Sky ends his (dope) series with two of my favorite joints…

At #30 in the series, this is the swan song posting. The final archive to go out. In a 2 for 1 special, this is “Get It Done” & “Click”-2007, both featuring Torae & produced by Dj Premier. I felt like the importance of these 2 songs and what they’ve done for my career was more than a good enough reason to end the series with them. As most of you can imagine, these 2 songs were a dream come true to create, something i’m extremely proud of. So here’s the story of how the 2 songs came about.

Growing up in the 80’s and 90’s, Dj Premier to me was the end all be all of production. So when I was presented with the opportunity to record with him (along with my man Torae), I jumped at the chance to get a classic Preem beat & “scracth hook” that he’s so infamous for. The plan was originally to do one record and push it to the mixtapes and internet. Tor and I showed up to Headcourterz Studio on pens and needles. Regardless of the talent that he and I have, recording with Preem for the first time means you gotta come with your A game, bottom line.

We got there and Preem was making a beat for us to rock, and we watched “Little Man” on dvd in the lounge area while Preem was in the back working on the track (Preem makes everything on the spot). When Preem called us into the room to hear what he made, we loved it, but Preem didnt. He liked the beat but wasn’t sure if it was what he wanted for us. He wanted a more 90’s esque banger. He started working on another beat, called us back in the room, and played what would become “Get It Done”. Me and Tor SPAZZED when we heard the beat. We started writing, and by 6am the joint was written, recorded, and being mixed.

Fast forward 3 months and Preem reaches out to us to link up again. He called and said “yo yall remember that 1st beat I made? I think we should go back in the lab and knock that one out too”. Obviously, you don’t turn Preemo beats down, so once again Tor and I jumped at the opportunity to make another joint. So we get to the studio, turn on the initial beat that Preem made before “Get It Done”, and we had another Preemo banger. That song would become known as “Click”. So, that’s the story between 2 modern day hip hop classics. Here’s “Get It Done” & “Click”-2007, both featuring Torae & produced by Dj Premier.

On a side note, I wanna use this entry to thank all of you who’ve been posting, listening to, and sharing the Skyzoo Archive series over the past few months. I’m glad I was able to share all of tehse with you. This is the final posting, but TONS of new music isfile:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Shake/My%20Documents/Downloads/01%20good%20company.m4a on the way, so get ready. “The Power of Words” mixtape is coming along great, and the album “The Salvation” is sounding exactly like I always imagined it to. Thanks again for retracing the archives with me, hope yall enjoyed it. Holla.

UPDATE: The homie BluHaze uploaded them all in one link…

DOWNLOAD: Skyzoo & Torae – Click (prod. DJ Premier)
DOWNLOAD: Skyzoo & Torae – Get It Done (prod. DJ Premier)
BONUS: Skyzoo Archives (#1-30)

So at #25, i’m bringing yall another 2 for 1 special. This is “Hold Tight” & “Hold Tight Remix” (f/Black Milk), both produced by Black Milk. These are from 2007, with the original being from my Corner Store Classic mixtape (datpiff.com if you dont have it yet), and the remix being from the CSC remix version that I did for itunes. The original version was from the first beat cd that Black ever sent me. This was my favorite off of a cd where every beat was a monster. For the record, Black is one of the best producers out, hands down (along with 9th Wonder, Illmind, and all the other beasts who are on my album, shameless plug). I easily put him in the top 20 ever, quote that. So this joint is a banger that I knew was gonna be a fave of mine when I recorded it. The beat for the remix was from another cd that Black gave me months later. The knock on this beat is crazy, so I figured why not jump on it and make it a newer version of the original. For the record, pt 2, Black also got bars, so I told him I wanted him to cathc wreck on the remix and he was with it no prob. In my opinion, we made a classic remix. I love how both records came out. So here they are; “Hold Tight” & “Hold Tight Remix” (f/Black Milk), both produced by Black Milk. Keep an eye out for the new shit we got coming soon via my album and mixtape, and go cop that “Tronic” album (www.fatbeats.com). “You don’t even gotta ask about it/you wanted Jigga & Dilla on a track, you got it!”… – Skyzoo

DOWNLOAD: Skyzoo – Hold Tight (prod. Black Milk) | Mediafire
DOWNLOAD: Skyzoo – Hold Tight (rmx) (prod. Black Milk) | Mediafire

