2:22 AM | Posted by
Janus
What happens when ill talent goes hand in hand w/ unique vision? Well, the answer is easy… take a look at O-Skeez. This young artist is something this game ain’t never seen. Without a doubt “unique” is thee word to describe this emcee. No matter what it is he does it his own way bringing to the table something outstanding…
Q: Who’s O-Skeez? Introduce yourself to those who don’t know you yet.
O-Skeez: O-Skeez is basically ya average young go-getta with a big dream, that has a talent of using words to make music & relate to people life. To him its all about dominating anything he gets his self involved in to the highest level. Family, friends, & loyalty is the thing you can say he cherishes the most, more than money (laughing)
Q: Where’d the name O-Skeez come from? What’s the meaning behind it?
O-Skeez: It’s just like a name a childhood friend gave me, it’s not really nothing behind but me. Like I feel as tho I didn't need a name that was already known as something to describe who I am cause honestly who gone tell who I am better than me! So I looked at it as branding something that nobody knew of so if I did reach a certain plateau. It can only remind them of one thing & one person only
Q: How did you become involved in Hip-Hop?
O-Skeez: Umm ma brother. He had picked it up first & was real good wit it but me, I couldn't rap for shit!! (laughing) And since we was so competitive I wouldn't stop tryin till I was better than him. And not jus a lil better, I wouldn't to be waaaay better than him! (laughing) As I got older I became better and eventually a rapper from around the way that was already doin his thing put me under the wing... RIP Hectic
Q: What do you love most about hip-hop & why?
O-Skeez: I like everything about hip hop really. The culture its self to me is jus "Dat Shit"! basically... I’m talking from the clothes to the music, from the slang to the hairstyles, I mean like allll dat. Its movement by its self. And if you stamp that movement & become a part of it ya life personally becomes a beat. Its a creative art and like that.
Q: What are your views on the current state of hip-hop culture & its future?
O-Skeez: I'm not one of those people that think hip hop musically is dead. I personally feel hip hop is well alive & kicking but I do feel as tho the business aspect of it sometimes overshadow musically creativeness. For instinct, a artist can hear something on the radio & feel as tho that's what he/she gotta imitate to get recognition when realistically that ain't the case. As a artist I feel that its our job to build our lane & have our own sound. People in general love something new that’s different from the rest. Like a DMX and 50 or a Soulja Boy and them niggaz that made Stinky Leg… They might have had a similar style but sound and flow is totally different. And for the future of hip hop I feel as it’s looking quite healthy rite now, especially if I ain't breakthrough yet. So even if it is dead or bouta die I'm that confident in my music that I can bring the shit back & if you don't have that mentality as a artist you need find a new career feel me cause you done put ya eggs in the wrong basket. Straight like that!
Q: What do you think East Coast Hip-Hop needs to run the game again?
O-Skeez: Unity! That’s it. Ain't like we don't have the talent. It’s just everybody want to be the captain and nobody want to be the role player. Cut that jealousy shit out for real that's a weak emotion.
Q: How would you describe your music?
O-Skeez: Wow, hmm I would say if I had five boxes and the five boxes each had a different title on them and I had to place a ball in each of the boxes to describe my music?? Every single last box would be full... (laughing) I say that because I try to give my music no boundaries just in case they did try to box me out, it would always be another audience that would want to hear O-Skeez. Some think just because I'm from the hood & I know what it feel like to be the man in the trap I should talk only about that! But I won’t cause that's not the only thing that describe me. In my music is where you can find my personality. I always said if I was to die today and people still wanted to find out who I was and how I am they should go to my engineer (YFame) dat nigga kno everything!! (laughing) But yea my music leaves the listener to the point where they cant put me in a box and say oh ok this is what he about, nah cause I can relate to a lot of different situations so that's what I make sure I put in to my music to do.
Q: What message are you trying to convey with your music?
O-Skeez: It’s not really a message I'm trying to give off, it’s really a feeling. Me personally when I'm listening to a song or album I always try to feel out the feeling it gives me. Whether its a party vibe, a get -high vibe, relationship vibe, basically just the feeling I get off of the track. And that’s the same way I go-in on creating my material, trying to set a mode on what the production gives me. So I a track got me feelin bouncy I mite take the direction of it to the club or if its kind of laid back I’ll jus direct it to real life situations. And that's what people love, when they can listen to a freestyle or a song and it seem like I wrote it for them or I was talking to them without even knowing them.
Q: What do you bring to the table? What do you think sets you apart from other artists?
O-Skeez: What’s set me apart?? I don’t know, honestly… I wish I did tho so I can bragg!.. .(laughing) j/p I jus take the feedback from my day one fans and that's what I build off of. Some say it's my lyrical ability, my voice, the way my flow differ on every other beat, but me personally I jus do me. That's the one thing I know I can do that everybody else can’t. What I bring to the table tho that a lot of hip hop artist can’t do is probably my ability to mix reggae with hip hop and make it a fusion. And I’m type nice with the melodies!! (laughing)
Q: In terms of Hip-Hop subgenres, what’s your comfort zone?
O-Skeez: I mean nothing really gets me out my comfort zone but a bad beat! Other than that I’m comfortable rappin either one. My music is based on how I'm feelin the day I create it. So whether it's gansta or conscious it's true emotions. Some fabricate in their music but at the end of they day by a person detail and attitude in a song you can tell if they authentic or not. Especially if you don’t kno nothin bout it! Y do it?? That shit ain’t cool. But stupidity is a ma'fucka cuz if you find ya self stuck in that environment one day you done set ya self up.
