Remastered at Alchemy by Matt Colton

Born in Westwood, Memphis, Lil Sko aka Sakata Oatis is a lifelong resident of Tennessee. Sko first started rapping and making music with his childhood friend and producer “Mr. N****” or “Mack Nig”. I called Sko the other day to get some more insight into “U Know The Sko” and he answered from a studio in Tennessee where, funnily enough, the pair were still collaborating on music together even after 20+ years. Sko explained to me, whilst Mack’s beats played in the background, that when they first started making tracks they only used turntables for looping samples. He remarked at how the pair had first recorded in their drums. “We started off by beating buckets in the bathroom” Sko said. “We would put a pillow inside of a plastic hamper and flip it over and you would get a kick sound. We had a lil radio with a tape deck on it, we would hit record and that was that”. 

As a result of the creative interconnectivity of the Memphis music community, a lot of producers would sample other rappers or collaborators vocals. These samples would then be cut up to form a new hook or chorus for their own song. It’s always fun listening to one project and discovering a part of a verse used for another completely different project. So although Sko’s record is a solo tape, the project still includes multiple features. These features come in the form of verses from the likes of Kingpin Skinny Pimp, C-Roc, Lil Gin, Project Playaz, N.O.D. and Psycho. As well as beats and production from legendary producers such as DJ Squeeky, Maceo and Tommy Wright III. Sko, at times also a member of Tommy Wright III’s infamous Mason Family rap group. 

I asked Sko about any memories he had from recording “Miss White Cocaine”, the closer to the record and one of my personal favourites. I told him that I love how the track’s verses just keep ratcheting up in energy levels. Just when you think you’ve heard the hardest verse the next rapper comes in biting at the beat even more ferociously than the last. “No way I can win, To live my life is a sin”. Sko said, “[Miss White Cocaine] originated with me and Maceo starting a track together”. Perhaps sadly though there wasn’t that much more to say than that. There isn’t any grand perspective on the project. It’s simply a collection of tracks thrown together to showcase his, and his homies abilities as rappers and producers. 

I think a lot of Memphis hiphop has flown under the radar and yet modern rap owes so much of it’s sound and feel to these 90’s pioneers. Whenever I play other producers or friends these records, so many are dumbfounded when I reveal the music didn’t come out within last few years, let alone the last few decades. As this response became more and more common I knew I had to rerelease the music to a new audience. Something so ahead of it’s time can’t continue to be this overlooked. 

I had the strange pleasure of meeting Sko in person whilst I was briefly in Las Vegas last year. We had been speaking together online for some time after I tracked him down on Facebook, but we ended up meeting face-to-face on the main floor of the MGM Grand. Although a weird setting, we got to know each other a little better, and I at least managed to express my enthusiasm for wanting to rerelease the record on PLZ Make It Ruins. I’m glad he agreed to trust me with this piece of work as it brings me great joy to reintroduce the world to “U Know Tha Sko” - One of my all time favourite Memphis “junts”. I hope it bumps the same for you as it does for me.  - Vegyn

Download

Lil Sko - U Know Tha Sko

U Know Tha Sko

Lil Sko - Smoke A Sack

Lil Sko - Miss White Cocaine

Lil Sko - Till Day Light

Lil Sko - What I Represent

Lil Sko - Playeristic Music

Lil Sko - This Is A Robbery

Lil Sko - Killa

Lil Sko - I Want My Tone