Lonnie Kimble (born January 3, 1990), better known by his stage name Skeme, is an American rapper from
Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 107,762. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. The city is in the South Bay ...
. Skeme has collaborated with various
West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to:
Geography Australia
* Western Australia
*Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia
* West Coast, Tasmania
**West Coast Range, mountain range in the region
Canada
* Britis ...
rappers such as the group
Black Hippy
Black Hippy is an American hip hop supergroup[Bizzy Bone
Bryon Anthony McCane II (born September 12, 1976),Whitburn, Joel (2008) ''Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–2006'', Record Research, , p. 97 better known by his stage name Bizzy Bone, is an American rapper, singer and the youngest member o ...](_blank)
,
The Game,
Dom Kennedy
Dominic Ross Hunn (born August 22, 1984), better known by his stage name Dom Kennedy, is an American rapper from Leimert Park, Los Angeles, California. Since 2008, Kennedy has released 5 independent mixtapes, most notably his 2010 critically accl ...
,
Nipsey Hussle
Airmiess Joseph Asghedom (August 15, 1985 – March 31, 2019), known professionally as Nipsey Hussle (often stylized as Nipsey Hu$$le), was an American rapper, entrepreneur, and activist. Emerging from the West Coast hip hop scene in the mid- ...
,
E-40
Earl Tywone Stevens Sr. (born November 15, 1967), better known by his stage name E-40, is an American rapper. He is a founding member of the rap group The Click, and the founder of Sick Wid It Records. He has released 26 studio albums to date, a ...
,
Casey Veggies
Casey Joseph Jones (born July 18, 1993), better known by his stage name Casey Veggies, is an American rapper and songwriter from Los Angeles, California. Since 2007, he has released five independent mixtapes under LA clothing and management comp ...
and
Problem among others. In 2012, Skeme released his debut studio album ''Alive & Living'' under
RBC Records
RBC Records is an American online independent record label and management company founded by partners Brian Shafton and Bob Grossi. It provides artists and independent labels with a full-service "virtual label" alternative to signing with a maj ...
. His second studio album ''Ingleworld'' was released in 2013 by MADE Headlines.
In July 2014, The Game announced that he had signed Skeme to
Blood Money Entertainment
Jayceon Terrell Taylor (born November 29, 1979), better known by his stage name the Game or simply Game, is an American rapper. Born in Compton, California, he initially released a series of mixtapes under the wing of fellow West Coast rapper ...
. In 2016, Skeme told
HotNewHipHop
''HotNewHipHop (HNHH)'' is an online publication that covers daily news about hip hop and pop culture, including streetwear, sports, and sneakers. In addition to its editorial content, HotNewHipHop also produces the video serieses; ''How to Roll ...
that he is not signed to
Blood Money Entertainment
Jayceon Terrell Taylor (born November 29, 1979), better known by his stage name the Game or simply Game, is an American rapper. Born in Compton, California, he initially released a series of mixtapes under the wing of fellow West Coast rapper ...
anymore, but only affiliated with them. Later that year, Skeme signed a deal with
DJ Drama
Tyree Cinque Simmons (born April 22, 1978), professionally known as DJ Drama, is an American DJ, record executive and music promoter. He is the co-founder (with Don Cannon) of Generation Now, an Atlantic Records imprint with artists including ...
and Don Cannon's
Generation Now label alongside frequent collaborator
Lil Uzi Vert
Symere Bysil Woods ( ; born July 31, 1995), known professionally as Lil Uzi Vert, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. They are characterized by their face tattoo, facial tattoos, facial piercings, eccentric hairstyles and androgynous ...
.
Early life
Lonnie Kimble was born on January 3, 1990.
His parent split when he was two years old and his father was in the military.
As a result, he moved in with his grandmother in
Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 107,762. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. The city is in the South Bay ...
.
Once his father came into the picture at age 10, he started listening to hip hop and memorizing his favorite songs. His dad originally gave him the idea to come up with his own material and start rapping.
