[2DBz x TWV Exclusive] Skyzoo Speaks On The NYC Hip Hop And The Importance Of Radio & TV Today
Skyzoo has been bubbling in the underground scene for most of the past decade. But with the recent release of his collaborative project with producer Illmind Life From the Tape Deck it appears that the Bedstuy emcee is on the cusp for greatness and mainstream recognition. With Skyzoo’s lead single “Speakers On Blast” getting burn on the radio and his recent appearance on BET, TheWellVersed and 2DopeBoyz sat down with Sky to talk about the hip hop scene in New York and why he is finally breaking through.
“It’s also about being consistent as an artist,” Skyzoo explains noting that both 2009’s The Salvation and the recently released Live From the Tape Deck have been critically acclaimed. But he knows that it took a very important element to help bring his name into the homes of those who had no clue who he was until recently.
“The reality of it is, TV and the radio still matter,” Skyzoo says about the exposure he has received. “Not saying that everything on the TV and radio is right, but it still matters because with ‘Speakers On Blast,’ DJ Enuff on Hot 97 literally played it every single day. I’m seeing the Twitter followers go up, I’m seeing the sales go up, I’m seeing the response and interaction. TV and the radio matter.”
As Skyzoo’s name becomes more recognized, so has the New York hip hop scene. For the past decade, many have been critical of the place where hip hop was born for not having the impact on the industry that it was having in the 80s and 90s. But Skyzoo sees it slowly getting back to its glory days.
“I think the scene is building,” Skyzoo says. “It had its moment and is just now getting back to where we want it to be.”
But while those critical of today’s hip hop have constantly asked to “take it back,” Skyzoo doesn’t feel the need to look backwards. Rather, he thinks it is important to keep pushing forward.
“I don’t really want to go back. I want it to get back to being dope but I don’t want to relive 1995. I don’t want to relive 1989. When 1995 was here, nobody was trying to relive 1983,” he states. “Why go back? You can take the same elements of what was good and apply it to now, then you can’t lose. But you just can’t say let’s redoing the past. I’m not a fan of (reliving the past).”
Live From The Tape Deck is available now.
