Stokeley Clevon Goulbourne
(born April 18, 1996), known professionally as Ski Mask the Slump God, is an American rapper. He is best known for his association with
XXXTentacion
Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy (January 23, 1998 – June 18, 2018), known professionally as XXXTentacion, was an American rapper and singer-songwriter. Though a controversial figure due to his widely publicized legal troubles, XXXTentacion gai ...
, with whom he formed the hip hop collective
Members Only in 2014. He is notable for his
nostalgic
Nostalgia is a sentimentality for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. The word ''nostalgia'' is a neoclassical compound derived from Greek, consisting of (''nóstos''), a Homeric word meaning "homecomi ...
-themed musical production and public image, often clad with multi-colored
durag
A durag ( alternate spellings) is a close-fitting cloth tied around the top of the head to protect the hair; similarly a wave cap is a close-fitting cap for the same purpose. Durags may be worn to accelerate the development of long curly/kinky ...
s. He signed with
Victor Victor Worldwide
Steven William Victor (born September 6, 1980) is an American record executive, talent manager, music publisher, and Artists and repertoire, A&R representative.
He founded the record label Victor Victor Worldwide in 2016. The year prior, he was ...
, an imprint of
Republic Records
Republic Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Based in New York City, it was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially ...
to release his debut commercial mixtape ''
You Will Regret
''You Will Regret'' (originally and alternatively titled ''YouWillRegret'') is the second mixtape by American rapper Ski Mask the Slump God. It was originally released on June 30, 2017, by Victor Victor Worldwide and Republic Records. The mixtape ...
'' (2017), which entered the
''Billboard'' 200 and spawned the
platinum
Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...
-certified singles "
BabyWipe", "
Take a Step Back" (featuring XXXTentacion), and "
Catch Me Outside
"Catch Me Outside" is a song by American rapper Ski Mask the Slump God, released on June 13, 2017, as the third single from his second mixtape ''You Will Regret'' (2017). The song is a freestyle over "She's a Bitch" by Missy Elliott, produced by ...
".
Goulbourne's third mixtape, ''
Beware the Book of Eli
''Beware the Book of Eli'' (stylized in all caps) is the third mixtape by American rapper Ski Mask the Slump God. It was officially released on May 11, 2018, by Victor Victor Worldwide and Republic Records, after it was originally released on May ...
'' (2018), peaked at number 50 on the ''Billboard'' 200. His debut studio album, ''
Stokeley
''Stokeley'' (stylized in all caps) is the debut studio album by American rapper Ski Mask the Slump God. It was released on November 30, 2018, by Victor Victor Worldwide and Republic Records. The album features guest appearances from Juice Wrl ...
'' (2018), reached his furthest commercial success and peaked at number six on the chart, also spawning the
''Billboard'' Hot 100-charting songs "
Faucet Failure
"Faucet Failure" is a single by American rapper Ski Mask the Slump God from his 2018 album '' Stokeley'', released as the only single on April 9, 2019. Prior to being released as a single, a music video was released for the track in February 2019. ...
", "
Nuketown
"Nuketown" is a multiplayer map in the ''Call of Duty'' series of first-person shooter video games published by Activision. Set in a nuclear test town in the deserts of Nevada, the map features two symmetrical sides that are split down the ...
" (featuring
Juice Wrld
Jarad Anthony Higgins (December 2, 1998 – December 8, 2019), known professionally as Juice Wrld (pronounced "juice world"; stylized as Juice WRLD), was an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He emerged as a leading figure in the emo rap ...
), and "
Foot Fungus".
Early life
Stokeley Clevon Goulbourne was born on April 18, 1996, in
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale ( ) is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and most populous city in Broward County, Florida, Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the ...
. He is of
Jamaican descent. He grew up listening to
Busta Rhymes
Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after National Football League, NFL and Canadian Football Lea ...
,
Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott (born July 1, 1971), also known as Misdemeanor, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She began her musical career as a member of the Contemporary R&B, R&B girl group 4 All the Sistas Arou ...
,
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop collective formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its members include RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and, until his death in 2004, O ...
, and
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...
, among other artists. He has said that his parents often played Jamaican music around the house. Goulbourne's father—a rapper who used the stage name "Sin City"—would often force his son to focus on writing his own rap music.