Skeme acquired his stage name at 13, when a friend noticed his craftiness at generating money. He said most of these money making strategies, were of the illegal nature, but they allowed him to purchase a
BMW 525I while he was in the twelfth grade at
Gardena's
Junipero Serra High School.
He grew up affiliated with the
Piru Blood gang and was a
gang
A gang is a group or society of associates, friends or members of a family with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over territory in a community and engages, either individually or collectivel ...
banger throughout his high school years.
Career
2007–2010: Early mixtapes and ''Pistols and Palm Trees''
Skeme first began rapping around age 12 and began writing around age 15. He recorded his first song at a studio in
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California.
Incorporate ...
, at age 16.
When he first began taking rapping seriously at age 17, he was graduating high school. He shortly after met
Dolla, whom he began hanging out and frequently working with. He credits Dolla for significantly influencing him.
He has said, "Dolla kind of molded me when I was young. He shaped me into being somebody and trying to tell me what could happen if you took this shit seriously." In 2007 he released ''Skeme Of Things'', which was then followed by ''Skeme Of Things 2'' in June 2009.
On February 17, 2010, Skeme released his third official mixtape, ''All Rap'd Up'', hosted by DJ Ill Will.
During those early years, he forged friendships with Los Angeles-area rappers such as
Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Known for his Progressive rap, progressive musical styles and Social consciousness, socially conscious songwriting, he is often considered one of the most infl ...
,
Nipsey Hussle
Airmiess Joseph Asghedom (August 15, 1985 – March 31, 2019), known professionally as Nipsey Hussle (often stylized as Nipsey Hu$$le), was an American rapper, entrepreneur, and activist. Emerging from the West Coast hip hop scene in the mid- ...
and
Dom Kennedy
Dominic Ross Hunn (born August 22, 1984), better known by his stage name Dom Kennedy, is an American rapper from Leimert Park, Los Angeles, California. Since 2008, Kennedy has released 5 independent mixtapes, most notably his 2010 critically accl ...
. On October 19, 2010, Skeme released his fourth official mixtape ''Pistols and Palm Trees''. He recorded the entire mixtape at
Top Dawg Entertainment
Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) is an American independent record label founded in 2004, by CEO Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith. Terrence "Punch" Henderson is president of the label. There are currently eleven artists signed to the label: the label's f ...
's studio in
Carson, California
Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, in the South Bay region of Los Angeles, located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately away from Los Angeles International Airport. Incorporated on February 20, 1968, ...
.
It featured collaborations with
Tyga
Michael Ray Nguyen-Stevenson[Micheal Ray Stevenson ...](_blank)
,
Ty Dolla Sign
Tyrone William Griffin Jr. (born April 13, 1982), known professionally as Ty Dolla Sign (stylized as Ty Dolla $ign or Ty$), is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He first gained major recognition in 2010 for his feature on Ameri ...
, Dom Kennedy and Kendrick Lamar.
On the strength of that mixtape, Skeme begun building his buzz.
2011–2013: ''The Statement'' and ''Alive and Living''
On May 19, 2011, Skeme released his fifth mixtape ''The Statement''. It featured collaborations with
Casey Veggies
Casey Joseph Jones (born July 18, 1993), better known by his stage name Casey Veggies, is an American rapper and songwriter from Los Angeles, California. Since 2007, he has released five independent mixtapes under LA clothing and management comp ...
and Dom Kennedy, with
production
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a stati ...
by
Boi-1da
Matthew Jehu Samuels (born October 12, 1986), known professionally as Boi-1da ( , a play on "boy wonder"), is a Jamaican-Canadian Record production, record producer and songwriter based in Toronto, Ontario.
The Toronto raised producer has work ...
,
Bink!
Roosevelt Harrell III (born February 20, 1972) professionally known as Bink is an American hip hop producer from Norfolk, Virginia, who is noted for his work with Roc-A-Fella Records artists. His most high-profile work has been Jay-Z's critica ...
and
The Futuristiks, among others.
