Gimme Some Extra
Nearly a decade after rising from Florida’s SoundCloud underground, Ski Masks The Hunch God is a younger OG decided to stage up with a brand new album and tour. He’s again exterior.
Interview: Peter A. Berry
Editor’s Notice: This story seems within the Summer season 2024 challenge of XXL Journal, on stands now.
Since unloading Sin Metropolis The Mixtape three years in the past, Ski Masks The Hunch God has been as subdued as his title suggests. But he’s nonetheless been energetic. With the discharge of some loosies and collabs throughout that point, the Florida rapper has reckoned with private losses whereas making modifications to create a extra sustainable life-style as a younger rap star. He’s immersed himself in gaming. He’s gotten new pets. He’s discovered a brand new lover. He’s delved into new enterprise ventures. And when he wasn’t within the studio, he was on the highway with $uicideboy$ for his or her Gray Day Tour between 2022 and 2023. By way of all of it, his kaleidoscopic swagger has stored followers locked in, as they’ve been for practically a decade.
Ski Masks, born Stokeley Goulbourne, first emerged from South Florida’s explosive SoundCloud underground alongside his shut good friend and collaborator XXXTentacion 9 years in the past. Ski Masks’s rhymes are a collision of eccentric wordplay and jittery flows harking back to Busta Rhymes. Ski’s 2016 debut mixtape, Drown in Designer, showcased these bars and earned him loads of early consideration.
By 2018, he was already signed to Republic Information and launched Stokeley, his critically acclaimed debut album that crystallized his standing as an rising rap drive. Sadly, that very same yr, XXXTentacion was shot and killed throughout a theft. A yr later, Ski’s different shut good friend and rap ace Juice Wrld died of an unintended drug overdose.
Since then, Ski has been targeted on therapeutic from the lack of two shut buddies and exploring new methods to develop. He continues that course of with eleventh Dimension, his sophomore album, which dropped this June. The mission incorporates a voice memo from XXX and a brand new Juice tune. Arriving six years after Stokeley, the brand new LP is coated in glitchy raps, surrealistic rock, reggae and his usually quirky charisma. Its title is a nod to Ski Masks’s newest self-imposed creative mandate, which stipulates that he makes use of completely different sounds to get better different items of himself by way of his music. It’s catharsis by way of intricate world-building. Or possibly it simply sounds actually cool. Both manner, It’s Ski Masks 2.0.
Talking with XXL on Zoom from Los Angeles in Might, Ski, 28, discusses eleventh Dimension, rap mentorship, his new clothes line, becoming a member of the streaming group, staying wholesome, potential AI collaborations, touring and extra.
XXL: It’s been three years because you dropped your final mission, Sin Metropolis The Mixtape. That’s not extremely lengthy, however in rap years, it form of is. Why did you’re taking that break?
Ski Masks The Hunch God: Nicely, actually, I used to be simply going by way of a variety of real-life sh*t, my good friend… Aside from my buddies passing away and sh*t like that, coping with that. My residing state of affairs, determining the place I wished to dwell.
So, I made a decision to maneuver again to Florida the place all my household is and the place I’m from initially. After I dropped Sin Metropolis, I simply wished to verify the following mission I dropped was good. So, that’s what additionally was holding me up quite a bit, making an attempt to good the following sounds that I used to be actually doing. And it didn’t actually come collectively till this yr and slightly bit later of final yr. However I recorded all all through that entire time. So, I’ve songs even from again then that’s on the album, however I’ve even a lot newer songs that I’ve been recording. So, it’s like a mixture of each.
Sorry to listen to that. Glad you’re doing OK.
Yeah, considered one of my finest buddies had handed away. After which I had been actually shut with Juice Wrld, too. [He] handed away. After which, aside from them, too, I’ve had buddies in my life move away abruptly, too. So, two or three buddies. It was actually loopy.
