Born in Lagos, Nigeria, in the early 90s, Skyman was exposed to Western pop music and Afrobeats that were released during this time. As he got older, he was introduced to hip-hop of the late 90s and early 2000s.
From reciting lyrics by his favorite rappers and impressing his friends to beginning the journey of writing his lyrics, it was in 2014 when Skyman moved to Cyrus to pursue higher education; he then took the rapping more seriously and started gaining local attention with freestyles.
Now with a music catalog filled with enticing hits, we land at the most recent release by Skyman. "AUSTIN" has us swaying to the beat of his eclectic essence. Amplified with heavy-hitting lyricism, the emcee approach that Skyman takes is reminiscent of Kendrick Lamar. The greatness is in the attention to detail that resides in the composition. Every vocal effect is impeccably placed to add another dimension to the vocal tracks.
Giving this otherworldly feel to the instrumentation, we have a pulsating record that emanates intensity with how it's conveyed. Skyman's performing techniques are unforgettable as he adapts to the beat with more cadences than we can count. It's as if he is showcasing these various versions of himself that, in turn, pull us closer to the most authentic version of himself. The creativity in "AUSTIN" is refreshing and welcomed by our speakers. This upbeat anthem has us hooked on the skill set of Skyman.
Winning us over with each release, "AUSTIN" sits high on our repeat radar. There's no doubt about it; you'll be adding this track to your favorite upbeat playlists.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Skyman, and congratulations on the release of "AUSTIN." We love the energy you deliver in this record! What moment or story inspired the witty lyrics we hear?
Thank you so much and thanks for having me. The story comes from a collection of experiences relating to crime in cities I have lived in. The lyrics mostly reflect on youths' daily lives trying to make ends meet, so blindly taking on deals to engage in illicit activities. Some off-course with dear consequences. You have to listen to the song carefully to understand what it truly means.
Who and what are your musical and non-musical inspirations? Do you find this greatly plays into the sound you have?
My musical inspirations include Nas, Biggie, Eminem, Kanye West, Lauryn Hill, Michael Jackson, Queen, and more recently Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean, J Cole, and Drake. Well, I believe it is quite hard to pinpoint any direct influence, but I would say you can find bits and pieces of all these artists I have mentioned in a body of work project or even a song. It just depends on the vibe at that moment. Although, I started rapping from listening to Biggie, Eminem, and Nas. However, listening to Kendrick and J Cole has changed my flows. Non-musical inspirations would be Denzel Washington, Michael Jordan, and Mohammed Ali because of their passion and dedication to their craft.
What does "AUSTIN" mean to you? What do you hope your audience can take away from it?
AUSTIN is really just a name, a reference to the movie, ‘Austin Powers’, and has no direct meaning to me. I’m just saying like Austin, I got powers. So, the reason I got powers is left for the audience to find out by listening to the song. That way they can make sense of it how they see fit. After all, it is art.
What's your mission statement as an artist? How does "AUSTIN" tie into that?
In this mad game called life, everyone is racing to the top trying to win, make it big, and stuff, but I believe the real winners are those ones that help others cross the finish line. So, if I really have one, my mission statement is to practice collective winning or something along those lines haha. Help others win. I wouldn’t say AUSTIN ties into that, but if you got powers like AUSTIN use them generously.