Later that year, on November 29, Skeme released his sixth mixtape ''Before My Next Statement''. With basketball player
Baron Davis
Baron Walter Louis Davis (born April 13, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player who is a studio analyst for the ''NBA on TNT''. He was a two-time NBA All-Star, made the All-NBA Third Team in 2004, and twice led the NBA in s ...
, Skeme started a Los Angeles-based entertainment management company named L.A. UNFD. Then he signed a one-album deal with
RBC Records
RBC Records is an American online independent record label and management company founded by partners Brian Shafton and Bob Grossi. It provides artists and independent labels with a full-service "virtual label" alternative to signing with a maj ...
to release his debut studio album.
On October 10, 2012, Skeme revealed that track listing for his debut album, titled ''Alive & Living''. The album contained guest appearances by
Iggy Azalea
Amethyst Amelia Kelly (born 7 June 1990), known professionally as Iggy Azalea (), is an Australian rapper. At the age of 16, Azalea moved from Australia to the United States in order to pursue a career in music. Azalea earned public recognitio ...
,
Schoolboy Q
Quincy Matthew Hanley (born October 26, 1986), better known by his stage name Schoolboy Q (stylized as ScHoolboy Q), is an American rapper. In 2009, Hanley signed to Carson-based independent record label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) and in late ...
, Kendrick Lamar, Dom Kennedy and
Problem. The album's production was handled by Boi-1da, The Futuristiks,
DJ Mustard
Dijon Isaiah McFarlane (born June 5, 1990), known professionally as Mustard (also known as DJ Mustard), is an American record producer and beatmaker. He is a frequent collaborator of fellow California-bred artists YG and Ty Dolla Sign; among var ...
, THC, and
DJ Dahi
Dacoury Dahi Natche (born March 10, 1983), professionally known as DJ Dahi, is an American DJ, songwriter, record producer and singer from Inglewood, California. Dahi is perhaps best known for producing " Money Trees" by American rapper Kendric ...
. The album was then released digitally on October 16, 2012. It was supported by the singles "Ain't Bout Dat Life" and "Kidz With Gunz", the latter which featured Schoolboy Q.
In April 2013, Skeme told Bruce Smith of
HipHopDX
''HipHopDX'' is an online magazine of hip hop music criticism and news. The website's current president and publisher is Sharath Cherian and the Head Of Content is Jerry L. Barrow. ''HipHopDX'' is the flagship publication of Cheri Media Group.
...
that he was in heavy talks with Top Dawg Entertainment about signing to their record label. He commented on it saying, ""It's yet to be seen where exactly I’m gonna go. I'm just trying to make the right move. The next move has to be the best one.
..With that being said, I am very close to TDE, them is the homies, and we are in heavy talks. It could be something." He later stated that he chose not to sign to TDE so he did not get lost in the mix, wanting instead to remain independent and build his brand more.
Skeme also revealed that he had been in talks with
Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop.
The ...
,
Universal
Universal is the adjective for universe.
Universal may also refer to:
Companies
* NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company
** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal
** Universal TV, a ...
and
Roc Nation
Roc Nation is an entertainment agency founded by Jay-Z in 2008. The company is headquartered in Manhattan and has additional offices in Los Angeles and London. Roc Nation comprises a comprehensive talent agency, sports agency, record label, mana ...
about record deals during 2013. However, he stated that he was in no rush to sign to a
major record label
A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produc ...
.
He was featured on an October 2013 commercial for
Colt 45 along with
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...
,
YG,
Snow Tha Product
Claudia Alexandra Madriz Meza (born June 24, 1987) known professionally as Snow Tha Product, is an American rapper, singer, actress, youtuber, and podcaster. She was signed to Atlantic Records from 2012 until November 2018. Since then, she has ...
, and
Lil Debbie
Jordan Mary Capozzi (born February 2, 1990), better known by her stage name Lil Debbie, is an American rapper, model and fashion designer. Debbie started her career in 2011 as part of the now-defunct group The White Girl Mob, with rappers Kreaysh ...
.