These archives are dope…

So at #21, this is “Play Your Position” f/Guilty Simpson, produced by Black Milk. This is from my 2007 mixtape “Corner Store Classic”. This one is real gritty, and at the same time real lyric heavy. I always respected and was a fan of Guilty’s pen game, and we had been talking about collabing on a joint for awhile, so I came up with this. Black Milk did the beat (top 10 producers dead or alive, quote that), and as soon as I heard it, I knew it had to be a hard gutter joint, hands down. Guilty and i just went in with the bars and kept the rhymes in sync with the feel of the beat. This was one of my faves off the tape. Here it is, “Play Your Position” f/Guilty Simpson, produced by Black Milk. Holla. PS: Pick up that “Tronic” joint from Black Milk, and get ready for “The Power Of Words” and “The Salvation”, both right around the corner… P.S.S: By the time the next archive is released we’ll have a new president. PLEEEEAAASSSEEE go out on November 4th and VOTE! This is the most crucial election to date. Vote for whomever you feel best represents you and what you need/want (hopefully you’re voting for Barack Obama). I cant tell you who to go vote for, but if governor S_r_h Pa_in gets to become president due to John McCain leaving this earth before his term ends (God forbid), we’re DONE. If that happens im moving to Toronto. Bet that. 100 – Skyzoo

DOWNLOAD: Skyzoo – Play Your Position f. Guilty Simpson (prod. Black Milk) | MediaFire

So at #19, this is “Ghetto America-2007″, produced by Hi-Tek. This is from my “Corner Store Classic” mixtape that I dropped in 2007. The tape was a huge success (XL rating in XXL mag, 4/5 on Rapmullet, etc), and the amount of downloads was insane. Kay Slay and Mick Boogie hosted it, and everyone from Sean Price to Maino to Nina B were all on it, so if you never got it, feel free to download it at www.datpiff.com. This song though was one of my favorites on it. The beat is a Talib instrumental that Hi-Tek did, and when I heard it, the story was already written in the sample. When I write, I do whatever the beat tells me to. I go off of the mood of the beat, and this one had it all written out. This song sums up alot of my upbringing as an 80’s baby (born in ‘82) and raised throughout the 80’s and 90’s. If youre from NY and were around during that time frame, you should remember everything that im talking about in the song. I made it completely visual and my hood is painted all through the bars. This is the type of shit my album is gonna sound like, so if you like this, you’re gonna ABSOLUTELY LOVE “The Salvation”, because the whole thing is like this but 10 levels higher. Speaking of which, im about 5 songs away from completion, and the mixtape is getting some steam on it too, so get ready. Without any further ado, here’s “Ghetto America”, produced by Hi-Tek. Holla – Skyzoo

DOWNLOAD: Skyzoo – Ghetto America (Prod. Hi-Tek)
PREVIOUS: Skyzoo & Torae – Get It Done (prod. DJ Premier) (Live)

Sky drops another 2-for-1 on us from the vaults. Sidebar: The Keep It to the Side has been my shit for years. Khrysis was nasty with that beat.

Told you it’d be a Justus League week right? Lol. So in this week’s 2 for 1 bonus, here’s 2 more joints produced by League members and affliates. “S.K.Y.-2005″ is from that infamous NC trip (told yall we did ALOTTA joints that week). Produced by Fatin (the beatsmith behind Lloyd Banks’ “Cake” joint), this beat is beyond crazy. It started out as sort of an anthem for myself but was also real raw and line-for-line formatted, so I just kept it there. “Keep It To The Side-2005 f/Big Pooh” was a joint that I did later that year when I went back to NC to do more work. Khrysis did this beat, and Pooh set it off, so I just followed up on the alley oop. I came up with the hook real quick and that was that. This wound up becoming the banger for the night in the studio after we finished it. Repeat mode HEAVY that night, lol. Both of these are from the Hall of Justus album “Soliders Of Fortune”. If you dont have it yet, go hop on amazon or itunes immedietly. “S.K.Y.-2005″ produced by Fatin” & “Keep It To The Side f/Big Pooh-2005″ produced by Khrysis. Holla

DOWNLOAD: Skyzoo – S.K.Y. | MediaFire
DOWNLOAD: Skyzoo & Big Pooh – Keep It to the Side | MediaFire

