Sk8star: ØWAY’s Reserved Rebel

Growing up, Sk8star didn’t want to be a musician. The ØWAY rapper wanted to be an activist.

“I’ve always wanted to make a difference,” he tells me, his grandfather regularly taking him to visit museums and historic landmarks in Alabama and Georgia when he was younger. “I still do, but I have to figure out what that means to me in this day and age.”

He has a tattoo of the word “rebel” on his neck, the one word he believes not only fuels his own discography, but the ethos of ØWAY as a whole; the group’s name is led by a slashed Nordic “O” letter to signify opposition to oppression. “Everyone in ØWAY stands for the same thing: pushing what we believe in, and the betterment of our people.”

Alongside Tezzus, Pz’, Yung Fazo, and diamond* – who sat down with Hypebeast a few weeks ago – the rapper comprises the collective’s core unit. While some might deem him an underdog, Sk8 calls himself the “glue” of the group, pointing out he often pulls up on a track for a quick verse or just a chorus. “You can put me in anywhere, and I’ll get the job done.”

Tracks like “Double C” with Pz’, “3 Wishes” with diamond* and “ShawtyRokk” with Lil Gotit prove just that, but it’s his newest project, The Beautiful Rebellion, that really cements his malleability. Across its eight tracks (and just 16 minutes), the project is a trap-infused trip, Sk8’s pen syncing with hypnotic production, guided by a clear Young Thug influence. “You got to know the culture, and I definitely did my homework on the culture.” When he’s not hitting the ATL history books, you can probably Sk8 at the Gucci store, but you can definitely find him at the movie theater. That’s his favorite place.

Other words Sk8 uses to describe himself are “empath” and “reserved” — though he quickly concedes the latter with being “just as conceited as the next person.”

But ultimately, he doesn’t care what you call him. With aspirations of being the biggest musician in the world, he ultimately really just wants you “to look at [him] like, he’s not your typical dumb rapper.”

After our conversation, I can confirm he’s far from “your typical dumb rapper.” He starts most of his studio sessions by talking to everyone in the room for an hour, and his dream “vacation” right now is heading back to roots to visit his grandmother’s house. He prefers “the real world” to the superstar life. In a sprawling Friday afternoon chat, Sk8 reflects on his rebellious side, which starts with his song lyrics and fashion sense, and bleeds all the way into his Letterboxd reviews.

Are you in New York often? What do you like to do when you’re in town?

I’m always out here now. The flight’s so quick from Atlanta. I actually have a love-hate relationship with New York City, though, primarily because of the weather. But I do love a bacon, egg — well, I don’t eat cheese like that anymore, but I love a bacon, egg, hash brown, croissant from the deli. Always with an orange juice or apple juice to drink.

Where can we find you when you’re here?

When I’m in the city, I always go to Luke’s. I go to 4G. I haven’t had time for any shopping this trip, but any luxury store is where you can find me — Gucci, of course. The last time I came out here, I got some $1,000 USD Gucci loafers that I still haven’t worn. I just be doing shit, bro. I love to go fragrance shopping here, too. What I really want to do in New York City this year is go to a Knicks game.

Speaking of NYC, despite being Atlanta-based, ØWAY has been able to significantly stamp its influence in New York City.

For sure. We’ve really put some groundwork down in New York City. In our broke, early days on camera, we were filming in New York. We’ve done a lot in New York. I have a lot of love for this city, and I love doing shows out here.

“I’m not the biggest talker, so I love expressing myself through clothes.”

Now moving beyond New York, ØWAY has been around the world this summer. Let’s start with Paris Fashion Week. How was that?

It was hot as fuck in Paris. [laughs] Tezzus, diamond* and I are just dripping in sweat in every single picture. It’s so bad. But it was so fun. It was such a beautiful experience, and I’m glad I got to go, because it showed me that I have a way wider audience than I thought.

Did you travel anywhere else this summer?

I went to London, Switzerland, and Germany. I’m going to Japan for the first time. I have a show out there. I’m definitely going to do a lot of shopping. I’m really travelling more than I’ve ever traveled before. I’ve been living at the airport. It took some adjusting, but it’s cool. I’m getting used to it. It’s the superstar life.

Has fashion always been something that you’ve sort of been tapped into?