2013–2015: ''Ingleworld'' and first two sequels
On September 27, 2013, Skeme released his seventh mixtape ''Bare With Me''. It featured guest appearances by
The Game, Nipsey Hussle, Problem and
TeeFlii
Christian Joel Jones (born July 17, 1987), better known by his stage name TeeFlii (stylized as TeeFLii), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer and dancer from South Los Angeles, California. He is currently signed to E1 Music ...
. It was met with a positive review by HipHopDX. ''Bare With Me'' consisted of left over songs from ''Ingleworld'', that either did not fit the theme of the album, or had sample clearance issues.
Following its release, Skeme appeared on
E-40
Earl Tywone Stevens Sr. (born November 15, 1967), better known by his stage name E-40, is an American rapper. He is a founding member of the rap group The Click, and the founder of Sick Wid It Records. He has released 26 studio albums to date, a ...
's "Turn Up or Burn Up" from ''
The Block Brochure: Welcome to the Soil 6'' and on The Game's "Welcome to California" from ''
OKE Oke or OKE may refer to:
* Ōke, branches of the Japanese Imperial Family
* Oka (mass), an Ottoman measure of mass
* OKE (mixtape), ''OKE'' (mixtape), a 2013 mixtape by rapper Game
* Oke (name)
* Oke, Alberta, a locality in Yellowhead County, Alber ...
''.
Skeme toured in promotion of his second studio album, in the United States, along with internationally in countries such as the United Kingdom and Sweden.
On November 15, 2013, Skeme released the music video for "Millions" from ''Ingleworld''. On November 26, 2013, Skeme revealed the cover artwork and the track listing for his second studio album ''Ingleworld''. The track listing revealed that it would contain 15 songs, including guest appearances from
Wale, Nipsey Hussle, Iggy Azalea and Dom Kennedy, with production handled by
Boi-1da
Matthew Jehu Samuels (born October 12, 1986), known professionally as Boi-1da ( , a play on "boy wonder"), is a Jamaican-Canadian Record production, record producer and songwriter based in Toronto, Ontario.
The Toronto raised producer has work ...
, Wizzo and Sean Momberger, among others. He explained that the album had a serious tone, which is why he choose to release it at the end of the calendar year. The album's
lead single
A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
Release s ...
"Different" was released on December 4, 2013.
''Ingleworld'' was released digitally by MADE Headlines on December 17, 2013.
The album was met with generally positive reviews. Bruce Smith of HipHopDX said, "On ''Ingleworld'', Skeme combines an array of styles and cadences and an unheralded but highly skilled production team to craft an album with charm and depth." Olivia Arezes of ''
Exclaim!
''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...
'' gave it a six out of ten saying, "''Ingleworld'' is a valiant effort from Skeme but mediocre overall. Still, with some growth and improvement, Skeme could easily become a leader of the new West Coast sound." Following the release of the album,
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
called him one of "hip-hop's top prospects for 2014."
Starting January 23, 2014, Skeme begun touring with Dom Kennedy on the Get Home Safely tour, in promotion of Kennedy's album ''
Get Home Safely
''Get Home Safely'' is the second studio album by American rapper Dom Kennedy. The album was released on October 15, 2013. The album features guest appearances from Skeme, Krondon, Ty Dolla Sign, Nipsey Hussle and TeeFLii.
Background
On March 25 ...
'' that Skeme also made an appearance on. The tour ran through February 27, 2014. Skeme was nominated for the 2014 ''
XXL'' freshman class, however he was not selected.
On July 14, 2014, The Game announced that Skeme had been signed to his
Blood Money Entertainment
Jayceon Terrell Taylor (born November 29, 1979), better known by his stage name the Game or simply Game, is an American rapper. Born in Compton, California, he initially released a series of mixtapes under the wing of fellow West Coast rapper ...
Label. He released a collaboration with The Game titled "No Limit" after the announcement. He was featured heavily on the Blood Money Entertainment collaborative project released by The Game entitled ''
Blood Moon: Year of the Wolf''.
