Rapper Drevaun Byrdsong—also known as Skola the Champion—released his latest single, a tell-all following a life experience, dubbed ‘Play With Someone Else.” The single draws attention to the bilingual artist from the East Coast, launching him into the global hip hop scene.
Born in New Haven, Connecticut, as Andreás Tyshawn Sellers, the young Skola was separated from his biological mother and adopted through foster care. During his adolescent years, Skola faced abuse at the hands of his adoptive family, followed by a period of homelessness. He couldn’t trust anyone but himself with his survival.
Skola the Champion didn’t have an easy start in life, yet he found an escape through music. “My passion for music came from growing up in church singing with four girls, my adoptive cousins. My adopted family had a Christian home that was actually demonic,” shares Skola. “I found peace within music—even if the church was bad. Singing was my comfort zone.”
The influences behind Skola the Champion’s music are as varied as his life experiences. “I grew up listening to Christian music. I was prohibited from hip hop, but when I was homeless I heard 93.7—Drake, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne. Drake was my biggest influence.”
“I started with poetry,” shares Skola. “What got me into rap was when my big brother died. He was a rapper; I was a poet. We planned to have our own artists under a label. He was my right-hand man. When he died, my emotions took over, and I needed to start writing.”
While their dream to co-create the label H-BLXCK RECORDS didn’t come to fruition, Skola didn’t stop from creating two other companies: ATS DREAM PRODUCTIONS and LYRICAL POETRY PRODUCTIONS. “I’m a champion—I conquer everything,” adds the rapper. “I’ve never played chess but I could show you how to play chess in real life. I’m the champ. There’s nothing I can’t do, literally.”
Recently, Skola was working as support staff for special needs patients when the inspiration behind his latest single struck. “There was so much stress in the job. Everything started well with people being friendly. I am very kindhearted and humble, always looking for a way to make peace. One day, a woman started something and I snapped back,” Skola explains of the motivation behind his single. “I wrote and put my feelings down. Then I freestyled in my head and looked for a beat.”
The single features an old-school meets new-school rap vibe. “I love old-school rap,” adds Skola.
Despite the moment of rage that created his song, Skola the Champion hopes to instill peace in his listeners. “Be careful who you say things to and how you treat somebody. You don’t treat someone with disrespect when you’re paying it forward. People tend to be fake as hell, but you can’t react the way you want to react sometimes. It’s spiritual warfare. Don’t let anyone take you out of your element.”
Ultimately, his goal is to inspire those who share his life experiences. “I want to do this for kids in DCF homes and foster care—anyone who grew up there. It’s hard growing up like that. Your’e dealing with so much pain you can’t focus. Whatever your passion is, don’t lose it.”
Up next for the artist is the release of a revisited single, “Chico Suave,” sped up and rereleased. Skola the Champion is also very active on social media, so listeners should follow for the latest.
Make sure to stay connected to Skola the Champion on all platforms for new music, videos, and social posts.
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