Biography & Early Wealth Journey
Skies followed that breakthrough with the 2019 album "Shelby," which reached #5 on the Billboard 200 and featured appearances from Gucci Mane, Gunna, and Landon Cube. He later released "Unbothered," collaborated with artists including Lil Durk and Wiz Khalifa, and eventually left Atlantic Records to regain greater control over his music. His later projects include "Out Ur Body Music" and "The Evolution of the Rose."
Early Life
Lil Skies was born Kimetrius Christopher Foose on August 4, 1998, in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. He spent much of his childhood in Waynesboro.
Music was part of his life from an unusually young age. His father, Michael Burton Jr., was a rapper who performed under the name Dark Skies and later BurntMan. Foose accompanied his father to recording studios as a small child and recorded his first material when he was around four years old. His own stage name, Lil Skies, developed from his father's Dark Skies moniker.
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When Skies was 11, his father suffered serious burns in a workplace chemical explosion. Skies has said the accident strengthened their relationship.
As a teenager, he began taking his own music more seriously. He worked jobs, including at McDonald's, to help pay for recording sessions and began getting tattoos while still in high school. He later attended Shippensburg University but left college to concentrate on music.
Breakthrough and "Life of a Dark Rose"
Skies gained momentum through independently released music and online platforms. In 2016, he opened for Fetty Wap at Shippensburg University, providing valuable exposure before his national breakthrough.
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His career accelerated in 2017. Songs including "Red Roses," featuring Landon Cube, "Signs of Jealousy," and "Nowadays" attracted millions of online plays. Music videos directed by Cole Bennett and released through Lyrical Lemonade helped expose Skies to a much larger audience.
He signed with Atlantic Records through his All We Got imprint and released "Life of a Dark Rose" in January 2018. Although sometimes described as his debut album, it was officially promoted as a mixtape. The project debuted at #23 on the Billboard 200 before climbing to #10.
"Nowadays" reached #55 on the Billboard Hot 100, while "Red Roses" peaked at #69 and "Lust" reached #87. "Red Roses," "Nowadays," and "Lust" eventually earned multi-platinum certifications.
During this period, Skies also toured with Lil Uzi Vert. His own "Life of a Dark Rose" tour was cut short after he developed pneumonia.
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"Shelby"
Skies released his first official studio album, "Shelby," in March 2019. He named the record after his mother and described it as a more personal project than his earlier work.
"Shelby" debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200, becoming the highest-charting album of his career. Its best-known song, "I," became another major streaming hit and reached the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100.
The album featured Gucci Mane, Gunna, and Landon Cube. Skies supported it with a joint tour alongside fellow SoundCloud-era star Lil Pump.
Other collaborations from around this period included "Creeping" with Rich the Kid and "I Know You" with Yung Pinch.
"Unbothered"
Skies' second studio album, "Unbothered," arrived in 2021. The project included "Havin My Way," featuring Lil Durk, as well as "Riot," "On Sight," and "OK."
A deluxe edition added several tracks, including "Excite Me" with Wiz Khalifa. Although "Unbothered" did not match the chart peak of "Shelby," Skies retained a large streaming audience and continued touring and releasing standalone material.
His output slowed somewhat after "Unbothered." Skies later explained that fatherhood had become an important priority and that he had stepped away from the constant release cycle to spend more time with his son.
Leaving Atlantic Records and Going Independent
Skies' relationship with Atlantic Records eventually came to an end. "Make a Toast," released in 2023, marked his final release under the label arrangement.
He subsequently described becoming independent as a lengthy process involving contracts, attorneys, and the financial recoupment structure that accompanies major-label deals. Skies said that one advantage of his early success was that his records had sold strongly during his time with the company.
He returned with the independently released "Out Ur Body Music" in 2024 through All We Got. The eight-track project included "Thousands," "Death," and "Call Me."
Skies also appeared on Lyrical Lemonade's album "All Is Yellow" alongside Lil Tecca and The Kid Laroi on "This My Life."
"The Evolution of the Rose"
In 2025, Skies released "The Evolution of the Rose" through Big Noise Music Group. The title deliberately referenced the project that had launched his mainstream career, "Life of a Dark Rose," while incorporating more alternative-rock and pop-rock elements into his melodic rap style.
The 14-track album included "2Much 2Fast," "Falling Backwards," "Burn," "My Anxiety," and "Benjis." Landon Cube returned as a featured artist on multiple songs, continuing a partnership dating back to Skies' earliest hits.
Skies continued working with Big Noise on subsequent music, including the 2026 songs "Make A Wish" and "No Fear." His older catalog remains the financial foundation of his recording career, with "Lust," "Nowadays," "Red Roses," "I," and "Welcome to the Rodeo" collectively generating billions of streams.
Personal Life
Skies became a father in 2019 when his son, Kimetrius Jr., was born. He has spoken extensively about prioritizing fatherhood and being physically present in his son's life rather than allowing his career to consume all of his time.
In May 2024, Skies was arrested in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, following a traffic accident. Police alleged that he left the scene without stopping to exchange information with the other driver. He was charged with an offense involving damage to an attended vehicle and was subsequently released from custody.
Despite spending years in the national rap industry, Skies has maintained strong ties to Pennsylvania. His career has evolved from teenage SoundCloud success and a major-label deal into a more independent operation centered on his established fan base, extensive streaming catalog, touring, and continued new releases.
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