Over the last few months, Lil Skies has provided fans with a few one-off releases, though it was clear the rapper out of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania had plans for something bigger on the horizon to follow up his 2018 breakthrough project Life of a Dark Rose. That moment arrives with Shelby.
Skies kept the rollout for his debut studio album to a minimum, with the most public display coming in the form of a tweet less than 48 hours before its release:
The 14-song project includes guest spots from Gucci Mane and Gunna, and highlights Skies' sing-song flow with rhymes that touch on personal aspects of his life. His close collaborator, Landon Cube, also shows up on "Nowadays, Pt. 2," a sequel to their 2017 hit single.
"It’s my first real project," Skies said of Shelby, which features a cover art that includes a baby photo of the rapper (face tattoo and all) with his mom. "It’s like a new beginning. This is really like me being born again."
Cole Bennett, who has become a go-to director for rap's rising stars, also directed the video for the Danny Wolf-produced "i."
In April, Skies is set to begin a tour with Lil Pump that will include stops in Detroit, NYC, Atlanta, and Seattle, among other cities. Pump recently released his own new project, Harverd Dropout, just a few weeks back.
You can stream Shelby below and grab it on iTunes here.