So we’re at #13 in the series, and for this one I present to you “Turn It Up-2005″, produced by Khrysis. In some of the archives i’ve released in the past few weeks, i’ve made references to a trip that I took to NC in 2005 when I first met the Justus League (ie: Little Brother, Chaundon, 9th Wonder, Khrysis, etc). In that trip, I did a ton of joints with them and this is the first song from that trip. Khrysis played me this beat in his car when he picked me up from the airport and I claimed it immedietly. To this day this is one of my favorite Khrysis beats, and this was the first joint we knocked out, with 14 more following up later that week. Some people may have heard this on “The City’s Favorite”, which is the mixtape that I premiered this on in 2005, while others may not have heard it at all. With that being said, you all get to peep it now. So here it is, “Turn It Up-2005″, produced by Khrysis. PS: i’m about 70% done with “The Salvation”, and the mixtape “The Power Of Words” is starting to grow as well. Get ready… – Skyzoo

DOWNLOAD: Skyzoo – Turn It Up (prod. Khrysis) | MediaFire

So we’re now at #11 in the archives series. For this one, I wanted to go with “Hit Me-2007″ F/Mickey Factz & Nina B., produced by Caesar. This is a joint that Mickey had and wanted Nina & I to jump on it. The beat is real dope and the concept is really just the 3 of us getting together to bully the track. We all were real happy with the way this joint came out but somehow it flew under the radar, so I figured why not give it new life. So here it is; Hit Me-2007 f/Mickey Factz & Nina B., prod. by Caesar. Holla. Ps: the footage from the China shows will be circulating the ‘net today, look for it… – Skyzoo

DOWNLOAD: Skyzoo – Hit Me f. Mickey Factz & Nina B | MediaFire

Another double up…

So we’re up to #10 in the series, and as I said before, sometimes i’m gonna drop 2 for 1 specials (hint: look for the 2 for 1’s by every five releases; #5, #10, #15, etc). This one is two freestyles I did in 2007-The Art Of Storytelling Pt 5 (because Outkast’s was pt 4) and Superstar. With TAOS, I always loved what Outkast did with that series, and when they brought it back for the Drama album, it was nuts. I heard the beat and immedietly wanted to do my own version of it. Before you listen to it and not understand it, when I speak of the Neuman, thats the name of a microphone. It’s one of the better studio mics and it’s what I use in my studio (Nycetrax Studios, what up!). So now you’ll understand the song better. With Superstar, I loved the original when Lu’ dropped it, and again, I wanted to give my take on it. Sometimes people get this game confused and believe everything they think they see, and as a result, things happen, be it good or bad. Eveyrtime I rap, its about things that REALLY happen in one way or another, including this one. So here they are on the 2 for 1 special, The Art Of Storytelling Pt 5 & Superstar-2007. Ya’ll check these out while I go write some more stories for this album. “The Salvation”, coming soon. Holla – Skyzoo

DOWNLOAD: Skyzoo – Da Art of Storytelling pt.5 | MediaFire
DOWNLOAD: Skyzoo – Superstar Freestyle | MediaFire

Also, hit the jump for part 1 of New York Nyck’s conversation with Sky…

One of my favorite tracks from these dudes and I’m not even from NY haha.

For #9 in the series, this is “My City-2007″ featuring Stimuli and Esso, produced by Ron Browz. My man Esso hit me up last year with the idea of him, Stimuli and myself all on a track waving the flag for NYC. Anything dealing with NYC is a done deal for me, so I was down right away. The track is produced by my man Ron Browz from harlem. It’s a real dope joint and we all got busy with the bars. Some of you may have heard it on Esso’s tape or on the net or whatever else, but for those of you who havent heard it, here it goes. “My City” feat. Stimuli and Esso-2007, produced by Ron Browz. – Skyzoo

DOWNLOAD: Skyzoo – My City f. ESSO & Sha Stimuli (prod. Ron Browz) | MediaFire

So we’re up to #8 in the series, and I figured I’d go with “Sick With The Slang-2005″, produced by Illmind. This was a joint I had on my mixtape “The City’s Favorite” from 2005. Ya’ll know when me and Illmind get together its chaos. Haha. This was a joint with me going in (pause) with the bars and getting my “me” on. The beat was so knocking I remember writing the record the minute Illmind sent me the track. So here it is, “Sick With The Slang-2005″, produced by Illmind. Holla. – Skyzoo

DOWNLOAD: Skyzoo – Sick With the Slang (2005) (prod. Illmind)