Listen to Skizzy Mars Feat. Blackbear, “Chemistry”

At the risk of sounding like any number of throwaway news stories on your Twitter timeline, Skizzy Mars is going to make you feel old. When XXL spoke with the Harlem native (and Atlantic signee) about his influences, the names might strike you as being jarringly recent. "When I was in like fifth to seventh grade, I listened to a lot of Good Charlotte," he recalls. "When I got into eighth or ninth grade, I got into more of a sophisticated alternative music if you will, so like The Killers and Animal Collective. Then once I got into the latter years of high school, I discovered A Tribe Called Quest, Kid Cudi and Kanye West. Those guys really molded my desire to become a rapper." Resultant existential angst aside, those early favorites certainly fostered a strong ear for pop. "Chemistry," which taps Blackbear for its hook, is primed to hit at radio, a prototypical crossover single for an up-and-coming artist.