Before the release of his new album Unbothered, Lil Skies chopped it up with Complex News' Pierce Simpson to discuss his evolution as an artist, the inspiration behind the project's art, and what he hopes fans ultimately take away from the long-awaited effort.
"I just hope people take away from my album—just from me in general—is to just chase your dreams, and don't let nobody tell you what to do." he explained. "I'm learning that still myself. I got a lot of people around me in my life tellin' me what I should do, what I shouldn't do... Do what you love, man. Life is too short."
Unbothered marks Lil Skies' first full-length project since Shelby, which dropped nearly two years ago. The album spans 14 tracks and includes guest appearances by Wiz Khalifa ("Excite Me") and Lil Durk ("Havin' My Way"). Lil Skies said he was fine having only two features on Unbothered, as he prefers his collaborations to happen naturally.
"I just like to show that I'm my own artist, I'm my own person," he said. "I don't like to force no relationships... It gotta be mutual love. We gotta both wanna make that song together. If we don't, I'm not making that song with you."
The conversation then shifted toward one of Lil Skies' heros, Lil Wayne. Simpson pointed out that the Pennsylvania rapper has always lauded Weezy throughout his career, but questioned if Wayne's support for Donald Trump has changed his views. It's worth noting that the interview was filmed before former president Trump pardoned Wayne.
"I love Wayne. I don't care about all that extra shit," Lil Skies said. "That man doing what he gotta do. He's gon' take care of his people, he's gotta feed his family. People don't understand the business world and what comes with that. I understand why Wayne is doing what he's doing, but I'm not gon' say that on here, but I understand it. So I respect him as a man."
You can check out Lil Skies' full interview above, where he also touches on his PTSD, how fatherhood has changed him, dealing with the death of his grandpa, and why he keeps his social media activity to a minimum. Unbothered is available to pre-order here.
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