In 2015, Skeme worked heavily with DJ Drama and
Don Cannon
Donald Cannon (born August 2, 1979) is an American DJ, record producer, songwriter, and record executive. Cannon is a co-founder of the Atlantic Records imprint, Generation Now. He was also a member of the prominent Atlanta mixtape collective, ...
as an artist in their generation.now label/company. He is still currently a part of this organization which consists of himself, DJ Drama, Don Cannon and
Lil Uzi Vert
Symere Bysil Woods ( ; born July 31, 1995), known professionally as Lil Uzi Vert, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. They are characterized by their face tattoo, facial tattoos, facial piercings, eccentric hairstyles and androgynous ...
. His first single of 2015 was "Red Carpet (Roll Out)". On June 9, 2015, Skeme released the mixtape ''Ingleworld 2 (hosted by DJ Drama)'', which featured artists such as The Game, T.I., RJ, Young Thug, BJ The Chicago Kid and Lil Uzi Vert. Ingleworld 2 was later released as an album as a no DJ version. Later he announced a third album in his "Ingleworld" series, which was to be released on November 13, 2015.
2015–present ''Ingleworld4Eva''
Skeme featured on The Game's second disc of ''The Documentary 2'' on the song "My Flag/Da Homies", which was also released as a single prior to the album's release. A video for this song was released on December 17, 2015. Skeme also featured on a track released by rapper Wale, "Know Me". Recently, Skeme announced another and possibly final addition to his Ingleworld album series, to be entitled ''Ingleworld4eva''. In preparation for this album, he has released a mixtape entitled "Before 4Eva" through datpiff.com and other music sites that stream free music.
On May 6, 2016, DJ Drama released a single off his "Quality Street Music 2" album, title "Wishing" featuring Chris Brown, Skeme and LyQuin. A music video has been shot for the single and features DJ Drama, Chris Brown, Skeme and LyQuin, with
cameo appearances
A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly ei ...
by
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 2000, when he produced ...
and
The Game.
Personal life
Skeme's great-uncle is the late
blues
Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
legend
Howlin' Wolf
Chester Arthur Burnett (June 10, 1910January 10, 1976), better known by his stage name Howlin' Wolf, was an American blues singer and guitarist. He is regarded as one of the most influential blues musicians of all time. Over a four-decade care ...
.
Skeme has one sibling. Skeme's first son Khalil Amari Kimble, nephew to
Nipsey Hussle
Airmiess Joseph Asghedom (August 15, 1985 – March 31, 2019), known professionally as Nipsey Hussle (often stylized as Nipsey Hu$$le), was an American rapper, entrepreneur, and activist. Emerging from the West Coast hip hop scene in the mid- ...
, was born during September 2013. Skeme is an also a loyal member of the Inglewood Family Bloods aka the Westside Flame Gang.
Musical style
Brooklyne Gipson of ''
Complex
Complex commonly refers to:
* Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe
** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'' said that Skeme is a "testament to diversity in L.A.'s sound. With his raspy voice, marked by a slight southern drawl hidden under a distinctly West Coast dialect." She then stated that his raps have the "passion of
2Pac
Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the b ...
and the wit of
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...
" also complimenting his production choices.
Discography
Studio albums
Mixtapes
*2007: ''Skeme of Things''
*2009: ''Skeme of Things 2''
*2010: ''All Rap'd Up''
*2010: ''Pistols and Palm Trees''
*2011: ''The Statement''
*2011: ''Before My Next Statement''
*2013: ''Bare with Me''
*2015 :''Ingleworld 2''
* Ingleworld 3 2015
*2016: ''Before 4Eva''
*2016: ''Paranoia''
*2017: ''First Notice''
*2017: ''Second Notice''
*2018: ''One Night Only Vol.2''
* 2023: Ingleworld 4
* TBA:
* TBA:
Singles
As lead artist
As featured artist
References
External links
*
{{authority control
Living people
1990 births
African-American male rappers
West Coast hip hop musicians
People from Inglewood, California
Rappers from California
Bloods
21st-century American rappers
21st-century American male musicians
21st-century African-American musicians