I’ve always been into fashion. Fashion is fun. Even when I couldn’t afford clothes, I was always looking at clothes, so when I finally got some money, I already knew exactly what I wanted. But as I get older, I’ve been getting more into old n****a shit like loafers and polos. I like fashion because you can express yourself in so many different ways without even talking. I’m not the biggest talker, so I love expressing myself through clothes.

I feel like you’re like the member of the group who is most behind the spotlight. Do you agree with that?

Sometimes. It’s weird because no one likes that. No one in ØWAY really allows me to be behind the spotlight. My friends will just push me in front of the spotlight, so I can’t really escape it. [laughs] I’m a reserved person, but I’m just as conceited as the next person if I’m being honest.

If you had to describe your sound in your own words, how would you do so?

I tell people it’s tasteful. Sexy. Vibey. Something for everybody.

Where does your sound fit within the rest of the ØWAY universe?

I’m the glue of ØWAY, in a way. You can put me anywhere, and I’ll fit in. You’ll notice that on a lot of songs, I’m just on the hook. Sometimes I’ll do just a chorus or just a verse. I can do whatever job.

“I’m the glue of ØWAY.”

For those who don’t know: what does ØWAY stand for?

ØWAY is about standing against oppression, so that’s why there’s a cross over the letter O in the name. I have the word “rebel” tattooed on my neck that I got way before I met any of the guys, and that one word sums up both my energy and the ØWAY energy. Everyone in ØWAY stands for the same thing: pushing what we believe in, and the betterment of our people.

When did you get the “rebel” tattoo and what’s the story behind it?

I got this shit when I was 19, maybe younger, on a random day with my friend. I lowkey don’t like the font. It was random as fuck. If I could cover it up, I would, but no one will cover it because everyone likes it.

When you were growing up, you wanted to be an activist, which is something you speak on often. Tell us more about that “rebellious” part of your personality and how it influences your music.

I’ve always been this way. When I was a kid, my granddad would take me, my brothers, and my cousins to civil rights museums and historic towns in Alabama and Georgia. He’d stop the car and show us where certain marches happened, and it just stuck with me. I’ve always wanted to make a difference, and I still do, but I have to figure out what that means to me in this day and age. I think that part of me reflects in my music, but not as much as I want it to yet. I have big plans to give back that will be clearer in the future. I definitely haven’t given up on a variation of that dream — maybe not a full-fledged activist, but I’m very much still in that mindset.

Which artists defined your upbringing in Atlanta?

Everybody knows my favorite rapper is Young Thug. That’s probably never going to change. Pluto, Future, Lil Wayne. Wayne was so influential to a lot of kids. He’s probably why everybody, myself included, ended up getting locks and tattoos. The offspring of the early YSL, like Lil Keed, may he rest in peace, and Lil Gotit. Of course the bigger artists too, like T.I., Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz. Rich Kidz were big in Atlanta. Everybody that you could damn near think of, they influenced me in some way. All of them played pivotal parts in shaping the culture. You got to know the culture, and I definitely did my homework on the culture.

The ØWAY come up has been one of the quickest in recent hip hop history. You guys met just over a year ago. What have been some of your “I made it” moments in the past year?

There are a few of them. Even just from the end of 2025 into 2026 alone. Meeting Thug was huge. Teezus, diamond*, and I all met him at the same time just about a year ago now. It was right before I made “ShawtyRokk” and we played him music and kicked it. That was a pivotal moment. My album Designer Junkie was a pivotal moment, and doing the release party in New York. Performing our first Summer Smash this year. Paris Fashion Week and the 424 show. One night in Paris, diamond*, Tezzus, and I were in the smoke room at the club, and Quavo and Lil Baby walked in. I was like, “What the fuck?” We were just in there smoking with Lil Baby and Quavo. We walked out, and there was Tyler Herro and Aaron Gordon. A room full of millionaires. diamond* and I were like, “We got a couple more levels to go, but we’re getting there.”

I spoke about this with diamond* too, but it has to be so special to get to do all of these crazy things with the same people you came up with.

It’s super special. We’re a rare collective because it’s not a common thing for multiple people in a group to be big deals. It’s cool for us to all get the same looks because it shows that we’re running this shit. It’s beautiful to see all of us as the main character.

Speaking of main characters — you love movies, something a lot of people might not know about you. Tell me more about your connection to movies.

