On that hot and humid Saturday afternoon, I called James Scott, aka Skeez, to confirm our meetup to conduct his Un-Associated interview. Immediately, I could hear the traces of disappointment in his voice as he began to explain how preoccupied he was with moving boxes out of his house. The Scott family was moving to LA. After a brief hiatus from dialogue triggered by both of our sadness, I responded to Skeez and asked him – Why not do the interview while you work? Skeez’s response? – Pull up.
I am no stranger to the house on Fuji St. Fuji St. was the link up spot for our friend group while we were all in high school. If one of us got kicked out of our house, we went to Fuji St. If one of us were in trouble, we went to Fuji St. When we all wanted to hang out, see each others faces, or make plots for the night, Fuji St. was the spot we all congregated. It was a sanctuary. Skeez leaving Fuji St. affected more than just his family, it affected all of us.
I first discovered James’ ability to rap in 2015, during our sophomore year at Lincoln High School, in San Diego CA. Soon after that I was invited to his recording studio, which was a mic and laptop crammed into the corner of his room. Soon after, the studio was moved to the house’s living room, then it would relocate once again to the garage. Skeez’s passion for music soon influenced him to start his own label, N.L.Y.T.E.N. This would become the brand to incorporate all of our friends interested in music into Skeez‘s vision. Within the walls of the house on Fuji St. friends became brothers and brothers became business partners.
While speaking on “BoppaDop”, Skeez mentioned that he wanted listeners to feel how he feels. Every song Skeez has written carries a message – carries emotion. He believes that there is no struggle one has gone through that is foreign to mankind. In “BoppaDop”, Skeez wants you to “feel him”. It’s funny because I’ve used the same sentence to explain the importance of a platform like Un-Associated existing. The world inhabits an entire community of humans – over 7 billion of us. We have all experienced problems – many of them, if not all, overlap. Why not share and help others overcome what you have?
On my last day at Fuji St. I asked James a simple question that was left off of the video. I asked him if he’d been impressed with himself for his performance on the EP. His reply was “no.” When I asked why, he pointed to his father, who we call Pops. Pops then proceeded to begin sharing a story of James when he was a little boy winning first place in a race during a track meet. Before he could finish telling the story, Skeez butts in and says, I raised the number, before the race was over because I was so far ahead.. before I could make it back to the stands my dad was on the field to chastise me in front of the crowd. I haven’t been impressed by my own work since then, at least not to the point of complacency and cockiness.
On the drive home, all I could think about were the memories of Fuji St. The music, the hangouts, the slap boxes I never participated in. It’s funny how one place can mean so much. Skeez says although he’s saddened, it’s perfect timing for the EP to be dropping at the same time as the big move for his family. At this point he believes he’s done everything he’s had to do on Fuji St. and that this move, along with the drop of the EP, ushers in a new chapter of life for him, his family, and all of the other young men who found a home in the house on Fuji St.
