Music for My Friends

Last updated
Music for My Friends
Music for my Friends cover.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 23, 2015
Recorded2014-2015
Genre Hip hop
Length67:41
Label First Generation Rich, Empire
Producer
Skyzoo chronology
Barrel Brothers
(2014)
Music for My Friends
(2015)
The Easy Truth
(2016)

Music for My Friends is the third studio album by Brooklyn rapper Skyzoo. The album was released on June 23, 2015 under his label First Generation Rich. [1] It is the follow-up to A Dream Deferred in 2012. [2] Among the singles are "Luxury," which features Westside Gunn, and had an official music video released. [3] It peaked at No. 15 on the US Top Heatseekers chart, and at No. 36 at Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, [4] and was positively received in the music press. [1] [5]

Contents

Production and release

Featuring guest artists such as Jadakiss, Black Thought, Bilal, Elzhi, Westside Gunn, Christon Gray and others, [2] the LP is based on the themes of growing up at 13 years old and seeing the world based on the morals learned at that age. [6] The album includes production by Illmind, Thelonious Martin, Jahlil Beats, MarcNfinit, Apollo Brown, DJ Prince, and others, and also features cover art commissioned by comic book illustrator Chris B. Murray. [2]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
HipHopDX Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
XXL XL [1]

The album was generally well received. HipHopDX gave the album 4/5 stars, writing that the album "a collection of stories and anecdotes from Skyzoo’s youth, with shout outs to — and from — friends and family." [5] XXL reviewed the album positively, writing that "as with every offering from Skyzoo, his lyricism and imagery helps to bring the listener into his stories, this time [with Music For My Friends] speaking from the perspective of a 13-year-old kid trying to find his place in the world… From the sequencing of the album to the production, Skyzoo’s new LP highlights his ability to create conceptual albums that offer a breath of fresh air in today’s musical climate." [1] In July 2015, the staff at XXL included the album on their list of the "30 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2015 (So Far)." [7]

Track listing

No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."All Day, Always"Antman Wonder3:13
2."Suicide Doors"MarcNfinit4:52
3."The Moments That Matter" (featuring Kay Cola)Jahlil Beats, Antman Wonder (co.)3:48
4."Luxury" (featuring Westside Gunn)Skyzoo3:42
5."Everything's for Sale"Illmind4:31
6."See a Key (Ki)" (featuring Jadakiss)Thelonius Martin4:40
7."Money Makes Us Happy" (featuring Black Thought & Bilal)The Rvlt.5:25
8."Playing Favorites" (featuring Christion Gray)Illmind4:11
9."Meadow of Trust" (featuring Saba)Black Metaphor3:45
10."Women Who Can Cook"Thelonius Martin4:10
11."Civilized Leisure" (featuring MoZaic)Illmind3:56
12."The Experience"MarcNfinit3:36
13."Asking Bodie for a Package" (featuring Skarr Akbar)Illmind5:18
14."Things I Should've Told My Friends"Apollo Brown5:35
15."Sweet Pursuit" (featuring Kay Cola)Seige Monstracity6:53
ITunes Store bonus track
No.TitleLength
16."Falling out the Sky"3:46
Vinyl and cassette bonus track
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
17."Hands Folded Together" (featuring Elzhi)DJ Prince 

Charts

Chart (2014)Peak
position [4]
US Top Heatseekers ( Billboard )15
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums ( Billboard )36

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redman (rapper)</span> American rapper (born 1970)

Reginald Noble, better known by his stage name Redman, is an American rapper, DJ, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame in the early 1990s as an artist on the Def Jam label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shady Records</span> American record label

Shady Records is an American record label founded by rapper Eminem and his manager Paul Rosenberg, after the highly successful release of Eminem's The Slim Shady LP in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royce da 5′9″</span> American rapper

Ryan Daniel Montgomery, known professionally as Royce da 5'9", is an American rapper. Best known for his association with fellow Detroit rapper Eminem, they became acquainted in 1997 and formed the hip hop duo, Bad Meets Evil the following year. Their 2011 single, "Lighters" peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and preceded the release of their debut extended play (EP), Hell: The Sequel (2011). The song and its parent EP, of which debuted atop the Billboard 200, remain Montgomery's most commercially successful recordings to date.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illmind</span> American record producer from New Jersey

Ramon Ibanga, Jr., known professionally as Illmind, is a Filipino American record producer, songwriter, and educator. As of 2012, he lives in Brooklyn, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Young Bleed</span> American rapper