Now that I’m busy all the time, I don’t watch as many movies. Well, actually I’m lying. I watch a lot of movies on the plane now, like an old man. The last movie I watched on the airplane was this Sydney Sweeney movie about her being a maid or some shit. That shit had me hooked. I was coming back from Belgium — another country I went to this summer. I was in Brussels, and the flight back to Los Angeles is 13 hours, so I watched The Housemaid and fucking Sinners. I just wanted to watch Sinners that day.

I get a lot of inspiration from my movies because I feel like they are time capsules. The world will never look like that again, so I like to watch it just to see how people moved, what they wore, all of that. I love going to the movie theater, so I hope that when I become the biggest in the world, they still let me go to the movies and leave me alone. I just want to see my movies, man.

“We’re a rare collective because it’s not a common thing for multiple people out of the group to be like big deals. We’re running this shit. It’s beautiful to see all of us are the main character.”

What other movies have you watched recently?

I just watched this one Shia LaBeouf movie when I was getting my hair done called Disturbia. I also just watched Spider-Man. I loved it. I’m not even the biggest Marvel guy. I’m more like a Hypebeast Marvel guy, actually, like when it’s time for Endgame or that type of shit, I’m outside.

What’s your favorite movie?

My favorite movie ever is Trainspotting. I draw a lot of inspo from that movie. I haven’t really put too much of that movie in my music or into my rollouts yet because I’ve been saving it for the right time. If anybody steals that idea, they know they got it from Sk8star, and I’m coming for you, because I’ve been saying this for years. I love a lot of older movies. Trippy shit like Enter the Void, which is another Trainspotting type of movie. All of your typical hood movies — Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, Juice, Don’t Be a Menace, Friday, Next Friday, Friday After Next.

What’s a movie you believe to be underrated?

Let’s pull up the Letterboxd, so you know I’m being deadass. What Happens in Vegas with Ashton Kutcher. I fuck with that movie, man. I watched that movie actually like 3:00 in the morning. I was high as fuck, and it came on. I loved Oldboy, which is a Korean movie. I liked Requiem for a Dream.

Do you have any guilty pleasure movies?

I love all of the cliché white boy movies, like the Jonah Hills, the Seth Rogens. I watch all that shit.

“I want you to look at me like, ‘Damn, he’s not your typical dumb rapper.’”

What’s a movie that makes you cry?

This movie that used to come on Disney Channel when I was a kid called The Color of Friendship. That shit actually made me cry when I was a kid. Titanic was pretty sad. I didn’t cry, but I was just like, “Damn.” There are a few movies that make me kind of cry. I ain’t going to lie. I’m an empath.

If your life was a movie, what would it be called?

Life of a Rebel.

And if someone were to play you in that movie, who would you want it to be?

Fucking hell. If someone had to play me, they’ve got to get it right. My auntie and my mom think I resemble Luka Sabbat. It’s crazy as fuck. I think it might be the mustache. So it’d either be him, or you’d have to get Michael B. Jordan to really get the picture.

Where else are you drawing creative inspiration from?

From all over the place. I’ve been trying to desensitize myself a little bit from the usual ways I get inspired. I’ve been trying to go back to being outside. I’ve been wanting to go to my grandma’s house in the country. I haven’t done it yet, but I feel like that’s what I need right now because I’ve been living so Hollywood. I want to go back to my roots.

I talk to my mom and childhood friends who still have normal jobs and deal with everyday, real-world problems. I try to take myself outside the box I’m in, because a lot of people don’t understand this world. I might start my studio session by talking to everybody for an hour. I’ll go back and forth with people about anything. I try to get really infatuated with the real, everyday life of an American. The real world.

How do you stay grounded and focused while coming up so quickly?

I’ve been broke before, and I never want to be that again. That’s how I stay focused. But in terms of how I stay grounded, every member of ØWAY is a real human being. There are a lot of guys in the underground who know nothing real, and all they know is the internet or being in the house. We’re the opposite. We’re outside. We’ve lived life for real. No one wants to be around a jackass. You never want to be a fuck n****a, so we stay grounded by remembering that we’re real people and we want to be legends while still being looked at as real, honorable men. I walk with that on my sleeve every day, knowing I want you to look at me like, “Damn, he’s not your typical dumb rapper.”

What’s next for ØWAY?

We’re going to be the new mainstream. We’re going to be the new faces of rap. It’s already written.