After Dark with Skillz 8Figure
Skillz 8Figure has been around for a while now but recently burst onto the scene with his sophomore project and debut album, After Dark. The Accra-based artist by way of Sierra Leone lends his coastal melodies to notable collaborations on his latest offering and has big plans to take on the expansion of his music.
24-year-old Skillz believes he has something new to offer the masses and pays little attention to the competition. “The way I think and create, competition has never really been a factor for me. Everything happens inwardly, so I'm really not looking what's happening outside when I'm in the studio at all hours of the night,” he shares.
As for his why he describes his sound as “coastal music”, Skillz had this to say; “I mean obviously my sound is a combination of so many things but the name that I've settled on is coastal music. I describe it as the music you listen to at the coast, on the beach, or even when you’re not physically in those places but when you want to activate that feeling. Just to cruise, you know? “
Skillz talks in-depth about all the places he’s been in order to be where people have come to know him most. Born in Sierra Leone, he later moved to Maryland in the US and settled in Accra, Ghana upon his return to the continent. “I always knew I wanted to do music, but Accra is where I went from talking about it to really doing it,” he explains.
He takes this interview from his home in Sierra Leone, which he says is where he likes to be for the holy month of Ramadan; “Even though Ghana is my base at the moment, when it comes to Ramadan I prefer to come back home [to Sierra Leone] because I feel like I can really unplug here and make the most of the holy month.”
Skillz 8 Figure attributes his nomadic lifestyle to the range of influences he draws from when creating, citing the trap scene in the US as some of his earliest experimentation with music, while noting that Afro elements was always going to be the thing that anchored his sound, regardless of where he finds himself in the world.
After Dark sees Skillz collaborate with fellow emerging artists, most notably Oxlade on “Makes Sense”, PsychoYP on “Like Dat” and Enam on “Self Love”. He explains that he draws his greatest inspiration from collaboration. He further notes that he was very intentional about having some female energy on this project, and that’s where the features from both Enam and Mellissa were so critical.
In our full interview below, Skillz 8Figure talks about the making of his sophomore project, challenges he is currently facing as a relatively new artist and how two of the best songs on the album were recorded in his kitchen and over Facetime.
This interview has been lightly edited for the purpose of clarity and context.
Jade Kelly: Okay so you’re currently taking this call from your home in Sierra Leone, but I've come to know you as a Ghanian artist who also spent some time in the US. Can you finally clear up the question of where exactly you’re from?
Skillz 8Figure: Well I was born in Sierra Leone, and later moved to do high school in the US [specifically Maryland]. When we returned to the continent, our home was Ghana. Accra is also the place where I began to take my music seriously, so it makes total sense that people know me from there. Right now, I'm back in Sierra Leone for a bit since I always return around the month of Ramadan. So yeah, that's how I ended up here, talking to you [laughs].
How much do you think this nomadic lifestyle impacted what would eventually become your sound?
Greatly. The US really drove me to a trap sound, but my roots and presence in Africa always kept the Afro influence in my music.
And how would you describe that sound now?
I mean obviously my sound is a combination of so many things but the name that i've settled on is “coastal music”. I describe it as music you listen to at the coast, on the beach or even when you’re not physically in those places but when you want to activate that feeling. Just to cruise, you know?
We are witnessing an unprecedented rise in popularity for music in the continent and more specifically, the music coming out of West Africa. How do you cut through the noise at a time where so much music is coming out of a concentrated area?
The way I think and create, competition has never really been a factor for me. Everything happens inwardly, so I'm really not looking at what's happening outside when I'm in the studio at all hours of the night. I try to stay in my bubble. I live by the law of attraction. My sound is different, and that will always set me apart.
How would you say that your album After Dark is different from your debut offering, Gangsta Luv?
Well the EP Gangsta Luv was introspective, so it was very personal for me. However, I also believe I was very careful with how I laid it down on the tape. When it comes to my album After Dark it is me uncut and unfiltered. The other thing is that I really went there when it came to experimenting with different sounds on this project. As for the name, I called it After Dark because that's when I get to work! The bulk of this album was made between midnight and 4am.
Aside from your travels, There’s a definitive UK influence on this project, most noticeable in songs like “Type of Way”. How strong is the link between West Africa and the diaspora in the UK, and do you think it makes it easier to focus on the UK market as opposed to trying to break in North America?
The link is really strong, and events like the annual return in Ghana over December have only confirmed this symbiotic relationship. I think African artists need to make their first stop in the UK, without a doubt. Personally, a bulk of my streams come from the UK and US, followed by Nigeria and Ghana so it just makes logical sense to follow that route of expansion.
There are a number of notable features on this album, how intentional were you about collaborating with other emerging artists on the continent?
Well let me start by saying I really f*ck with the other African artists- I think we are the most talented people in the world. With the collabs on this project, I love that they just happened organically. For instance, the song with Twitch we recorded in my damn kitchen [laughs]. I was really keen on working with some talented women so that's where Enam and Melissa came in. I have a pretty good relationship with Oxlade so for “Makes Sense” we chopped it up over Facetime and there you have it.
What would you say has been the most challenging aspect of your journey in music?
Honestly? It’s knowing that I'm fire and not having control about how to reach the right people. My goal as a musician is to really play my part in this generation of African artists. For my birth country, Sierra Leone, it is to put them on the map as a pretty strong contender with regards to talent.
What is the music scene like right now over in Sierra Leone?
Things are definitely not as advanced as Nigeria or Ghana, but there is so much magic here. The sound is still very vintage and traditional, but I have a lot of hope for the stuff that will emerge from Sierra Leone in the next few years, so watch this space.
What’s your favorite album of all time?
For me, it has to and will always be Get Rich or Die Tryin’. What a classic!
What are you looking forward to right now?
I’ve been in a super creative space really, so there will most likely be another tape coming this summertime.
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