A loopy three, 4 years for me round that point. So, my thoughts was on making music, however on the similar time, I wasn’t in the suitable headspace to actually good my craft at the moment. That’s why I really feel like I dragged it on.
What did you do to assist your self and produce your self by way of that interval of trauma?
Both video video games or going to the studio typically. Even when I’m making one thing I’m planning on dropping, simply getting the work in and simply ensuring that I get that apply in. And that was additionally a very huge assist.
Simply being round good buddies additionally. It’s a mix of issues that helped me get by way of these instances. I’d keep house. I didn’t actually exit an excessive amount of.
Musically and personally, how would you say you’ve modified these final three years?
Since I dropped Sin Metropolis, positively simply making an attempt to good my craft much more, making an attempt to… As a result of I do completely different genres in my music, so I’m positively making an attempt to pinpoint on these genres that I’ve been doing and making an attempt to do it higher.
Texting the household extra. Staying house extra, not likely going out as a lot as I used to. I used to exit quite a bit. How else have I modified? Actually simply extra level-headed as a result of I was form of loopy and far more… Though I’m nonetheless spontaneous, I’ve gotten far more calm and simply gotten actually higher at planning stuff. Planning issues out and planning issues for my profession.
So, making an attempt to convey collectively this world for the album that we’ve got occurring. I feel it’s been going rather well for it. We’re making an attempt to construct this world for eleventh Dimension.
What do you wish to show most together with your new album?
I actually wish to show my expertise, my ability on songs and the truth that you could possibly be rapping and never need to dumb it down for the brand new age to understand it.
What have you ever been as much as exterior of music? Have you ever been beginning any companies? Whenever you spoke to XXL in 2018, you talked about probably beginning your individual durag line.
Mainly, we’re going to do this. I received a collaboration with Revenge. Revenge helps me make it with the designs and simply the manufacturing of it. So, it’s going to be my clothes model. It’s referred to as Citadel and the primary drop is [coming soon].
We’re going to drop little collectible figurines of me. After which additionally, for my merch clothes model, we’re going to positively do the durags as effectively. It’s been a very long time coming. I may have been capitalizing on that.
In addition to the clothes line and making music, what else has been a spotlight in your life?
Actually simply staying house, making an attempt to get my… I’ve been making an attempt to repair up my home, residing life with my pets. I’ve two cats and a canine. I simply received a hamster. Aside from that, simply making an attempt to determine how I’m going to begin this streaming factor that I wished to do. As a result of I wish to begin streaming quickly, in all probability someday after the album drops.
So, making an attempt to determine that out. I purchased this huge gaming chair. I feel it’s an AG gaming chair. It’s referred to as a Scorpion. It’s large. And it has this huge hanging display. It’s like this huge machine. It has a therapeutic massage chair in it and sh*t. It’s fairly loopy. I’m about to begin streaming off of that. So, yeah, simply making an attempt to actually get every part collectively and proper for every part to fall into place.
You point out streaming. Who’s your favourite streamer?
Undoubtedly in all probability Kai [Cenat] and YourRAGE proper now.
What are some video games that maintain you in your toes?
I play Apex Legends, Overwatch, League of Legends, Darkish and Darker, Elden Ring. It’s a variety of video games that I play. There’s not one particular one I may say that I faucet into [more] than the opposite as a result of I like switching video games and never becoming bored on one. So, it’s at all times a unique mixture.
What’s the music world lacking with out Juice Wrld and XXXTentacion?
Quite a lot of good music. They’d be making a variety of good music. Quite a lot of completely different sounds as a result of they at all times had been experimental of their sounds. So, it missed the entire era of music actually, from simply them two or Lil Peep or some sh*t like that. Simply all these folks being gone. And we missed out on generational music, so it’ll at all times be a gap in that.
There’s sure folks which might be nonetheless there, like Trippie Redd and me. However it will’ve been much more completely different. I really feel the sound could be completely different now in the event that they nonetheless had been right here. The underground sound. How folks have a look at making music. I really feel like it will’ve been quite a bit completely different.