In 2013, Goulbourne was sent to a juvenile detention center for possession of "around $10 worth of weed", where he met
XXXTentacion
Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy (January 23, 1998 – June 18, 2018), known professionally as XXXTentacion, was an American rapper and singer-songwriter. Though a controversial figure due to his widely publicized legal troubles, XXXTentacion gai ...
.
The duo became friends and frequently collaborated on songs after being released from detention.
Career
2014–2017: Mainstream debut
Following Goulbourne's release from detention, he formed the rap group "Very Rare" with XXXTentacion and released his first song "Catch Me" on the streaming service
SoundCloud
SoundCloud is a German audio streaming service owned and operated by SoundCloud Global Limited & Co. KG. The service enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is ...
. Goulbourne eventually co-founded XXXTentacion's collective
Members Only after the release of ''Members Only Vol. 1'', a collaboration mixtape with XXXTentacion, in 2015. The mixtape would eventually be followed up with ''Members Only, Vol. 2'' and then ''
Members Only, Vol. 3
''Members Only, Vol. 3'', also referred to by its full title ''XXXTentacion Presents: Members Only, Vol. 3'' on streaming services, is the second and final mixtape by American hip hop group Members Only. It was released via SoundCloud
SoundCl ...
'' on June 26, 2017''.''
Goulbourne released multiple singles on the SoundCloud platform including "
Catch Me Outside
"Catch Me Outside" is a song by American rapper Ski Mask the Slump God, released on June 13, 2017, as the third single from his second mixtape ''You Will Regret'' (2017). The song is a freestyle over "She's a Bitch" by Missy Elliott, produced by ...
", "Where's the Blow" featuring
Lil Pump
Gazzy Fabio Garcia (born August 17, 2000), known professionally as Lil Pump, is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as part of the SoundCloud rap scene in the late 2010s, gaining distinction for his minimalist music and rambunctious pu ...
, "Stunt!" featuring UnoTheActivist, "Life Is Short", "Like a Soccer Mom", "
Take a Step Back", and "
BabyWipe". Goulbourne has performed twice at the Rolling Loud Festival and has released songs with other artists including
Offset
Offset or Off-Set may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* "Off-Set", a song by T.I. and Young Thug from the '' Furious 7: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack''
* ''Offset'' (EP), a 2018 EP by singer Kim Chung-ha
* ''Offset'' (film), a 200 ...
,
Lil Yachty
Miles Parks McCollum (born August 23, 1997), known professionally as Lil Yachty, is an American rapper. He first gained recognition in August 2015 for his viral hit "One Night (Lil Yachty song), One Night", the lead single from his debut extend ...
,
A$AP Ferg
Darold Durard Brown Ferguson Jr. (born October 20, 1988), known professionally as FERG (previously A$AP Ferg ( /ˈeɪsæp/ ''AY-sap'')), is an American rapper from Harlem, New York City. He is a lead member of the hip hop collective ASAP Mob, f ...
,
Lil Peep
Gustav Elijah Åhr (; November 1, 1996 – November 15, 2017), known professionally as Lil Peep, was an American rapper and singer-songwriter. He was a member of the hip-hop collective GothBoiClique, and is credited as being a leading figure of ...
,
Desiigner
Sidney Royel Selby III (born May 3, 1997), better known by his stage name Desiigner, is an American rapper and singer. He is best known for his 2015 debut single "Panda", which topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Shortly after the song gained vira ...
, and
Denzel Curry
Denzel Rae Don Curry (born February 16, 1995) is an American rapper. Born and raised in Miami Gardens, Florida, Curry started rapping while in the sixth grade and began working on his first mixtape, ''King Remembered Underground Tape 1991–1995 ...
. Goulbourne has also collaborated with artists from the 88Rising label including the
Higher Brothers
Higher Brothers () are a Chinese hip hop group from Chengdu consisting of four members: Masiwei, KnowKnow (formerly DZ Know), Psy.P, and Melo. The group was earliest known for their ghetto-styled songs in Standard Mandarin and Sichuan Dialect, su ...
and
Keith Ape
Lee Dong-heon (; born December 25, 1993), known professionally as Keith Ape () and previously known as Kid Ash, is a South Korean rapper from Seoul. He is a member of a crew called 'The Cohort'. Ape's breakout single "잊지마" ("''It G Ma''") ...
.
Goulbourne also worked with
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer and rapper. Born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, he is widely acclaimed for his distinctive production work and "stuttering" rhythm ...
