Skilf
Location:
Brighton, UK
Biography:
Originally from Watford but now based in Brighton, Skilf (AKA Skilfull G) is a Hip Hop/ Dance artist and one of the UK’s best kept secrets. Over the past three years Skilf has been building a swiftly growing fanbase, playing out at nearly all of Brighton’s major venues and many others across the UK. With his debut album ‘Original Visions’ under his belt, media coverage and an ever growing line up of shows, Skilf is set for big things.
Skilf originally started out as a Drum & Bass MC, playing alongside artists suc as Andy C, DJ Zinc, Pendulum, Shy FX, Friction, DJ Marky, Grooverider, Mampi Swift, Nicky Black Market and MC Dynamite to name a few. Over time, under the influence of Bob Dylan, Sage Francis, Wu Tang Clan, Immortal Technique and various poets, Skilf’s style changed dramatically, making a huge impact on his lyrical content. In 2004, Skilf started recording Hip Hop tracks that reflect an insight into his ever active and over troubled mind.
This change proved to be an extremely positive step and Skilf has sinced received profound recognition and respect from his existing fans and began to reach out to a wider audience. In 2005 he started performing at some of Brighton’s biggest Hip Hop acts, playing on the same bills as Ghostface Killah (of Wu Tang Clan), Tim Westwood, Task Force, Phi Life Cypher, Supar Nova and Harry Love. These events have spearheaded Skilf’s career and led to the creation of his debut album ‘Original Visions’.
Recently one of Skilf’s tracks, ‘The Bassline Thump’ was selected in a competition for the annual Brighton Hip Hop Festival CD, around 30,000 copies have been given out as a free CD with the July issue of Hip Hop Connection. This sort of mass distribution has undoubtedly helped promote the material on a national level, and spread the word even further.
Just recently Skilf teamed up with a live band called ‘Astro Physics.’ Predominantly influenced by Jazz, Funk and Soul the band have adapted their style to Hip Hop, inter fusing elements of Drum ‘n’ Bass and Grime. Skilf and fellow MC Deep Blak are highly experienced performers; Astro Physics has proved to be a fiery alliance and first few shows received a strong reaction. Their summer tour is currently underway and they have a number of gigs lined up in different venues from London to Brighton, including Café De Paris and The Grassroots Festival.
It is clear that Skilf has something completely unique to offer through both his thoughts and his words. He is an artist who is driven by ambition and will continue to push the boundaries until the world hears his message.
Review:
The album consists of a vast range of material beginning with ‘club bangers,’ high tempo Grime/Dub Step and Orchestral Hip Hop. Further on it becomes more conceptual, we are able to scratch beneath the surface and tap into some of Skilf’s deepest thoughts on the state of the world, past relationships, inner fears and lifetime goals. These tracks have received an enormous response from a diverse range of listeners, even people who have never been particularly into Hip Hop. They have been getting regular airplay on Itch FM (One of London’s biggest Hip Hop stations), WRC FM and Sub FM, Skilf’s ‘myspace’ has been bombarded with positive feedback and the CD has been reviewed by Hip Hop Connection, Out Of Hand, Fat Controller, Big Smoke Magazine, Latest 7, Brighton Source and The Watford Observer with many more in the pipeline.
Links:
Skilf Website - http://www.skilf.co.uk
MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/skilf