Although he’s just 20 years old, Lord Sko is bringing back the golden age of hip-hop, putting a modern spin on the stoner classics that raised him. Today, the Washington Heights native shares, “Stubborn,” his new single and music video.
Tapping his right-hand man Arlo Walker for the production, Sko shows off his lyrical prowess, spitting about having wisdom beyond his years and living life without worries: “Kinetic energy surrounding my name / Rookie movin’ like he barely been around in the game / I spend the last five days smokin’ powder and haze / Homies callin’, tryna get me out of this place, but I’m stubborn.” While sonically the track is a nostalgic anthem, the music video, directed by Jason Goldwatch (Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, Blink-182), is a futuristic trip, finding Sko blurring the lines of reality and inverting NYC through mind-bending visual effects.
“Stubborn” follows up “Lesson Learned,” the Statik Selektah-produced single that earned praise from Billboard, iHeartRadio and more. The singles presage Sko’s next album, PIFF, coming early next year. The anticipated follow-up to his acclaimed 2023 album United Palace is an expansion of the young rapper’s sound, with a sonic palette crafted by luminaries like Harry Fraud, Statik Selektah, A-Lau, and Arlo Walker, the 18-year-old production prodigy who has been Sko’s right-hand man since his 2022 debut, MUSEUM. The 14-track project signals Sko’s growing respect in the rap game, with a cross-generational selection of features including Mavi, Conway The Machine, Curren$y, Polo Perk$, and the legendary Grand Puba of the seminal rap group Brand Nubian.
With limitless potential and a work ethic to match, Lord Sko is looking to take his NYC sound global. Stay tuned for much more from the young artist as PIFF approaches next year.
About Lord Sko
Lord Sko, aka Josh Fersko, is a native of Manhattan’s Washington Heights. Already a veteran at just 20 years old, having dropped 2 full-length projects, the prodigious lyrical talent continues to sharpen his sword on the upcoming PIFF, a sure-shot stoner classic. The upcoming album finds the young rapper expanding his classic NYC sound, with help from producers like Statik Selektah, Harry Fraud, A Lau, and his right-hand man Arlo Walker.
Young Sko fell in love with rap music when he was still in middle school. Back then, hip-hop was in the fondly- remembered blog era. Sko (who refers to himself as “the rap Jeff Hardy”) felt himself drawn to the stoner side of blog rap, including Wiz Khalifa, Odd Future, Action Bronson, and Curren$y, who would later become a collaborator. After practicing his craft for two years, Sko decided at age 17 to share his skill with the world, teaming up with then-16-year-old Arlo Walker to create the 2022 album Museum. In 2023, Sko followed up that auspicious debut with the even-more- polished United Palace, named after the historic concert hall located in his uptown neighborhood.
With PIFF on deck, a collaboration with Statik Selektah in the bag, and a forthcoming National tour in 2025, the future looks bright for Lord Sko. Stay tuned for more.
LINKS:
https://ffm.to/-stubborn
https://www.instagram.com/lordsko
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrQpVrDU5vWGlWXZPJciO5A
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4okQpk1QkE8PGtiwyakP4h
https://www.tiktok.com/@lordsko_