, who he had previously said was his favorite producer.
In May 2016, Goulbourne released his first mixtape ''Drown in Designer'', which included the songs "Take a Step Back", which was later certified Gold, and "Where's the Blow".
In June 2017, Goulbourne released his debut commercial
mixtape
In the modern music industry, a mixtape is a musical project, typically with looser constraints than that of an album or extended play. Unlike the traditional album or extended play, mixtapes are labeled as laid-back projects that allow artists mo ...
''
You Will Regret
''You Will Regret'' (originally and alternatively titled ''YouWillRegret'') is the second mixtape by American rapper Ski Mask the Slump God. It was originally released on June 30, 2017, by Victor Victor Worldwide and Republic Records. The mixtape ...
'' under
Victor Victor Worldwide
Steven William Victor (born September 6, 1980) is an American record executive, talent manager, music publisher, and Artists and repertoire, A&R representative.
He founded the record label Victor Victor Worldwide in 2016. The year prior, he was ...
and
Republic Records
Republic Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Based in New York City, it was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially ...
.
2018–present: ''Stokeley'', ''Sin City The Mixtape'', and ''11th Dimension''
In May 2018, Goulbourne released his third mixtape ''
Beware the Book of Eli
''Beware the Book of Eli'' (stylized in all caps) is the third mixtape by American rapper Ski Mask the Slump God. It was officially released on May 11, 2018, by Victor Victor Worldwide and Republic Records, after it was originally released on May ...
'', which featured the single "
DoIHaveTheSause?". In June that same year, he was named one of ''
XXL''s "2018 Freshman Class". On November 30, 2018, Goulbourne released his debut studio album, ''
Stokeley
''Stokeley'' (stylized in all caps) is the debut studio album by American rapper Ski Mask the Slump God. It was released on November 30, 2018, by Victor Victor Worldwide and Republic Records. The album features guest appearances from Juice Wrl ...
'', which includes the songs "
Faucet Failure
"Faucet Failure" is a single by American rapper Ski Mask the Slump God from his 2018 album '' Stokeley'', released as the only single on April 9, 2019. Prior to being released as a single, a music video was released for the track in February 2019. ...
" and "Nuketown" featuring
Juice Wrld
Jarad Anthony Higgins (December 2, 1998 – December 8, 2019), known professionally as Juice Wrld (pronounced "juice world"; stylized as Juice WRLD), was an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He emerged as a leading figure in the emo rap ...
.
The album peaked at number 6 on the
''Billboard'' 200 chart.

Following the success of ''Stokeley'', Goulbourne released only one single in 2019, "Carbonated Water". In July 2020, he released the single "Burn the Hoods" alongside a music video on
Lyrical Lemonade
Cole Bennett (born May 14, 1996) is an American music video director and record executive. He is the founder of Lyrical Lemonade. He has most notably collaborated with Juice Wrld on music videos such as " All Girls Are the Same", " Lucid Dreams" ...
. Simultaneously, he announced that his second album would release later that year, however the album was never released. Goulbourne has stated that he plans to release more music to the public.
In May 2021, Goulbourne announced a mixtape titled ''
Sin City The Mixtape'' to be released in June. He released ''Sin City'' on June 25.
On November 21, 2023, Goulbourne announced his second studio album, ''
11th Dimension'', and said that it is "coming so soon".
Influences
Goulbourne has said that his musical production has been most influenced by Busta Rhymes,
Missy Elliot
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott (born July 1, 1971), also known as Misdemeanor, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She began her musical career as a member of the R&B girl group Sista during the 1990s, who were part ...
, and
Chief Keef
Keith Farrelle Cozart (born August 15, 1995), better known by his stage name Chief Keef, is an American rapper and record producer. Born and raised in Chicago's South Side, he began his recording career as a teenager and initially garnered re ...
. He has also stated he does not have any main musical influences; "I listen to every genre: rap, rock, classical, heavy metal...I listen to
Adele
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (; born 5 May 1988) is an English singer-songwriter. Regarded as a British cultural icon, icon, she is known for her mezzo-soprano vocals and sentimental songwriting. List of awards and nominations received by Adele, ...
sometimes too".
Personal life
As of June 2018, Golbourne lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
He had a heart condition that required surgery in March 2018.
