Skyzoo recently let loose the visuals to "Range Rover Rhythm", one of the standout tracks off his latest album A Dream Deferred. Jahlil Beats handles the production on this one. If you haven't taken in A Dream Deferred yet, I highly recommend you give it a listen (or two, or three). For more on Skyzoo, make sure to read our interview with him. Check out the visuals to "Range Rover Rhythm" below.
"One time for Chi-Ali/ 'Cause I could be in a box if I ain't see that screen/ My mama prayed that I wouldn't be Chi-Ali/ Now my mama straight, 'cause I wanted to be Chi-Ali"
Coinciding with the release of his latest album, A Dream Deferred, Skyzoo teamed up with the recently freed Chi-Ali for the remix to "JanSport Strings". The collaboration is a dream come true for Skyzoo, as he grew up idolizing Chi-Ali after seeing his music video for "Age Ain't Nothing But A Number". This also marks the first song Chi-Ali has appeared on since being released from prison after serving 12 years. For more on Skyzoo and A Dream Deferred, check out our recent interview with him. Stream the remix to "JanSport Strings" below.
Bedford-Stuyvesant emcee Skyzoo's highly anticipated sophomore album A Dream Deferred is out today, marking the followup to his critically acclaimed debut album, The Salvation. On his sophomore effort, Skyzoo teams up with frequent collaborator !llmind (who serves as co-executive producer) to craft a deeper, bigger sound than the sample-based The Salvation. The album begins with the Fresh-sampling "Dreams In A Basement", produced by !llmind and featuring Jill Scott, who sets the tone for the rest of the album in the chorus: "Sometimes I wonder, will I ever sleep the same? Cause I, I let these dreams keep me awake." The album follows with the lead single, "JanSport Strings", produced by 9th Wonder. Skyzoo then transitions to "Pockets Full", an ode of sorts to Notorious B.I.G., featuring Philadelphia's Freeway. Next up is the dubstep-inspired "Give It Up", the second single off the album. "Glass Ceilings" is next, followed by a personal favourite, "Range Rover Rhythm", produced by Jahlil Beats. The pace of the album slows down for the next two tracks, the smooth, Jessy Wilson-assisted "The Knowing", followed by "Drew & Derwin", featuring an excellent guest performance from Raheem DeVaughn (another highlight from A Dream Deferred). Skyzoo is joined by Jared Evan on the dreamlike "Realization", which is followed by "The Rage Of Roemello". On "Make It Through Hysteria", Skyzoo provides some of the most memorable bars from the album, finishing the song with a spoken word piece: "No handouts used, because none was ever given [...] See, when I said I wrote on the back of light bills, I really meant that [...] I wrote, and I wrote, because no one else spoke. No judge, no jury, just purely how it goes." Next up is "Steel's Apartment", a look into Skyzoo's past, where "it all started at Steel's Apartment". Skyzoo is then joined by none other than Talib Kweli for "Spike Lee Was My Hero", before closing out A Dream Deferred with the introspective "The Cost Of Sleep". Overall, A Dream Deferred is a thoroughly solid album, and a carefully crafted storyline well worth paying attention to. Check out the making of A Dream Deferred below (via Vibe TV). For more on Skyzoo and A Dream Deferred, check out our recent interview with him.
Interview by: Martin Bauman Fresh off the release of his latest mixtape, the lyrically dense Theo vs J.J. (Dreams vs Reality), Brooklyn emcee Skyzoo is gearing up for the October 2nd release of his sophomore album, A Dream Deferred. Fans of Skyzoo will know A Dream Deferred has been a long time coming, ever since the release of his critically acclaimed 2009 album, The Salvation. Since '09, Skyzoo has released 2010's Live from the Tape Deck, as well as 2011's The Great Debater mixtape, but neither were intended as the follow-up to The Salvation. With the October 2nd arrival of A Dream Deferred, the time has come. The Come Up Show recently caught up with Skyzoo, and we talked about A Dream Deferred, idolizing Penny Hardaway as a kid, and growing up two blocks from Notorious B.I.G., among other things.
Hit the skip to read the full interview.
Brooklyn emcee Skyzoo just dropped "Give It Up", the second single leading up to his highly anticipated sophomore album, A Dream Deferred. Produced by !llmind, "Give It Up" mashes vintage dirty hip hop drums and 808s with dubstep grime, creating !llmind's signature 'boom-trap' sound, most recently found on "The Morning", off G.O.O.D. Music's Cruel Summer. Skyzoo's A Dream Deferred is set for release on October 2nd, through Duck Down/The Faculty. For more from the album, check out the lead single, "JanSport Strings". Stream "Give It Up" below.