Glenn Clifton Jr., also known as Young Bleed is an American rapper based out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skyzoo</span> American rapper from New York

Gregory Skyler Taylor, known professionally as Skyzoo, is an American rapper and songwriter. He has released a number of notable solo and collaborative albums, including Cloud 9: The 3 Day High with 9th Wonder in 2006, The Salvation in 2009, A Dream Deferred in 2012, Music For My Friends in 2015, and his most recent solo album All the Brilliant Things. Skyzoo has also released a plethora of non-commercial mixtapes including Corner Store Classic and The Great Debater throughout his career, and has worked with artists such as Jill Scott, Wale, Lloyd Banks, Tyrese, Dr. Dre, Raheem Devaughn, Black Thought, Jadakiss, Talib Kweli, Spike Lee, John Legend, and others. Skyzoo has headlined or co-headlined often-yearly tours throughout Europe, the United Kingdom, Africa, Australia, and Asia, and he owns and operates the independent record label First Generation Rich.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Termanology</span> American rapper

Daniel Domingo Carrillo, better known by his stage name Termanology, is an American rapper and record producer. He first gained major attention with the 2006 single "Watch How It Go Down". A solo album, Politics as Usual, was released in 2008. He has made a number of collaborative albums, such as 1982 and is known also for his prolific mixtape output. He is of Puerto Rican and French descent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fashawn</span> American rapper

Santiago Leyva, known by his stage name Fashawn, is an American hip hop recording artist from Fresno, California. He first gained major attention after releasing his debut album Boy Meets World in 2009, which was produced entirely by Exile. The album received critical acclaim and landed him on the cover of XXL Magazine's Top 10 Freshmen issue in 2010. Since then, Fashawn has collaborated with other artists and producers such as Nas, J. Cole, Wiz Khalifa, Evidence, Murs, Aloe Blacc, Blu, Big Mike, Brother Ali, The Alchemist, and 9th Wonder. In 2014, Fashawn performed the entrance theme to WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley's rematch against Manny Pacquiao.

<i>Live from the Tape Deck</i> 2010 studio album by Skyzoo and Illmind

Live from the Tape Deck is the collaborative studio album by Brooklyn rapper Skyzoo and New Jersey producer Illmind, released on October 5, 2010 by Duck Down Records and distributed through E1 Entertainment. It was preceded by Skyzoo's first studio album, The Salvation (2009), although it isn't its follow-up. The album serves as a prelude to his second studio album A Dream Deferred (2012).

<i>A Dream Deferred</i> (album) 2012 studio album by Skyzoo

A Dream Deferred is the second studio album of Brooklyn rapper Skyzoo. The album was released on October 23, 2012. The album met with a largely positive critical response, earning 86/100 from Metacritic. It is one of Skyzoo's best charting albums, reaching No. 7 on the Top Heatseekers chart, No. 191 on the Billboard 200, No. 25 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, No. 18 on Top Rap Albums, and No. 40 on the Independent Albums chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joey Badass</span> American rapper from New York (born 1995)

Jo-Vaughn Virginie Scott, known by his stage name as Joey Badass, is an American rapper and actor. A native of Brooklyn, New York City, he is a founding member of the hip-hop collective Pro Era, with whom he has released three mixtapes as well as his numerous solo projects.

<i>Cloud 9: The 3 Day High</i> 2006 studio album by Skyzoo & 9th Wonder

Cloud 9: The 3 Day High is a collaborative album from Brooklyn rapper Skyzoo and North Carolina producer 9th Wonder. It was released on September 12, 2006 on Traffic Entertainment. Cloud 9: The 3 Day High reportedly took a total of three days to complete from start to finish. The EP became an underground favorite and garnered Skyzoo media write ups in outlets such as XXL, The Source, Vibe, AllHipHop.com, HipHopDX.com, and HipHopGame.com.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westside Gunn</span> American rapper from Buffalo, New York

Alvin Lamar Worthy, known professionally as Westside Gunn, is an American rapper. He is a co-founder of independent hip-hop label Griselda Records. He is the brother of rapper Conway the Machine and cousin of rapper Benny the Butcher, both of whom he frequently collaborates with. Westside Gunn has released five studio albums in addition to an extensive catalog of mixtapes. Gunn was affiliated with Shady Records from 2017 to 2020, but has since returned to independent status.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JID</span> American rapper (born 1990)

Destin Choice Route, better known by his stage name JID, is an American rapper, singer, producer, and songwriter. He is a part of the musical collective Spillage Village, founded by EarthGang in 2010. He signed to J. Cole's Dreamville Records, an imprint of Interscope Records in 2017. He is also a member of the hip hop supergroup Zoink Gang, with Smino, Buddy, and Guapdad 4000. His fluent rapping style and usage of wordplay has been highly acclaimed by several music critics.

