Flawless Hustle.com Exclusive: The 10 Question(s) Q&A Session Series: Skyzoo

Interview by Dub MD
www.twitter.com/dubmd84

In this weeks session we caught up with one of the best lyricists in hip hop right now. Co-signed by everyone from 9th Wonder to DJ Premier, to releasing and featuring on a tone of mixtapes, and having the internet buzzin for years, Skyzoo is finally on the verge of releasing his highly anticipated debut album entitled “The Salvation” via Duck Down / Jamla Records on September 29th. Skyzoo takes time out to sit down with us to talk about his forthcoming album, his writing process and his newest mixtape project “The Power Of Words”.

Dub MD: Skyzoo, what’s good fam? its been a minute since our last Q&A session, and you’ve done a lot since then, for those who have been under a rock, what are some of the things you’ve done over the past year or so?

Skyzoo: Over the past year, I’ve toured as a headliner in China and Hong Kong, done shows all over the states, won Best Lyricist of The Year at the UMA’s here in New York, signed a deal with Duck Down Records via 9th Wonder’s Jamla Records imprint, and released my critically acclaimed mixtape “The Power of Words” with DJ Drama and Statik Selektah. I’ve also appeared on EPMD and Statik Selektah’s albums. All of which is leading up to my official debut album The Salvation dropping September 29th.

Dub MD: Coming from Brooklyn, how does coming from there shape your attitude to the music/culture? and what do you think of the New York music scene right now?

Skyzoo: Being from Brooklyn always meant striving to be the best. No matter where you go in the world, if you scream “where Brooklyn at” or “is Brooklyn in the house”, people spazz out. They don’t even have to be from the borough and they rep regardless.

We were always known for making an entrance. My music comes with that confidence, but it also represents what I saw in Brooklyn. My life is wrapped up in the album, and it’s a painting of the Brooklyn that I know.

Dub MD: You’ve got a new album called “The Salvation” just round the corner, which to your fans is long overdue, and can you give us a little background on the album, and when can we expect to hear it?

Skyzoo: The Salvation will be in stores September 29th on Jamla Records/Duck Down. Jamla is grammy award winning producer 9th Wonder’s label, with distribution through Duck Down. The album is my debut, and it was made with that in mind. Alotta people think Cloud 9 was my debut, but that was just an EP. I did that project in 3 days, so as dope as it is, it can’t be labelled as a debut when it was done on a whim.

Dub MD: With this new album, what artists and producers are you connecting with this time around? and what’s your label situation like just now?

Skyzoo: Production wise I got 9th Wonder, Nottz, Needlz, Just Blaze, Illmind, Black Milk and more. Feature wise, there aren’t any. The one feature is Carlitta Durand singing on a hook for me, that’s it! No MC’s at all. I wanted to make the album about ME, and though I did have a small list of guests that I wanted, I decided to save that for later and just make the debut about who I am.

Dub MD: You’ve got a mixtape doing the rounds right now called “The Power Of Words” which available online for free, which i personally think is better than most artists albums, whats the concept behind it and why should heads download it over the hundreds of other mixtapes out there?

Skyzoo: The mixtape is all about punchlines and just “dumbing out” on the beats. The main goal of it though was to really go over people’s heads, and whoever could get what I was saying, they understood lyrics that much more.

Records like “Bells and Whistles”, “Alphabet Soup”, “We Belong”, “The Don Cheadle Effect”, they all have tons of lines in them that take a minute to fully get. I felt like if people can get this, then they may be able to get the album. The stuff on the album is all double and triple stacked as far as the bars go.

Dub MD: Where do you get the inspiration to write the type of material you do? what is the writing process like when it comes to working on your projects? and why do you think mc’s that keep integrity in their music, never make a real mark on soundscan?

Skyzoo: When I write, I just try to make what’s real to me. I write what I know, simple as that. I can’t write about stuff I’ve never experienced or don’t have any knowledge on, it won’t sound authentic. My writing process revolves around the beat. Sometimes I’ll have a concept in mind of what I wanna do, but I never write without the beat first. I don’t just openly write and find a beat to match it later.

I hear the beat, brainstorm on where I wanna go lyrically and conceptually, and then I start penning. As far as soundscan, sales reflect what’s out there to the public. People buy music based on what they know is available.

So regardless of the impact of the internet and how great it is, if you’re not on TV or the radio, a large portion of people out there won’t know your records exist. There’s people who buy what they’re accustomed to hearing all day, but if they knew about some of the “underground” artists out there, they’d probably be the biggest fans of their work. But if they don’t know, they don’t know. Sadly, lyric driven hip hop isn’t played on the radio as much as it used to be, thus reflecting the lack of sales in the lyric lane.

Dub MD: You’ve got a lot of support from hip hop fans online, How important do you feel the internet is to underground hip hop these days? do you think its helping or hurting the game in the long term?

Skyzoo: The internet is huge for artists like myself, because like I said in the answer before, the radio and TV aren’t too receptive to all lyric driven hip hop, so the ‘net is our other outlet. The ‘net lets us do what we do and serve our fans the music that they come to us for.

Dub MD: What do you think is your most defining and unique characteristic that sets you apart from every other artist out there? and how would you describe your style to those who still haven’t heard your music?

Skyzoo: Lyrics are my number one focus musically, but more so in the sense of painting pictures. I tell stories when I write, and I try to be as visual as possible with my music. Also, the versatility that I come with is hard to find nowadays. That’s what separates me from the back. My style musically is versatile, lyric driven, and honest.

Dub MD: You’ve shared the bill with a lot of legendary hip hop artists, If I’m coming to a Skyzoo show. What am I going to experience, that I won’t experience from just listening to your material on CD?

Skyzoo: You’ll see and hear the music come to life. When I’m on stage, I try to bridge all the gaps that exist within hip hop. So you’ll get the vibe of what the future of our music will sound like, but also a nostalgic feel due to the music I grew up on.

Dub MD: What is on tap for Skyzoo for the rest of 2009 and beyond? do you have anything to say to the fans? anything you wanna get off your chest? any shout outs?

Skyzoo: The album The Salvation drops September 29th on Jamla Records/Duck Down. It’s my best work to date. Once the album drops, I’ll be touring throughout the states and overseas, and I’ll be shooting a ton of videos for the album too, so get ready for the full experience of The Salvation. To the fans, thanks for all the support. I couldn’t do this without yall.

Keep supporting and I promise to keep the music 20 steps ahead. Shout outs to 9th Wonder and the whole Jamla team, and the whole Duck Down and Nycetrax Studios as well. September 29th ya’ll, The Salvation. Cop that! and get at me at myspace.com/skyzoo, facebook, twitter.com/therealskyzoo, and my site skyzoo718.com, coming early September.