Lil Skies makes every move with his family in mind. His very moniker nods to his dad’s rap alias “Dark Skies.” Before his career took off, he ducked out of college and started making moves to support everyone. Minted as a rising star, Skies named his 2019 chart-topping debut, “Shelby,” after his mother. As a father himself now, the multiplatinum Waynesboro, PA rapper goes harder than ever in 2021 on his second full-length offering, “Unbothered,” out now via Atlantic Records/All We Got Ent.
I would die for my family. I’ve got a big heart, and I wear it on my sleeve. I pretty much live to make others happy. I care about my loved ones so much. My son motivates me to keep going and making more songs, because I’ve got somebody else to take care of. It’s not just about me; it’s about my little boy. All of my albums are just phases. They represent my growth. Unbothered is where my life is at the moment.
Lil Skies
Skies tirelessly put in the work to get here. His 2017 breakthrough mixtape, “Life Of A Dark Rose,” vaulted to #10 on the Billboard Top 200 and picked up a Platinum plaque. On its heels, 2019’s “Shelby” bowed at #5 and became certified Gold. Racking up over 4 billion streams, he logged three double-platinum singles — “Red Roses”, “Nowadays”, and “Lust” — one platinum single with “I,” and four gold singles, namely “Creeping,” “Welcome To The Rodeo,” “I Know You”, and “Cloudy Skies.”
Holing up back in Pennsylvania during the Global Pandemic, he pieced together “Unbothered” throughout 2020. Beyond a handful of songs in Los Angeles, he recorded the bulk of the project at his friend’s crib in Waynesboro.
For the first time since junior high, Lil Skies freestyled most of the songs.
When I made my first mixtape, it was all freestyle. I hadn’t done that in so long. I spent so much time writing songs. A lot of these tracks were just off the top of my head. It was more challenging and rewarding for me.
Lil Skies
Paving the way for the album, he dropped “Havin My Way” (ft. Lil Durk), “OK,” “On Sight,” and “Riot, which impressively generated over 42.5 million Spotify streams in a few months’ time. The music reflected heightened storytelling in addition to catchy and combustible bars underpinned by charisma and emotion all at once.
In the end, Lil Skies delivers an important message to himself and listeners on “Unbothered.”
When you hear the record, I hope you’re inspired to do what you want to do and not let hate tear you down. There’s a lot of bad stuff in the world. I’m telling the kids to stay grounded, and I’m telling myself to stay grounded and keep working too. Understand there are going to be some dark days and bad days, but you’ll come out stronger for sure. Keep chasing the dream.
Lil Skies
Tracklisting:
- Fade Away
- Take 5
- Excite Me ft. Wiz Khalifa
- Havin’ My Way ft. Lil Durk
- OK
- Dead Broke
- On Sight
- Think Deep Don’t Sink
- Red Wine & Jodeci
- Locked Up
- Trust Nobody
- Riot
- Sky High
- Mhmmm
