Los Angeles is known for many things like its great weather and being the home of millions of dreamers, but it’s also the home of some of the best hip-hop. It helped put the west coast on the map back in the day and has yet to waver when it comes to the pool of talented rappers who call LA home. Rappers like Skitso, a skilled emcee whose 2022 release, ‘Currently Chasin Currency’ is still making waves. We talked about the music, the city, and more in this back-and-forth exchange.
Kendra: You’re based in LA, which is rich in hip-hop history. Do you think there is an advantage to being in a place that’s known for its music? Like, you’re not out in…Nebraska. You know?
Skitso: There is an advantage, you can actively go out and connect with music industry professionals daily because they are all here. Sure you can connect with them on social media but face-to-face meetings is where greatness happens.
Kendra: Speaking of LA (a place I called home 16 years and often miss), if you had to compare your December 2022 release, ‘Currently Chasin Currency’ to a neighborhood within the LA area, which would you say your record’s vibe is most like?
Skitso: I would say the vibe is mostly like the Westmont area. The cross streets being Imperial and Vermont or Century and Figueroa.
Kendra: On the album, you’re doing a lot, including rapping about your “Favorite Topic,” money. No, big money. So everything from the subject matter to the overall sound took me back to high school. Which, we’re around the same age so perhaps that’s why. With that, I’d love to know what you were like back in the early 2000s. Were you kicking off your big-money goals then?
Skitso: I was hustling, selling candy and different products like that to buy studio equipment. Definitely not doing as much as I am now; the bag is different.
Kendra: And while hip-hop may be one of the youngest genres, it continues to be the most influential. Not just in music either; fashion, the way we speak – hip hop continues to make its presence known. With that, what about hip hop, or possibly who in hip hop, inspired you to be an artist? Was it someone from the early ‘00s?
Skitso: I would say, Eminem, 50 Cent, Lil Wayne, and Jay Z inspired me.
Kendra: The album also features the addictive nature of “Boss Moves.” For you, what separates an artist that’s a boss from one that’s merely just an employee clocking in and out?
Skitso: What separates a boss from an employee basically comes down to ownership of your music. It also comes down to investing in other businesses to bring yourself wealth outside of music. Being a boss is also a mentality. You have some rappers who wait on opportunities and wait for things to happen to them and you have artists who create opportunities and aren’t afraid to invest in themselves.
Kendra: Lastly, with ‘Currently Chasin Currency’ out now, what else can people expect as we continue into Spring and soon into Summer?
Skitso: A lot of my shows and promotions for the album. I have been doing a lot of interviews and marketing lately as well.
