Skate

From his high school years onward, Skate—born Nathan Montgomery Maloley—built an audience and modest following through social media. Electronic productions marked by crisp digital accents and deep, speaker-pounding bass underpinned his hazy, relaxed rhymes. Lyrics reflecting his age frequently addressed intimate encounters, heavy drug and alcohol use, and pride in his Omaha, Nebraska roots. Early 2015 saw the online release of his mixtape Twenty-Fifteen, followed five months later by his debut full-length album, Maloski. Guest appearances on the project came from Mac Marley on “We Got That,” King Los and Devin Cruise on “Girls I Used to Fuck,” and Jack J on “This Life.”