R-SKID

Recently the music of Ryan Skidmore (aka R-Skid) has caught my ear. R-Skid is an independent hip-hop artist who makes his music available free on line for now (Most Likely to Succeed available HERE). R-Skid cites Kanye West as his main music influence and also takes cues from pop culture – a perfect fit for The Bunker. R-Skid was kind enough to take time to do an email interview with Pop Bunker. That interview will be included below.

R-Skid works with producers all over the country, and to my (admittedly untrained) ear, there seems to be a bit of not only Kanye, but also some playfulness and hooks similar to Jeff Townes evident in production. Below are two songs that you can stream as you read Ryan’s exclusive interview with Pop Bunker.

.

.

Go Hard Or Go Home (feat. XV)

Superlative Shit

Pop Bunker: What name do you record under? What’s the origin of that name?

Ryan Skidmore: R-Skid is just a branch off my full name, Ryan Skidmore.

PB: Who is your crew in production and live shows?

RS: We’ve reached out to a lot of different producers. On Most Likely To Succeed there’s a lot of stuff from Darksyde (out of NYC) and some stuff from Sean Divine (out of North Carolina) and several others as well as some tracks that I produced (“High School, Fly School” and “Superlative Sh*t”). I like to search around and find guys that make what I’m looking for, whatever that sound may be at the moment, and not just taking a guy’s beats and running with them just because they’re sick. Even if something is dope, if it doesn’t fit the sound I’m searching for for a project then I’m not going to try to “make it work”. So big shoutouts to everyone’s production that I’ve hopped on recently.

As far as live goes, that’s all me and Spac (DJ Spac, out of Huntington, WV). The kid is a genius when it comes to sound engineering and its kind of scary. Spac masters my music, mixes some of it, handles the specs for the live show, and even more behind the scenes stuff. I think God wanted me and Spac to meet. We’ve became good friends over the past year.

PB: How long have you all known each other? How did you meet?

RS: Me and Spac met in a music class last year at WVU. It was American Pop Music in the 20th Century, kind of a crap class haha. He sat in the row in front of me for weeks, but we never talked until one day I asked him for notes or something. Later at some point he said he DJed and I was like “oh yeah, well I rap a little”. He was like “oh yeah?”. We’ve kind of been a two-headed monster ever since.

PB: Who are your major influences? Which artist do you personally identify with?

I’m influenced with almost everything around me. Mainly events in my life, because that’s what’s on my mind all the time. I’m influenced from anything artistic and/or creative though: pop culture, sports, photography, film…practically anything.

There are too many artists that influence me to name. The main one is Kanye West, he’s my favorite artist in any genre. Other huge ones are Wale, Pharrell Williams, Drake, Outasight, The Cool Kids, 9th Wonder, Cool N’ Dre, etc.

PB: What inspired you to make music?

RS: Everything above^ and I just wanted to make the kind of music that I like: lyrical, witty, heartfelt, and sincere with a really organic sound. I know what I like and I know what sucks, and while growing up over the past few years listening to so much stuff that sucks I just kind of felt like “hey, some of these guys suck. If they can do this, I definitely can.”

PB: Do you have a record label? Are you a member of any music organizations?

RS: Independent

PB: Do you have any upcoming shows?

RS: We’re in the process of getting a show schedule together for the spring, so stay tuned.

PB: Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs? Do you think these topics will change over time?

RS: Everyone that makes hip-hop writes their own stuff, or at least I hope so. Everything I make focuses on real life circumstances, things that I have experienced or am experiencing. The topics will change because life changes, but they way I address them will not.

PB: Could you briefly describe the music-making process?

RS: It’s kind of sporadic. After I hear some beats I usually just kind of murmur under my breath or maybe even out loud as stuff comes to mind. Sometimes I’ll play a track over and over tons of times until I get going, sometimes it might just be once or twice. After I hear something I know exactly where I want to go with it, and it’s just a matter of pulling it all together. Then I’ll turn everything off, pull out my iphone, make a new note, and type away. If it’s my own production then it’s different because I usually have something together by the time I have the beat made. By the time I go in the studio there’s no paper, no notepad, no phone; it’s just me and the mic. At that point everything is engraved in my head, and I just let it come out. Sometimes I’l - PopBunker.net

Local hip-hop musician Ryan Skidmore, known simply as "R-Skid," released his newest mixtape entitled "Glory Days, Gauley Nights" April 2.
The title of the mixtape is a tribute to the Gauley River that runs through eastern West Virginia, and Skidmore draws much of his inspiration for the music itself from his Mountain State upbringing.
"The mixtape just gives some more insight into me and all the guys," Skidmore said. "I just wanted it to show our style of life, the way we grew up, our surroundings and where we’re at now."
Skidmore, a West Virginia University junior secondary education student from Flatwoods, W.Va., started rapping as a means of expressing the trials and tribulations of everyday life.
Along with friend and right-hand man, junior physics student DJ Spac, Skidmore seeks to represent a class of less fortunate children who battle adversity on a daily basis.
Through his music, Skidmore aspires to provide hope to these children and craft a brighter future for them to look toward.
"We kind of have this moniker to represent kids that are written off and guys that don’t come from the best surroundings for what they’re trying to do in life," Skidmore said. "I just want my music to represent them and help them out any way it can."
To accomplish this, Skidmore is offering the mixtape for free through his website and many popular hip-hop blogs in hopes of reaching the largest audience possible.
"It’s really hard to gain notoriety and a decent following, so I just want to do everything I can to put myself and this mixtape on the map," Skidmore said.
In an attempt to do just that, Skidmore is using "Glory Days, Gauley Nights" as a "warm up" for a larger conceptual project that he hopes to release later this year with an estimated 18-20 tracks.
"Staying busy is important, and I just want to keep putting myself out there and releasing music that I love," Skidmore said.
For those seeking a fresh mixtape from a local talent, Skidmore’s "Glory Days, Gauley Nights" can be downloaded through his website, www.r-skid.com. - The Daily Athenaeum