Believe it or not, it’s already been a decade since the SoundCloud rap era first ignited, and we’re seeing the lasting impact of the moshpit-dwelling artists who defined the movement.

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In the mid-2010s, rappers like Ski Mask The Slump God and XXXTentacion blew up out of nowhere with wildly energetic, distorted songs that they recorded on blown-out iPod headphones. It was a formative period when artists were figuring out how to use the internet to cut out the middleman and reach fans directly, uploading raw, in-your-face songs straight to SoundCloud.

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Before long, labels were forced to pay attention to a whole new wave of artists who had built massive cult followings on their own. Across America, kids were inspired to make their own DIY songs, and a decade later, we're witnessing the rise of a new generation of rappers like Yeat and Ken Carson who were influenced heavily by SoundCloud pioneers.

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Ski Mask's Reflection on Influence

Ski Mask is a low-key guy by nature, and he doesn’t like to take too much credit for anything. But when asked about his influence in rap, he acknowledges, "I'm usually a humble dude, but I've definitely seen a lot of my impact. It's hella cool to see how music has changed and how we kind of influenced that—at least the underground part. It's definitely gone in a crazy direction ever since we came out."

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The 11th Dimension: A New Era

Ski Mask's upcoming album, 11th Dimension, is his most ambitious project to date, revolving around a loose concept that involves multiple characters created by Ski. "There's a few characters that represent myself in each dimension. It's basically me going through the dimensions and collecting each piece to feel whole again," he explains.

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Stylistically, the album covers a lot of ground, ranging from high-energy moshpit songs to melodic alternative rock tracks, and it features guest appearances from Juice WRLD, Future, Corbin, and Skillibeng.

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Advice for Up-and-Coming Artists

For those looking to follow in his footsteps, Ski Mask shared some insights during his conversation at Complex:

Create Your Own World: "I wanted to really create a world for this album. I don't think I've really done that for any others. I wanted to add stage production, because I never usually use stage production, so I wanted to create a world and bring to life different characters."

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Be Versatile: "This album is not really one genre. There's so many genres on this. I would just say: Keep an open ear and don't expect it to be any certain type of way. It's all over the place, but very cohesive at the same time."

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Write Your Lyrics: Unlike many artists who freestyle, Ski Mask prefers writing down his lyrics. "I feel like I can get the ideas out better if I can see it, and I'm not just freestyling it. I feel like it's a more well thought-out song if I'm not just freestyling everything."

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Stay Humble and Focused: Despite his success, Ski Mask remains humble and focused on his work. "I've been hella focused on what I need to do to get this music out for people. I've been planning a lot of things, like a new merch brand that I'm about to drop."

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Conclusion

Ski Mask The Slump God is more than ready to usher in his next era with the 11th Dimension. From reflecting on his decade-long career to embracing his influence in the rap scene and offering valuable insights for up-and-coming artists, Ski Mask is proving that he's not just a product of the SoundCloud era, but a lasting force in music.

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The 11th Dimension is set to redefine boundaries and showcase the evolution of an artist who has stayed true to his roots while continually pushing the envelope. As he prepares to drop this ambitious project, fans and aspiring musicians alike have much to look forward to.

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