This AI stuff is fairly loopy. Have you ever heard any of the Juice and XXX AI songs on-line? Like there’s an AI XXXTentacion “Lucid Goals.”
I haven’t heard the X “Lucid Goals” one but, however I’ll positively test it out now that you simply’ve talked about it. That’s humorous. I haven’t seen that one but. That’s loopy.
You sound nearly such as you’re extra amused by that concept than disturbed like some individuals are.
It’s extra amusing than disturbing actually. As a result of they’re already handed. So, it’s simply fascinating to see how it will sound. I’m not likely too in opposition to it, [or] too crazily in opposition to it like some artists are. It’s not one thing to become profitable off of. It’s simply one thing for the followers to get pleasure from.
So, I really feel like everyone ought to simply relax, take a step again. Some folks, they’re the artists, actually combating for them like they know them or one thing.
It raises some fascinating mental questions. Would you utilize AI to do new collabs with Juice and XXX?
It relies upon if the individuals are extra open-minded to it. If the folks get extra open-minded to it and so they’re extra keen to not be indignant at it, actually, so, yeah.
Who do you assume received the current Drake versus Kendrick Lamar battle?
They’re each good artists. I positively really feel like Kendrick dropped the higher songs throughout the beef. So, it was even arduous to decipher the battle as a result of Kendrick simply stored dropping again and again. I might assume that Kendrick would have received, for certain.
Do any older artists offer you recommendation?
Younger Thug. I used to be within the studio with Thug one evening. He would have hella strippers in there and he could be giving recommendation about music and enjoying sh*t for me. Undoubtedly Busta Rhymes once I was residing in New York and sh*t. He could be coming to my studio classes, and he would take heed to the songs I’ve and provides me some recommendation. We might simply be consuming heavy collectively.
Because you’re kind of an OG now, are there any youthful artists you’ve given recommendation to?
I met NLE Choppa when he was first beginning off, and I met Child Santana when he was first beginning off. So, positively simply to inform them this sh*t ain’t simple. Take sh*t gradual, particularly with tour as a result of tour may get tiring. It’ll make you wish to not tour in any respect.
Simply take it gradual. Simply be careful for folks. Be careful who you’re employed with, and simply be cautious. Don’t be trusting. Be cautious whenever you’re within the music trade and that’ll take you far.
Six years in the past, you tweeted about your well being and the way you had a “fats boy illness.” How have you ever handled that?
I nonetheless haven’t had the surgical procedure but. Yeah, it was gynecomastia or one thing like that. And I nonetheless need to get the surgical procedure achieved for it. However yeah, I’ve been wholesome. I’ve been understanding and sh*t. So, it hasn’t actually been an excessive amount of affecting me the way it used to again within the day. However I nonetheless need to get it achieved and stuff like that.
When your profession is finished, what do you wish to be most recognized for?
I suppose simply at all times placing in work. All the time creating a unique lane. By no means copying something, simply creating one thing completely different.
What does success seem like for you in 2024 and past?
Simply having this album do effectively, and the excursions promoting out, and finishing these excursions and to begin engaged on one other mission. And simply getting the folks again and interactive once more. That may be success to me, for certain.
Learn the unique interview with Ski Masks The Hunch God within the Freshman challenge, on newsstands now. Along with interviews with the 2024 Freshman Class and producer Southside, there are additionally conversations with Sexyy Crimson, Ski Masks The Hunch God, Mustard, Rubi Rose, Ken Carson, Ghostface Killah, Lola Brooke and extra, plus, a glance again at what the 2023 XXL Freshman Class has been doing, how podcasters and streamers are enjoying a serious position in rap beef, and a deep dive into the continued scamming and fraud plaguing hip-hop. The difficulty is on sale right here, together with some unique Freshmen merch.