Discography Review #1: Skyzoo (Phase One)

Now here's somebody I've been trying to fit in my review schedule for some time now, ever since last Summer.

I knew about Skyzoo for a while, but never really got to his music fully. I remember him being on a Boondocks mixtape, but I skimmed through all of that. At the time, the only thing I heard was his feature on Little Brother's "Speed Racin'". Plus, I went through like 1 or 2 of his tracks. But I finally found the light last Summer after listening to one of his projects, Cloud 9: The 3 Day High for the first time. I was banging him out to the point he was my top artist on Spotify.

Sitting with his discography for a good 9-10 months, Skyzoo has grown to be one of my favourite rappers right now. The Brooklyn bred rapper has improved and matured so much as a rapper, and it seems that he doesn't get enough credit for that. From spitting some hard street shit on mixtapes like The City's Favorite to reflecting on being black and preparing to be a father on In Celebration of Us, Sky really has provided a consistent discography for over a decade. And I've really been sleeping on it for so long. But hey, it gets like that for everybody.

So it's only right to go on a little journey through his discography. Sky got a big discography, so we dividing this in phases/parts. This is Phase 1, going through the projects leading up to his debut album The Salvation. Phase 2 will drop probably... Lord knows when, ha. Anyway, let's get into it... the one and only S-K-Y-Z-O-O!

The City's Favorite

Released: 2005

This ain't Skyzoo's very first project, he had a few released before. But this is the one Sky counts as the start of his discography, especially one of the projects leading to his then-forthcoming debut. Released around 2005, The City's Favorite was hosted by DJ Absolut, featuring a solid mixture of original songs and freestyles over some of the hottest songs at the time. Sky was getting a lot more buzz around this time, getting cosigns from Cam'ron, Lil Kim and the late Sean Price. This also marked some of Sky's first official work with 9th Wonder, who provided production on "Let It Bang" (which would later be on The Dream Merchant 2) and the title track standout "The City's Favorite". Khrysis also came through with a banging instrumental for "Turn It Up", which Sky absolutely RIPPED! J Dilla even got a few beats on there, as Sky raps over "History" and Zeqway jumps on "In the Streets". Can't forget !llmind, who did "Sick wit the Slang", which is such a banger, one of my favourites; and Sky did his thing as usual. Zeqway is also on "Black Out" with Sky & Torae, and all three of them murked that beat. Sky jumps on a few popular beats including 50 Cent's "Window Shopper", Rhymefest's "Brand New", Jeezy's "Go Crazy" and Kanye West's "We Major"; and he came through with the rhymes. His flow was nice as well. Overall, a solid project which showcases Skyzoo's dope lyricism and delivery over some hot beats.

Recommended Tracks: "Sick wit the Slang", "The City's Favorite", "Turn It Up", "In the Streets", "Black Out", "History"

Download here!

Cloud 9: The 3 Day High (with 9th Wonder)

Released: September 12, 2006

This one happened to be Skyzoo's breakthrough project, entirely produced by the one and only 9th Wonder (or 9th Wonderful Tunes, as Sky liked to call him). The joint project consisted of instrumentals from beat CDs 9th gave to Sky and this was apparently made in three days, hence the name "The 3 Day High". Sky & 9th show great chemistry on Cloud 9, with no features to back the Brooklyn rapper up. This was also the first project I heard from him last Summer, I couldn't stop playing it. The instrumentals on here bang so hard, and Sky was really spitting, especially on "The Spirit", "Way to Go" and "The Bodega". He even gets to storytelling on "Extreme Measures", spitting such a long verse that it's so easy to miss the story. "You & Me" is such a relaxing cut, where Sky raps about how he and his girl are meant to be together. It's your corny lovey-dovey type shit, but 9th's instrumental is so beautiful, it really complements the verses and hook really well. Yeah, overall, this is a nice project, a great prelude to his then-forthcoming album, with high replay value, dope production from 9th Wonder and hard rhymes from Sky.

Recommended Tracks: "Way to Go", "You & Me", "Bare Witness", "Live and Direct", "The Bodega", "Stop Fooling Yourself", "Mirror, Mirror"

Corner Store Classic

Released: July 19, 2007 / 2008 (iTunes remix version)

