Ski Mask the Slump God

Ski Mask the Slump God – Life, Career, and Memorable Quotes

Trace the rise of Ski Mask the Slump God (born April 18, 1996) — from Fort Lauderdale to SoundCloud stardom — including his artistic evolution, influences, challenges, and inspiring quotes.

Introduction

Stokeley Clevon Goulbourne, known professionally as Ski Mask the Slump God, is an American rapper and songwriter whose energetic flow, rapid-fire lyricism, and eclectic influences have earned him a cult following. Emerging from the SoundCloud rap era, he’s become known for blending humor, pop-culture references, emotional honesty, and sonic risk-taking. Unlike many who fall into one rap niche, Ski Mask positions himself as an artist who just happens to rap.

In this article, we explore his background, musical path, personality, key works, quotes, and the lessons his journey offers.

Early Life and Family

• Full name: Stokeley Clevon Goulbourne

• Date of birth: April 18, 1996

• Place of origin: Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in Broward County

• Heritage / influences: He is of Jamaican descent and grew up in a household exposed to Jamaican music and culture.

• Musical exposure & parental encouragement: His father, who used the stage name “Sin City,” was also a rapper and often urged young Stokeley to write his own raps.

Juvenile Detention & Meeting XXXTentacion

In 2013, at around age 17, Goulbourne was sent to a juvenile detention center for possession of about $10 worth of cannabis. While incarcerated, he met fellow rapper XXXTentacion, which became a pivotal friendship and creative partnership. This connection laid groundwork for his later involvement in the collective Members Only.

Musical Career and Achievements

Early Steps

After his release, Ski Mask began uploading his work to SoundCloud and releasing tracks such as “Catch Me” under his artist identity. He co-founded Members Only alongside XXXTentacion, and released collaborative mixtapes (e.g. Members Only, Vol. 1, Vol. 2)

Breakthrough & Mixtapes

His first major commercial mixtape was You Will Regret (2017), featuring tracks like “BabyWipe,” “Catch Me Outside,” and “Take a Step Back” (with XXXTentacion). These songs gained traction on streaming platforms and helped him establish a firm fanbase.

In May 2018, he released Beware the Book of Eli, which entered the Billboard 200.

Studio Albums & Recent Work

• Stokeley (2018) — His debut studio album, which continued his trend of blending rapid flows, cultural references, and volatility.

• 11th Dimension (2024) — His more recent studio project.

He has also collaborated widely, performing at major festivals like Rolling Loud, and continues to drop singles and mixtapes.

Style & Influences

• Genre blending: His music bridges hip hop, trap, punk rap, and meme rap.

• Musical influences: He cites artists such as Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliott, Wu-Tang Clan, Lil Wayne, and others.

• Approach to art: He resists being boxed as “just a rapper,” saying he makes music as an artist more broadly.

• Visual / persona: His image often includes colorful durags and bold fashion choices.

Challenges & Health

In March 2018, he underwent heart surgery to correct a condition. He also has navigated the aftermath of losing close collaborators (e.g. XXXTentacion), which influenced his musical tone and subject matter.

Personality & Artistic Identity

Ski Mask is often described as energetic, playful, emotional, and fearless. His lyrics shift rapidly between humor, bravado, vulnerability, pop references, and surreal imagery.

He has said that he doesn’t like being categorized, that he wants to evolve beyond just the label “rapper.”

He speaks candidly about anxiety, nerves, balancing darker and lighter impulses, and pushing through creative uncertainty.

Moreover, he emphasizes the importance of genuine relationships in his collaborations and business decisions.

Memorable Quotes of Ski Mask the Slump God

Here are some notable quotes attributed to him:

• “There’s always a ying-yang in life. With everybody. There’s evil in all of us. It’s just about how you balance out the evil and the good and having faith in yourself and how you carry yourself.”

• “A lot of us have energy that we can tap into.”

• “You have to be strong for people when you don’t wanna be strong.”

• “I don’t like being categorized as a rapper. I make music; I don’t just rap.”

• “The song that’s mostly changing my career … ‘Catch Me Outside.’ … that was, like, the first taste of what they got.”

• “Every time before I go on stage, I’m nervous.”

• “’Faucet Failure’ was my favorite because I just had fun with it … I didn’t overthink anything … I wanted to just have fun with the song.”

Lessons from Ski Mask the Slump God

From his life and words, we can draw several lessons:

1. Don’t confine yourself to labels.
   Ski Mask’s insistence on being more than a “rapper” highlights the freedom in resisting genre boxes.

2. Balance light and dark elements.
   His “ying-yang” quote reminds us that managing opposing impulses—joy and pain, ego and vulnerability—is part of creative identity.

3. Courage in authenticity.
   He often talks about the pressure to perform, nerves, and self-doubt—yet he steps on stage anyway. Growth often comes from pushing through uncertainty.

4. Value genuine connections.
   His comments about building real relationships in collaborations suggest that trust and authenticity in creative partnerships are vital.

5. Play is part of art.
   Many of his tracks come from a place of fun rather than overthinking—sometimes letting spontaneity lead yields strong results.

Conclusion

Ski Mask the Slump God stands out in modern hip hop not just because of technical skill or speed, but because he embraces contradictions: humor and darkness, vulnerability and bravado, chaos and craft. His journey from a troubled youth in Florida to a boundary-pushing artist illustrates how creativity, risk, and personal truth can intersect.