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. Now, 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 as he raps,
“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 Lord Sko as PIFF approaches next year.