Hosted by Mick Boogie and the legendary DJ Kay Slay, Corner Store Classic was released in Summer 2007, continuing off the recognition Skyzoo gained from The City's Favorite and his joint effort with 9th Wonder, Cloud 9: The 3 Day High. Like his previous mixtape, this is another decent mixture of original joints and freestyles over old and new beats. Skyzoo did his thing over the Nutmeg instrumental for the intro. "Like a Shotgun" is OK, but doesn't compare to the original Platinum Pied Pipers song. Same with "Straighten It Out", the Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth song is too much of a classic. Skyzoo does get Torae, Zeqway & Yatta Barz over a Dilla beat for "They Don't Want It", and they ripped that. The original cuts outshines the freestyles, as usual though. Sky & Tor also link up with DJ Premier for some bangers with "Get It Done" and "Click". "Hold Tight" is an absolute banger, thanks to the chemistry between Sky & Black Milk. And "Cop 'n Go" has insane replay value, an ode to the corner stores in Brooklyn, and what they normally purchase there; Sky, Maino & Sha Stimuli really delivered some heat. Skyzoo also remixes the Jesus Price Supastar cut "You Already Know" by Sean Price, providing a new guest verse (he was originally on the hook), in which he did his thing on.

There's a retail/remix version of the mixtape, available on iTunes, that was released the following year. This compiles mainly new songs and remixes of the mixtape tracks. The remix of "Bragging Rights" sounds a lot more better than the original one, produced by Khrysis. It's a lot more hardhitting and makes it more easy to appreciate Skyzoo's verses. Sky also sounds better over the remix of "Straighten It Out", I think the tape would've worked so better if that version was on there instead of the original freestyle. Black Milk jumps on the "Hold Tight" remix, with both of them sounding so great together, as Skyzoo proclaims in an entirely new verse: "You wanted Jigga and Dilla on a track, you got it". New songs include "I Shine" and "So Close", both of which could've worked on the actual mixtape. But yeah, nonetheless, Corner Store Classic is solid, Skyzoo does his thing on most of the tracks, but just a few things could've made this mixtape hit real harder.

Recommended Tracks: "Hold Tight" (both the original and remix), "I Shine", "Bragging Rights" (preferably the remix), "Cop 'n Go", "All Over the World", "Click", "Get It Done", "They Don't Want It", "Play Your Position", "Ride Out"

Download here or check out the retail remix version down below:

The Power of Words

Released: April 17, 2009

In 2008, Skyzoo went without releasing a single project, as he was working real hard on two projects he was planning to release the following year: another mixtape and also his long awaited debut album. The Power of Words served as a prelude to Sky's debut The Salvation, which, at the time, was scheduled for a Summer release. This project also marked his signing to 9th Wonder's label Jamla Records. Hosted by DJ Drama & Statik Selektah, the mixtape was slightly different from his previous two, featuring original production throughout and no freestyles over hot/recycled beats. Skyzoo is a lot more consistent on the mixtape, with hardly any skips. "Clearer Hearing" is a dope opening to the tape, as Sky comes through with a little verse to get us going. "Bells & Whistles" is a chill yet bumping tune, shout out to !llmind; and Sky delivered with the flow and verses. "No Pretending" features some headbumping production from Khrysis, which reminds me a little of DJ Premier's sound; and Sky rips the hell outta that beat. Sky links up with Big Remo, Rapsody & GQ for the Jamla posse cut "We Are Jamla". GQ & Sky killed that song, but Rapsody was alright. "Say What You Say" is a main standout on the mixtape, as Rapper Big Pooh & Naledge guest star on the song, providing some killer verses (in my opinion, Naledge was the best outta the three). I could name all the great songs on here, but yeah, this is probably better than Corner Store Classic. A really consistent mixtape, which served nicely as a prelude to The Salvation.

Recommended Tracks: "Say What You Say", "We Are Jamla", "Bells & Whistles", "No Pretending", "We Belong", "When I Rhyme", "The Don Cheadle Effect", "Left 4 Dead", "Alphabet Soup", "Clearer Hearing"

Download here or stream below:

The Salvation

Released: September 29, 2009

After the release of The Power of Words in April 2009, Skyzoo's long-awaited debut The Salvation got pushed back for a little while, from a Summer release to an Autumn release. The album was finally released in September. Unlike the previous tapes leading up to this very album, The Salvation is a lot more personal and introspective with no guest appearances, an album Sky has been planning to drop since he started rapping at 8. Not only was Sky signed to Jamla with 9th Wonder, but also secured a deal with Duck Down Records, home of the Boot Camp Clik (Sean Price, Buckshot, Smif-n-Wessun etc). This also saw a change in Skyzoo's sound overall, as instead of just aggressive and hard tracks, Sky continued to consistently make thought-provoking material on later projects including Live from the Tape Deck, Music for My Friends and The Easy Truth.

