Though $ky has had some difficult experiences in his life, he has always managed to work hard and stay true to himself. He has been working on his music since he was a teenager. He knows that the hard work that comes with creating something is done, and now it’s time to get comfortable marketing himself and his music. After dealing with the passing of his father, he is more determined than ever to make it in the industry. “Right after he passed, I was featured on TMZ,” he explains. “I feel like my dad’s passing gave me the push I needed to put myself out there and show people how passionate I am about making it.”
30,000 + Streams for “Her”
$ky released the single “Her” that reached 30,000+ streams after Zaytoven listened, which led to the two artists collaborating. “I’d love to collaborate with other artists such as Future, Young Thug, NBA Young Boy, and other top chart artists,” $ky shares. “I create music that relates to the streets.” He continues: “I’m known for talking about my relationship with the streets and women through music. I rap about relationships and situations that anyone my age is going through; it’s life. I believe the music that I make could change someone’s life.”
The Rapper Lifestyle
The whole rapper lifestyle was something $ky was always involved in, even at an early age. “But I loved basketball so much I didn’t think I would pursue a career in music, $ky explains. The attention I received from sports was kind of like fame, similar to being a rapper.” He continues: “You’re good at what you do, and everybody knows you. I was that good. I was good enough to play D1. My dreams of being in the NBA hid my secret love for music and desire to be a rapper. My dad was also good at basketball, so that was something we shared.”
$ky then went to a university and attempted to play ball, but others on the team caused him to doubt himself. “After giving up basketball, I decided to drop out of college because that’s truly the only reason I went to college,” $ky explains. “That’s when music became the number one priority in my life.” He emphasizes, “I loved the attention it brought me, but I never used the spotlight for negative.”
He was always positive and kept a calm attitude but was still torn about not finishing college. $ky explains: “I started to face real-life problems after dropping out. I became involved in gang-related activities. Losing that fame from basketball and being the popular kid in high school made me realize that no one is really for you unless you succeed. I wanted to gain back everything I lost through a successful music career.”
Demon Season
Sky’s decision to drop out of college and be successful on his own made him more ambitious. He became competitive and wanted to be the best. He started mixing and mastering his music. But pursuing a rap career comes with its own unique set of challenges. He says he thought about giving up due to breakups and problems at work, among other life struggles. “I still felt like a failure after quitting college and not feeling passionate about any job long enough to stay employed,” $ky says. “I would put all that pain into my music, but the tougher I became, the tougher the situations became.”
$ky is now 27, having worked on his music for eight years. He has dealt with a lot trying to chase his dream of being an artist. These experiences led to his album, “Demon Season,” released in October 2020.
Signed to the Trenches
$kys’ is focusing is on his album “Signed to the Trenches.” $ky explains, “The album explains the situations I’ve faced throughout my life and career. It was inspired by Lil Durk’s “Signed To The Streets” project. Just like he said he the voice of the streets, I feel like I’m the voice of the trenches —the soul of the trenches.”
$ky says the project is full of pain, but there are songs on there to lighten the mood, too, like “All That Money” & Eeny Meenie.” He took a serious approach to “Signed to The Trenches.” The track that stands out the most to me is “Daddy Too.” A track $ky wrote during the passing of his father.
“I wanted my fans to see the true image of me, who I am, what I come from, and what I represent through this album, $ky explains. “I ended up focusing more on the lyrics than the vibes.” He continues, “I got so caught up in each song, keeping a serious vibe along with some catchy pitches and melodies. The project is versatile; there’s something for every mood.”
