For Sydney artist, producer and engineer Big Skeez, music is in constant conversation with his roots, tracing back generations and running across continents. With a childhood immersed in the sounds of Africa – Afrobeat, Dancehall, Reggae and R&B records from his parents and older siblings ringing in his ears – his wavy, melodically-driven Afro Swing brims with personality, marrying those influences with his Western Sydney upbringing in a vivid, irrepressible combination of syrupy basslines, Afro-inspired percussive rhythms, club-indebted samples and slick vocals that glide between rap flows and autotuned hooks. Independently releasing since 2016, Big Skeez signed with NLV Records in 2021.

After a consistent string of singles that garnered support from triple j, triple j Unearthed, FBi Radio, NME Australia, Acclaim Magazine, Rolling Stone Australia, and more, Big Skeez released his debut mixtape Work Don’t Stop in 2023. The mixtape holds a defined sense of originality, all while enveloping a collective experience that is proudly from and for a community, whether it lies in Africa or in Dharawal Land / Western Sydney. Planting himself alongside global stars like Fireboy DML, J Hus, and Burna Boy, Big Skeez blends a variety of styles without hesitation, immersing himself in the sounds of Africa, pulling from the Amapiano, Afrobeat, Afro Swing, Rap and R&B that has been studied from his parents and “borrowed” from older siblings in between his years of consistent output.

Big Skeez shares stories of returning to his African roots, learning lessons of patience through lived experience and the impact collaboration has in opening doors to new sounds, ideas and genres. Of the release, Big Skeez shares, “The mixtape is about my past trials and tribulations, my past life struggles and trying to accomplish my goals through tough situations. I’m talking about accomplishing goals and never quitting regardless of the situation. You keep moving and keep pushing. This mixtape pretty much tells my story from my teen days to my adulthood.”

In a mammoth career so far, Big Skeez has voiced and soundtracked the Western Sydney Wanderers A-League team with his song ‘Up’, toured with Allday, amassed over 10k Shazams for his Human Movement-collaboration ‘House Check’, and featured in campaigns for Vogue and GQ. Big Skeez has recently performed at SXSW Sydney and Promiseland, and hosted two mixtape launch events in Eora / Sydney and Naarm / Melbourne.

Offering a different light to the surfeit of music that is currently emanating from his hometown, Work Don’t Stop lies in a clear-cut, melodically-driven lane of his own.

Photo by Rohan Saini