip Hop fans that the music can still be true to life and heartfelt. With numerous Mix CDs on his resume, most recently, The Power of Words with DJ Drama and Statik Selektah, Skyzoo is currently preparing his first national full-length LP, “The Salvation,” in stores September 29th, via Jamla Records/Duck Down.
The Salvation will be set apart from Skyzoo’s previous Mix CD releases in various ways, however Skyzoo explains that “it’s another constant sign of elevation and growth, and it’s the most personal work I’ve ever done.” Although in the past he has released records such as “The Bodega,” “Stop Foolin’ Yourself,” and “Extreme Measures,” which were all true to life, Skyzoo promises that they will not reach the personal extent that the tracks on The Salvation will bring to listeners. Songs such as “For What It’s Worth” and “Metal Hearts” help contribute to the feeling that Skyzoo expects his audience to have; that their $15 was well spent on the album, they could relate to it, and that the project will stand the test of time.
A tactic taken by Skyzoo to emphasize the personal aspect of The Salvation was to not load the album up with features from other rappers. He states, “The moment you pick up a pen or start rhyming as a kid, all you think about is getting an album out. This 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. The Salvation is about me.”
Alongside the extremely personal element of The Salvation comes the conceptual side of the project. Theme was the name of the game for Skyzoo’s debut album, and this is evidenced in how the production was handled. 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.” Included in the production credits for The Salvation are Washington D.C.-based production team Best Kept Secret (who work in-house for Wale), Seattle’s Eric G (who some may recognize as providing a few beats to Torae), and Cyrus tha Great, as well as 9th Wonder, Nottz (who produced the single “Popularity”), Just Blaze, Illmind, Needlz and Black Milk.
Fans have seen a sneak peek of Skyzoo’s first LP in the form of a video for a track entitled “Beautiful Decay,” produced by 9th Wonder. The video is directed by Artemus Jenkins, and sets out to reflect life in the various boroughs of New York.
When all is said and done, The Salvation should provide listeners a more intricate view into Skyzoo’s life, as well as what has gotten him to where he is today. While telling his story and painting a picture in the audience’s minds with his words, the diverse range of production and the auto-biographical nature of the album will set it apart from his previous Mix CD releases. By late September the world will get to know a different side of Brooklyn’s Skyzoo.