Lil Skies is a rapper that's on the precipice of superstardom. He started making music at 4, and got his face tattooed to make sure that he'd always stick to music - as well as dropping out of college. Inspired by his dad, who was a rapper himself under the name Dark Skies, Lil Skies took the baton and ran with it.
He's always been driven by the fact that people can relate to his music, telling Billboard back in 2018 that he wants to be an influence on those listening to what he's making. “I feel like a lot of people can relate to my music. A lot of people can tell that the shit that I’m going through is real and I feel like the biggest influence and I feel like the biggest inspiration is knowing that I’m inspiring them, too, while I’m still achieving my dreams.”
READ MORE: 5 Things To Know About Lil Skies
Lil Skies is one of many rappers who's worked with video director Cole Bennett (of Lyrical Lemonade), who in part helped Lil Skies put himself on the map. Lil Skies' 2018 hit Nowadays came accompanied by a Cole Bennett-directed music video, which caught the attention of a lot of people and saw it hit the charts.
The story behind the Nowadays video is an interesting one - with its release not always guaranteed. Speaking to Complex, Cole told the story about how initially, Big Money was set to be the song they filmed a video for - but he had a feeling about Nowadays."I had a feeling about Nowadays. I thought it could be big, and also the setting and this treatment, I felt like it fit Nowadays. more than Big Money. Also, I was like, 'I don’t want to upset the school. I feel like Nowadays has a better message to it."
Lil Skies is one of the most successful members of the 'SoundCloud rap' generation, a term used to refer to the likes of Lil Pump, Lil Uzi Vert and of course, Lil Skies. SoundCloud has become a way for people to discover music long before it hits the radio, and Lil Skies is proof that you can convert underground success into a successful career - even if he's only getting started.
Riot, his latest track, continues the hot streak that Lil Skies has been on this year. He's already dropped two singles, Havin My Way alongside Lil Durk, which he followed up with Fidget, released in April. Fidget seems like a track that's meant for a pre-coronavirus time when clubs were still operational, but that doesn't mean it's not perfect for a dance in your living room. It's a flex, and he knows it - but given how hard he's been hustling since the middle of last decade, why wouldn't you flex?
If Havin My Way and Fidget were the warning shots, then Riot is a full-fledged attack, letting the rest of the rap game know that he's coming for their necks. He takes the elements of both those singles and turns things up to 11. Riot sees him talking about success, and staying real to himself. Some people change when they reach success, but that's not Skies' plan - he's going to stay true to what he believes in. The music video for Riot is as much of a trip as the track, with the LouieKnows-directed visuals once again showing off Skies' talents in front of the camera, as well as behind the mic. Lil Skies has all the makings of a rap superstar - and Riot sees him poised to accept that mantle.
Lil Skies keeps things relatively low-key, but it's hard to get his music out of your head. His new project looks set to be the one that propels him into superstardom, a path he's been on since birth. Lil Skies is only set to get bigger and bigger, and you'll want to keep an eye on what he does next - it's going to be one hell of a ride.
