Stokeley Clevon Goulbourne, professionally known as Ski Mask the Slump God (formerly stylized as $ki Mask “The Slump God”), is an American rapper born on April 18, 1996, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
He gained prominence alongside XXXTentacion and their collective Members Only. In 2017, Ski Mask released the singles “BabyWipe” and “Catch Me Outside,” both featured on his mixtape You Will Regret (2017), which received Gold certification from the RIAA.
Following that success, Goulbourne’s mixtape, Beware the Book of Eli, was released in May 2018, reaching No. 50 on the Billboard 200 chart. His debut album, Stokeley (2018), peaked at number 6 on the US Billboard 200.
Growing up, Ski Mask was influenced by artists like Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliott, Wu-Tang Clan, and Lil Wayne, with Jamaican music frequently playing in his home. His father, a rapper known as “Sin City,” encouraged him to write his own rap music. In 2013, Ski Mask was sent to a juvenile detention center for possessing a small amount of marijuana, where he met XXXTentacion, leading to a close friendship and musical collaboration after their release.
During 2014-2017, Ski Mask co-founded the rap group “Very Rare” with XXXTentacion and collaborated on various projects, including Members Only mixtapes. He gained traction with numerous singles on SoundCloud, collaborating with artists like Lil Pump, Offset, Lil Yachty, and more. Ski Mask also worked with 88Rising artists and his favorite producer, Timbaland.
In May 2016, he released his first mixtape, Drown in Designer, featuring songs like “Take a Step Back” and “Where’s the Blow.” His commercial debut, You Will Regret, was released in June 2017 under Victor Victor Worldwide and Republic Records.
After the release of his third mixtape, Beware the Book of Eli, in May 2018, Ski Mask was named one of XXL’s “2018 Freshman Class.” His debut studio album, Stokeley, dropped on November 30, 2018, with hits like “Faucet Failure” and “Nuketown” featuring Juice Wrld.
In July 2020, Ski Mask released the single “Burn the Hoods” and announced his second album, which hasn’t been released yet. However, he expressed plans to release more music in the future.
In May 2021, Goulbourne announced the mixtape “Sin City The Mixtape,” which was released on June 25.
Ski Mask cites Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliot, and Chief Keef as significant musical influences and has a broad appreciation for various genres, including rap, rock, classical, heavy metal, and even artists like Adele.