The Salvation features many highlights, which makes for a consistent debut from the Brooklyn rapper. "The Opener" sees Sky reflect on his goals, his area changing and what he writes in his music. "The Beautiful Decay" is where Sky touches on his upbringing in New York and also the state's hip hop culture since the South Bronx decay in the 70s. The culture is a beautiful art form yet a product of a damaged environment. "My Interpretation" is such a wavey cut where Skyzoo raps about having such a feeling like you can fly away from everything. The music video is a solid complement to the song too. "Under Pressure" is another relationship joint from Sky & 9th Wonder, with Sky dedicating the song to his other half, as he raps about wanting to be the best man and being under pressure while doing so. "For What It's Worth" is about Sky trying to make the most out of his life, but feels that time is slowly running out. "The Necessary Evils" is a powerful storytelling joint where Sky delves into the life of a hustler/drug dealer, and how you can make a lot of money out of this. This album is consistent with the content and production, and Skyzoo really delved deep into his life for a lot of great songs; hardly any weak moments. Overall, the best project out of the bunch so far.

Recommended Tracks: "For What It's Worth", "My Interpretation", "The Beautiful Decay", "Metal Hearts", "Easy to Fly", "Penmanship", "The Shooter's Soundtrack", "Dear Whoever", "The Necessary Evils"

Buddy & KAYTRANADA - Ocean & Montana

Released: May 19, 2017

When I first checked out Buddy and his music last year, I didn't have a great first impression on his debut project Idle Time. There was like one or two great songs on there, but the rest of the mixtape was just forgettable grade A mid! The 24 year old Compton rapper/singer (real name Simmie Sims) was discovered by the legendary Pharrell when he was 18, starting to work with him on new music. 2014 was the release of Idle Time, and I didn't like it. The two EPs he released last year, on the other hand... yup, this was it.

For now, let's focus on the first of those two, Ocean & Montana. We'll get onto Magnolia another time. Buddy linked up with Haitian-Canadian producer KAYTRANADA for this project, consisting of 5 tracks. Now I rate Kay heavily. His funky electronic sound has made hip-hop and R&B shift so much further, providing some dope production on upbeat Summer jams like GoldLink's "Meditation", The Internet's "Girl", Mick Jenkins' "Your Love" and Anderson .Paak's "Lite Weight". His 2016 debut album 99.9% was such a solid effort, featuring contributions from notable names such as Syd, Craig David, Phonte, Karriem Riggins and Vic Mensa. Now with this project? More fire production to add to his resumé. The whole project just screams SUMMER so much, you would've wished it was longer than just simply 5 tracks. Damn, at least somewhere between 6 and 10.

Ocean & Montana is just a 17-minute crash course, which is creative as hell and showcases some great chemistry between Buddy and the Haitian-Canadian electronic/hip-hop producer. You would've thought Kay was carrying this project heavy, but Buddy comes through with some wavey flows, catchy hook and some dope verses. Their sounds both seem to mesh so well, and it makes this project have so much replay value, even when it ain't the Summer.
The EP starts off with "Find Me", a relaxing opener when Buddy raps about spending his time smoking and drinking all by himself, as he hopes for someone to find him and love him. He also reflects on his family's words, rapping "My sister say I'm changing a lot/Someone by the water finally made it straight outta Compton/Father calling me like 'Son we hardly see you at all, Yeah I know you out here shining but you can't do it all by yourself'". While it features some reflective content, it still remains a nice and ambient cut you can easily vibe to. The second song "Guillotine" is my favourite song on the EP, and the one I play the most. Buddy delivers a hook which is a homage to the OutKast song "SpottieOttieDopaliscious", and his two verses are solid as usual, with a confident flow and a catchy bridge to make this song what it is.

"World of Wonders" is a chill and relaxing Summer tune, with a tropical Afrobeat/dancehall style added to it. Interpolating Nelly's "Flap Your Wings", there's nothing much to it other than Buddy singing and coming with a feel good vibe. "A Lite" continues the feel good, relaxing Summer vibes, as Buddy gets in the mood to smoke and party. "Love or Something" is such a great two-stepper, and a nice way to end the EP. It's probably my favourite song on the EP, with them feel good vibes. The hook is real catchy as usual, and it's been in my head so much recently. Buddy's verses were cool, and his flow was tight, but KAYTRANADA's instrumental is the golden part of this song. Makes you wish there was more songs.

Overall, Ocean & Montana is a solid body of work. It's such a wavey vibe from start to finish, suitable for the Summer. Buddy & KAYTRANADA really have some chemistry, and these 5 songs leave you wanting a lot more from them. Their sounds mesh so damn well! Buddy is now prepping for his upcoming debut album, likely dropping sometime this year. Hopefully, he and Kay link up again for some more wavey and laidback joints.

Recommended Tracks: EVERYTHING, including "Guillotine" and "Love or Something"