Q: What emcees influenced you as an artist?
O-Skeez: DMX, Beanie Sigel, Kanye, Jay-Z,The old 50 cent (laughing), Jadakiss, Weezy, Styles P, Eminem, Cassidy. These is just some it's prolly a lot more but this all that had a big influence on me as of rite now.
Q: What’s real Rap/Hip-Hop to you?
O-Skeez: True feelings. Just staying true to who you is. I tip my hat off to Soulja Boy cause he got a lot critics thrown at him but all did was stayed in his lane. I respect that, obliviously he was prolly one of those club junkies to always make club bangers so that was his way of expressing who he was & what he bout. So true feeling make real hip hop. To me anyway!
Q: What O-Skeez song is the most significant to you & why?
O-Skeez: Wow, Prolly "Pen To The Paper" I guess cause that was actually one of my first songs I ever did! And it came to be a banger! I created it as a fusion with hip hop verses but a reggae hook. And once I dropped that joint it took off. From winning competitions to being on DJs mixtapes, to gettin played on the radio. So to me I think that song was significant on what it did for me as a artist and what it stood for in general. That's the one song I'll say explain O-Skeez well from the hook to the 3 16 bar versus it had on it.
Q: At what point did you make the decision to be a professional emcee?
O-Skeez: When I graduated high school. That's when I really decided I was gon make it legit. Cause after "Pen To The Paper" did its thing I had people coming to me asking was I goin to drop a mixtape & ma boyz tellin me I should keep it coming so I had all the time in the world now that I was out of school to focused and build upon the fan base I already had off of that song.
Q: What is it that most people would be surprised to know about you?
O-Skeez: I be strapped!! (laughing) nah for real tho!!... (laughing) I thing people would be most surprised to know about how down to earth I am, like with the type of feedback I get and the way people react to my music when I perform and niggaz not being able to wait till I drop anotha mixtape you would think I’ll be cocky as shit! Especially cause I don't associate with everybody. But to keep it 100 my head never get big. Unless I'm in a situation that person try to stunt on me like I don't bring the heat, the same heat they bring times 10!! Then you would never know.
Q: What’s WondaMuzik? How did you join the movement?
O-Skeez: WondaMuzik is a label founded by YFame as a group of Independent artists that share the same talent and same goal. And that's to be the best of each musically ability and make hella money!! Every artists that's on the label is craaaazy talented and I mean each every single one of us!! How I joined was Fame (the head of the label) was going to the same school I was at. And when I first start branching into music I was dealing with somebody that was mutual friends with him. The mutual friend took a break from music I carried on with fame & I guess he got tiered of hearing me rip down industry beats and wanted to hear on one of his productions. So I did a few joints afterwards we just kept working together. I was there so much it was like I was already down so made it official ever since then it been all day WondaMuzik.
Q: How do you see yourself in the rap game? What are your ultimate goals?
O-Skeez: Honestly I want to be the biggest artists ever!! And that's just me being me, that's jus the thought ma fire burns on. If I thought any less than then that I don't think I would be able to go so hard. So to sum up that question, just picture Hov status, now keep his status there remove his pic and put O-Skeez there. Beanie Sigel said "Play ya cards go against all odds, shoot for the moon if you miss you still amongst those stars" That's how I look at life...
Q: Let’s imagine that you could record a song w/ any artists … indie or major…dead or alive…Who would that be? Name your dream team: a few artists & a producer. What kind of record would that be?
O-Skeez: Rite Rite...Well I def have Bob Marley, Michael Jackson, Sanchez, & Marvin Gaye Prod, By Kanye!!! Dat Shit Would Be Epic!! And the song wouldn't be a subject as "we are the world" but it would be something as BIG AS THAT...Maybe BIGGER!! (laughing)
Q: What are your upcoming projects? What should people expect from them?
O-Skeez: I got a mixtape dropping end of June called "Behind The Barz" It's gon be a lot gullyier from my previous mixtape, but its def gon have great songs on there toughing songs, meaningful song, what’s going on to date songs. Cause a lot of rappers still talking about money and jewels and all that which is cool but still you would've thought by their music
Q: Who are the artists & producers you’re working w/ on this mixtape?
O-Skeez: I’m bringing a lot new aspiring artist to the face front my fans I got artists like Scorp Da Boy (Philly Native), Young Vet, Rugaa Woo, of course WondaMuzik artists and who ever else draws my attention that I feel as if they hot and I want do something with them is on there.Production wise I got SapTheBeatMan, YFame, JhalilBeats, GT, and that's pretty much it. By the way, I do need some new bangers by my in house producer Fame I got to get him out his bag with this one!!
Q: What kind of music are you listening to right now?
O-Skeez: Disco!! (laughing) j/p I been playin a lot of old DMX lately and I got my boy Jeezy new mixtape on deck.
Q: Do you have any other passions besides music & hip-hop culture?
O-Skeez: Gettin Money & Basketball ..I kno how to ball real good…Like the dude Lebron I taught him!! He just ain't cut me my check yet, but it's all good….(laughing) Nah but you catch me on the courts Ima do my thing...
Q: Any shout outs?
O-Skeez: Shout out the whole WondaMuzik squad!, C.M.D. all day!, & ma gurl G for doin interview!
Special thanks to O-Skeez for taking time out for this interview!
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