Friendships
XXXTentacion
Goulbourne was close friends with
XXXTentacion
Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy (January 23, 1998 – June 18, 2018), known professionally as XXXTentacion, was an American rapper and singer-songwriter. Though a controversial figure due to his widely publicized legal troubles, XXXTentacion gai ...
before they both started rapping. They met in a juvenile center in 2013. Goulbourne said in an interview with
Adam22
Adam Grandmaison (born November 24, 1983), more commonly known as Adam22, is an American podcaster, YouTuber and pornographic film actor. He is the creator and host of the hip-hop culture-oriented podcast ''No Jumper''. In 2017, ''Rolling Ston ...
that he was surprised by X's criminal charges. Whilst in jail, X had taught Goulbourne about different rapping cadences. After the duo were released, they met up with the intention of committing
home invasion
A home invasion, also called a hot prowl burglary, is a sub-type of burglary (or in some jurisdictions, a separately defined crime) in which an offender unlawfully enters into a building residence while the occupants are inside. The overarching i ...
s but instead began releasing music together. The rappers founded the collective
Members Only. In 2017, Goulbourne and XXXTentacion embarked on ''The Revenge Tour'' with
Craig Xen
Craig J. Gordwin (born October 24, 1994), known professionally as Craig Xen, is an American rapper. He is best known for his collaborations with XXXTentacion and hip hop collective Members Only. He retired from the music industry in 2020. He ret ...
. The tour was postponed following the shooting of XXXTentacion's cousin. By late 2017, the two had parted ways and begun working on their own projects.
At the Rolling Loud Miami festival in 2018, Goulbourne and XXXTentacion were reunited, reaffirming their friendship. On June 18, 2018,
XXXTentacion was murdered; Goulbourne learned of his best friend's death while on Instagram Live and tearfully informed his fans of the rapper's death.
Juice Wrld
In early 2018, Goulbourne befriended rising rapper
Juice Wrld
Jarad Anthony Higgins (December 2, 1998 – December 8, 2019), known professionally as Juice Wrld (pronounced "juice world"; stylized as Juice WRLD), was an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He emerged as a leading figure in the emo rap ...
. The two went on to collaborate on the track "Nuketown", which became Goulbourne's highest-charting song on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It was announced that the two were working on a mixtape titled ''Evil Twins'', but the project never released. In 2019, following the release of Juice Wrld's second album, the two embarked on the ''Death Race for Love Tour'' together along with Cole Bennett of
Lyrical Lemonade
Cole Bennett (born May 14, 1996) is an American music video director and record executive. He is the founder of Lyrical Lemonade. He has most notably collaborated with Juice Wrld on music videos such as " All Girls Are the Same", " Lucid Dreams" ...
.
On December 8, 2019, Juice Wrld died from an opioid-induced
seizure
A seizure is a sudden, brief disruption of brain activity caused by abnormal, excessive, or synchronous neuronal firing. Depending on the regions of the brain involved, seizures can lead to changes in movement, sensation, behavior, awareness, o ...
. Goulbourne reacted emotionally to the news of the rapper's death. Goulbourne was present at Juice Wrld's funeral later that month.
Aftermath
The death of his two best friends in a span of eighteen months had a profound impact on Goulbourne. Following XXXTentacion's death, Goulbourne honored him multiple times during his own concerts; Goulbourne met XXXTentacion's son, Gekyume Onfroy, for the first time in person at a show.
After Juice WRLD's untimely death, Goulbourne continued to honor Juice WRLD and XXXTentacion in Rolling Loud.
Discography
Studio albums
* ''
Stokeley
''Stokeley'' (stylized in all caps) is the debut studio album by American rapper Ski Mask the Slump God. It was released on November 30, 2018, by Victor Victor Worldwide and Republic Records. The album features guest appearances from Juice Wrl ...
'' (2018)
* ''
11th Dimension'' (2024)
Collaborative albums
* ''
Members Only, Vol. 4'' (2019)
Filmography
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:God, Ski Mask the Slump
1996 births
Living people
American hip-hop musicians
American rappers of Jamaican descent
American prisoners and detainees
Republic Records artists
Rappers from Florida
African-American male rappers
21st-century American male rappers
21st-century American rappers
21st-century American male musicians
Members Only (hip-hop collective) members
21st-century African-American musicians
Musicians from Fort Lauderdale, Florida
American comedy rappers
Punk rappers