Skeme facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Skeme
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Kimble performing in November 2010
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Lonnie Kimble |
| Also known as | Skeme |
| Born | January 3, 1990 Inglewood, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Labels |
|
Lonnie Kimble (born January 3, 1990), known as Skeme, is an American rapper and songwriter. He grew up in Inglewood, California. Skeme has worked with many other West Coast hip hop artists. Some of these include Black Hippy, The Game, Nipsey Hussle, and E-40.
In 2012, Skeme released his first studio album, Alive & Living. It was released through RBC Records. His second album, Ingleworld, came out in 2013. In 2016, Skeme signed with DJ Drama and Don Cannon's Generation Now label. He joined Lil Uzi Vert there.
Contents
Early Life
Lonnie Kimble was born on January 3, 1990. His parents separated when he was two years old. His father was in the military. Because of this, Lonnie moved to Inglewood, California, to live with his grandmother. When his father returned at age 10, Lonnie started listening to hip hop music. He loved memorizing his favorite songs. His dad was the one who first suggested he create his own music and start rapping.
Skeme got his stage name when he was 13. A friend noticed he was very clever at finding ways to earn money. He bought a BMW 525I car while he was still in high school. He attended Junipero Serra High School in Gardena, California.
Music Career
Starting Out: 2007–2010
Skeme began rapping around age 12 and started writing songs at 15. He recorded his first song in a studio in Long Beach, California, when he was 16. He started taking rapping seriously at 17, just as he was finishing high school. Soon after, he met rapper Dolla. They spent a lot of time together and worked on music. Skeme says Dolla greatly influenced him. He shared that Dolla "shaped me into being somebody and trying to tell me what could happen if you took it seriously."
In 2007, Skeme released his first mixtape, Skeme Of Things. He followed it with Skeme Of Things 2 in 2009. In 2010, he released All Rap'd Up. During these early years, he became friends with other Los Angeles rappers. These friends included Kendrick Lamar, Nipsey Hussle, and Dom Kennedy. In October 2010, Skeme released his mixtape Pistols and Palm Trees. He recorded this whole mixtape at Top Dawg Entertainment's studio. It featured collaborations with Tyga and Kendrick Lamar. This mixtape helped Skeme start to get noticed.
Growing Success: 2011–2013
On May 19, 2011, Skeme released his fifth mixtape, The Statement. It included songs with Casey Veggies and Dom Kennedy. Later that year, he released Before My Next Statement. Skeme also started an entertainment company called L.A. UNFD with basketball player Baron Davis. He then signed a deal with RBC Records to release his first studio album.
On October 16, 2012, Skeme's debut album, Alive & Living, was released. It featured guest artists like Iggy Azalea, Schoolboy Q, and Kendrick Lamar. The album included the songs "Ain't Bout Dat Life" and "Kidz With Gunz."
In 2013, Skeme talked about possibly signing with Top Dawg Entertainment. He said he was "very close to TDE" and they were talking a lot. However, he later decided not to sign. He wanted to stay independent and build his own brand. He also had discussions with other major labels like Def Jam Recordings and Roc Nation. But he was not in a hurry to sign a big deal.
Ingleworld Series: 2013–2015
On September 27, 2013, Skeme released his mixtape Bare With Me. It featured The Game and Nipsey Hussle. These songs were leftovers from his upcoming album, Ingleworld. After this, Skeme toured in the United States and internationally.
On December 17, 2013, Skeme released his second studio album, Ingleworld. It had 15 songs and featured artists like Wale and Iggy Azalea. The album received positive reviews. MTV called him one of "hip-hop's top prospects for 2014."
In early 2014, Skeme toured with Dom Kennedy. He was also nominated for the 2014 XXL freshman class, a list of rising hip-hop artists.
In July 2014, The Game announced that Skeme had signed with his Blood Money Entertainment label. Skeme was featured on The Game's project Blood Moon: Year of the Wolf. In 2015, Skeme started working closely with DJ Drama and Don Cannon. He released the mixtape Ingleworld 2 in June 2015. It featured artists like The Game, T.I., and Young Thug. He then announced a third album in the series, Ingleworld 3, for November 2015.
Recent Work: 2015–Present
Skeme appeared on The Game's album The Documentary 2 on the song "My Flag/Da Homies." He also featured on a song by rapper Wale called "Know Me." Skeme announced another album in his Ingleworld series, called Ingleworld4eva. Before that, he released a mixtape called "Before 4Eva."
In May 2016, DJ Drama released a song called "Wishing." It featured Chris Brown, Skeme, and LyQuin. A music video was made for the song.
Personal Life
Skeme's great-uncle was the famous blues musician Howlin' Wolf. Skeme has one sibling. His first son, Khalil Amari Kimble, was born in September 2013. Khalil is also the nephew of Nipsey Hussle.
Musical Style
Brooklyne Gipson from Complex magazine described Skeme's voice as "raspy." She noted that it has a slight Southern sound mixed with a clear West Coast style. She also said his raps have the "passion of 2Pac and the wit of Lil Wayne." She praised his choices in music production.
Music Releases
Studio Albums
- Alive & Living (2012)
- Ingleworld (2013)
- Ingleworld 3 (2015)
- Big Money Sonny (2018)
Mixtapes
- Skeme of Things (2007)
- Skeme of Things 2 (2009)
- All Rap'd Up (2010)
- Pistols and Palm Trees (2010)
- The Statement (2011)
- Before My Next Statement (2011)
- Bare with Me (2013)
- Ingleworld 2 (2015)
- Before 4Eva (2016)
- Paranoia (2016)
- First Notice (2017)
- Second Notice (2017)
- One Night Only Vol.2 (2018)
- Ingleworld 4 (2023)
