Skyzoo: The rap lyricist explains the genius of his 'The Mind of a Saint' deluxe edition
It’s tough to believe ‘Snowfall’ is really over and out but leave it to hip-hop veteran Skyzoo to put some finishing touches on the epic FX series with his The Mind of a Saint deluxe edition.
It’s tough to believe ‘Snowfall’ is really over and out but leave it to hip-hop veteran Skyzoo to put some finishing touches on the epic FX series with his The Mind of a Saint deluxe edition.
Skyzoo steps up and explains his deluxe drop
Loaded with bonus content and notably the ‘Give You Anything’ tune - it’s clear Sky needed to fully give the unforgettable Franklin Saint some final words and context behind those final series episodes.
‘"The Mind of a Saint - Deluxe Edition", available NOW. After the #Snowfall finale aired last spring the messages came in immediately for me to give Saint some more time in the booth to vent on how his life wound up. Thank you all for your patience, as you were waiting for me to get this out to you all as soon as we saw Franklin take that final walk past his mom's crib on 56th st.
Here's to everyone who helped put this record together: @otherguysmusic on the production of course, @sxntylr on trumpet, @iamjrell on strings and keys, @grvwrks on additional keys, @safaelzbirand @aceclarkmusic on R&B vocals, cuts by @djshakim, and my bro @whoizhe as the voice of the "engineer man" in Franklin's 1990 studio session on "The Freedom Dance" (it'll make sense when you get to the final track). Mixing by @amondjackson, assisted by @spiceproductionsmusic, additional recording by @_markmatter, mastered by @changehiphop, photos by @kickjamestsc, and the phenomenal artwork on both the OG and deluxe versions by @psimdope. Couldn't have done this without you all.
Going to such a dark place when writing this was truly an experience. I remember reading the article with @damsonidris in Rolling Stone written by Andre Gee when Damson shouted out the album and he talked about where he had to go to become season 6's version of Franklin and how different it was in comparison to all the other seasons, and he wasn't lying. It was the same with me lyrically and tone wise. It was dark indeed. Nevertheless I'm honored to have brought Franklin to our world of lyricism and created this realm of him having a hidden talent as a rapper and venting over beats in 1986 and then 1990 (again, see the final track). Thank you all for taking this ride. Listen from track 11 on, or start at the beginning and ride out so that you get the full story, your choice. Either way, enjoy it. And on that note, goodbye Franklin...
11) Cold Kiss
12) Recipe For Desire
13) My Crescendo
14) God Bless The King
15) The People Pleaser (interlude) feat. Safa
16) Give You Anything
17) The Freedom Dance
#TMOAS 👑✊🏽❄️🥃’
Skyzoo's new 'The Mind of a Saint' studio album is the best 'Snowfall' salute
New York rapper Skyzoo is back at it with some pure audio flames. A certified rap veteran at this point in his career, there’s no slowing down what he’s cooking up at the start of the new year and it all begins with his new The Mind of a Saint album.
New York rapper Skyzoo is back at it with some pure audio flames. A certified rap veteran at this point in his career, there’s no slowing down what he’s cooking up at the start of the new year and it all begins with his new The Mind of a Saint album.
Skyzoo’s new The Mind of a Saint deserves ample replay value
It’s more than just a few good tunes. Sky comes through with 10 certified anthems to make the project hit way different from what you’re used to hearing. Spoiler: Zoo completely pays homage to Franklin Saint from ‘Snowfall’ with this album.
Skyzoo's new opus, The Mind Of A Saint, is now available! Hailing from Brooklyn, Skyzoo's career has been defined by groundbreaking perspective, conceptual brilliance, and elite lyricism. It's impossible to look at the last decade of hip-hop without mentioning Skyzoo's name. He has written his name on the history of music in indelible ink.
When it comes to conceptual-based projects and stepping out of the box, few artists can compete with Skyzoo’s combination of storytelling, imagination, and reflection. Totally immersing himself in the method, Skyzoo has an innate ability to transform into character and bring his subject(s) matter to life by examining every aspect of emotions, feelings, and duality. These traits were evident on his previous conceptual-based projects; Music For My Friends (2015), In Celebration Of Us (2018), Milestones (2020), and most recently All The Brilliant Things (2021).
Those previous and profound character examinations have led us to Skyzoo’s newest character study, and most profound work to date The Mind Of A Saint; which chronicles the human condition of Franklin Saint from FX’s hit TV series Snowfall.
You can’t just put out a project of this magnitude and stay mum. So of course Sky has some thoughts on what this studio effort means to him.
“When making this album, I wanted to do something that creatively pushed a button. Something that served a purpose, while trying to understand both sides of the fence that it represents. The idea of a fictional character, Franklin Saint, and what his innermost thoughts could be when dealing with the worlds he’s caught in between. What makes it so intriguing is that his character and his world are mirrors of a time and era that really happened. The birth of one of the world’s most addictive drugs and how its ripple effect took on a life that may seemingly never die” Skyzoo explains.
“The crack era was one of the worst chapters in black America’s story. Using the “Snowfall” series as a vehicle to delve into both sides was truly fascinating as an emcee. It’s a project that is layered beyond measure. If you’ve never seen Snowfall, you’ll walk away thinking this is a really great album, but if you’re an avid fan of Snowfall, you’ll truly feel as if Franklin, the conflicted boy genius turned millionaire and career criminal truly did pick up a pen and pad to write his life story over a bed of beats. It was one of the most intense projects I’ve ever written. The idea of becoming a fictional character, which represents actual real-life events, making sure to hit every detail, from both the show and our real world, was a writing exercise like no other. I’m honored to have been able to do so, and I’m honored that The Other Guys trusted me to step outside a box, and truly push the envelope with this. Enjoy, and remember, like they told us in the ’80s: Just Say No.”
Need some visual fire? Look no further than the hard-hitting ‘Straight Drop’ music video.