Born Gregory Skyler Taylor in 1982 in Crown Heights, he grew up in Bedford-… Read Full Bio ↴Born Gregory Skyler Taylor in 1982 in Crown Heights, he grew up in Bedford-Stuyvesant. He was nicknamed Skyzoo by his parents after the Skyy disco song (his middle name is Skyler). He began rapping at the age of nine and went on to work with producers Jay Dee and 9th Wonder, releasing several mixtapes in the hope of securing a record deal. He was beaten by Jin on BET's 106 & Park freestyle contest, but went on to have tracks used as both the theme to ESPN's Whiplash TV and the soundtrack to a Guinness advert, and set up his own Custom Made Entertainment company. He has also had a long association with North Carolina rap crew the Justus League, whom he was introduced to via his friend Chaundon, and who he describes as his "second family". Jay Dee's death in 2006 prompted Skyzoo to pay tribute with the song "Sky's Last Donut". He worked with 9th Wonder on his debut album, Present Cloud 9: The 3 Day High, which reputedly took only three days to record. He also contributed to three tracks on the Hall of Justus album Soldiers of Fortune.

He released the critically-acclaimed Corner Store Classic mixtape in 2007, and released a remixed version, including some new material, as a digital download album in 2008. Corner Store Classic was rated 'XL' (4/5) by XXL Magazine. In 2007, he stated that he had a second album ready, called The Salvation, but was waiting for a major record deal before releasing it.

He cites as influences hip hop artists such as Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, Nas, N.W.A., Big Daddy Kane, and Kid 'n Play, as well as artists such as Sade, Nirvana and John Coltrane, and cites Coltrane's A Love Supreme as his favorite album. He credits J Dilla as his biggest inspiration and favorite producer. He has been critical of the direction that Hip Hop has taken, stating "People are taking the 'whetever we gotta do' method, resulting in gimmick records. I'm about making money but it has to be with dope records".

Civilized Leisure
Skyzoo Lyrics

Alife hoodies for when the wind move
A lifestyle like no other how you want it
When you jumping out your covers then you cover what you're into
And pray to whoever you praise that you live through
Living for the light 'til the light becomes a signal
And signals to you as the one to empty a clip to
Then it turns round like the signals on the dial
And the lights hop up outta nowhere like they the cymbals
Cue 'em, and watch 'em get to moving like a heart rate
Looking for a dimmer, get to cooking all winter

And you looking more blizzard and this turns into a bar raid
Aight everybody, strip and get your your arms raised
Check day jumping, chest plate thumping
Freestyle to it, don't a neck brace want it
Soundtrack to the shooter, the soundtrack to it
The background music how the background do us
For the civilized leisure

This leisure needs to be civilized
Gotta have it, its already mine
Its already ours, its already ours

And it appears, the scent is in the air
The smell of Rosé and a nickel plated glare
The bezè rotates while the middle make 'em stare
Heavy on the bass, let it kick away your fears
Heavy on the bass like the symbolism there
There like a cling on, fear like the ring on
That's left to the left of the fears that you swing on
Fall up outta pocket like the cymbal isn't there
Cue 'em, and let 'em find lane like the plug
And it uturns to a pillow case and a rug
And the truth turns to the middle lane being plugged
And you dealing with the outskirts, spilling like a outburst
The doors shut and they forget to let you out first
The trap literally jumping and you stuck in
Being everything you saw when you wanted even more
And you think of how the lights wasn't bright enough at all
For the civilized leisure

They say sky your story don't ever change up
It never will, it's everything that I say it was
Forever will be centered on how we came up
On tryna be in the center of where the cake be
They told us keep it the same and if the cake leave
Make the loyalty stay and let your name breathe
May whoever's beside me have the same speed
Civilized where the leisure can take me
Civilized leisure

Lyrics © Missing Link Music

Written by: GREGORY SKYLER TAYLOR, MONIQUE ADRIENNE LORD, RAMON JR IBANGA

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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