Demond Price, known professionally as Conway the Machine, or simply Conway, is an American rapper. Alongside his paternal half-brother, Westside Gunn, and cousin, Benny the Butcher, Conway was a member of Griselda Records. On February 21, 2022, Conway announced his departure from Griselda Records.

Jeremie Damon Pennick, known professionally as Benny the Butcher or simply Benny, is an American rapper and songwriter. He came to prominence in 2018 following the release of his debut album Tana Talk 3. Along with his cousins and fellow rappers Westside Gunn and Conway The Machine, with which he forms the collective Griselda, he is known for his 90's inspired rap songs and is often credited with leading a revival of so called 'grimy' and 'gritty' hip hop music, influenced by mafioso and drug dealing themes.

<i>Retropolitan</i> 2019 studio album by Skyzoo & Pete Rock

Retropolitan is a collaborative studio album by rapper Skyzoo and producer Pete Rock. The album was released on September 20, 2019 on Mello Music Group. The album was entirely produced by Pete Rock. The album features guest appearances, including Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine, Benny the Butcher, Styles P, Elzhi, Raheem DeVaughn and Pete Rock. The song "It's All Good" become the first single off the album and it features a music video released by Mello Music Group.

<i>The Allegory</i> 2020 studio album by Royce da 59"

The Allegory is the eighth studio album by American rapper Royce da 5'9". It was released through eOne Music on February 21, 2020. It features guest appearances from Benny the Butcher, Conway the Machine, KXNG Crooked, Cyhi the Prynce, DJ Premier, Eminem, Grafh, Sy Ari da Kid, T.I., Vince Staples, Westside Gunn, and Cedric the Entertainer among others. Production was handled by Royce da 5'9" himself on all of the album's tracks, making it his first album to be entirely self-produced.

<i>Pray for Paris</i> 2020 studio album by Westside Gunn

Pray for Paris is the third studio album by American rapper Westside Gunn. It was released on April 17, 2020 through Griselda Records with distribution by Empire Distribution. The album was produced by Daringer, Beat Butcha, the Alchemist, DJ Muggs, and DJ Premier. It features guest appearances from Benny the Butcher, Conway the Machine, Joey Badass, Tyler, the Creator, Boldy James, Freddie Gibbs, Roc Marciano, Wale, Joyce Wrice, Billie Essco, Keisha Plum, and Cartier Williams. The album debuted at number 67 on the Billboard 200.

<i>The Easy Truth</i> 2016 studio album by Apollo Brown and Skyzoo

The Easy Truth is a collaborative studio album by American hip hop record producer Apollo Brown and rapper Skyzoo. It was released on September 30, 2016, via Mello Music Group. Recording sessions took place at the Village Caverns in Michigan. Production was handled entirely by Apollo Brown, who also served as one of executive producers together with Michael Tolle and Skyzoo. It features guest appearances from Conway the Machine, Joell Ortiz, Patty Crash, Stalley and Westside Gunn.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Krastz, Roger (June 25, 2015). "Skyzoo Speaks to the Youth on 'Music For My Friends'". XXL . Retrieved 2015-07-21.
  2. 1 2 3 "Music For My Friends". Allmusic . Retrieved 2015-07-21.
  3. Maxwell, Ryan (June 24, 2015). "Skyzoo ft Westside Gunn – Luxury". hhkmag.com. Retrieved 2015-07-21.
  4. 1 2 "Skyzoo Chart History". Billboard . Retrieved 2015-07-21.
  5. 1 2 3 Johnsen, Homer (June 23, 2015). "Skyzoo - Music For My Friends". hiphopdx.com . Retrieved 2015-07-21.
  6. Garrett, Ural (April 28, 2015). "Skyzoo "Music For My Friends" Release Date, Cover Art & Tracklist". hiphopdx.com. Retrieved 2015-07-22.
  7. "The 30 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2015 (So Far)". XXL. July 14, 2015. Retrieved 2015-07-22.