Memphis rapper Skewby hopes growth continues into 2012

Cameron Drake Smith, better know to alternative hip-hop fans in the area as Skewby, headlines the True Hip Hop Set on Sunday.

Winding down after a whirlwind year in which he went from obscure local rapper to nationally recognized star-in-the-making, Cameron Drake Smith, better know to alternative hip-hop fans in the area as Skewby, was kicking back on his bed in his East Memphis home earlier this week.

"I'm just taking it easy," says the 22-year-old of his year-end plans. "About to go into 2012. That's the best way to do it is in your bedroom."

On Sunday, Skewby will start what promises to be a stellar 2012 by headlining the 1st Annual True Hip Hop Set at Mr. A's Entertainment Lounge inside the Airport Inn. In addition to Skewby, the show will feature a large roster of up-and-coming hip-hop talent including Dutchess, Promise TMG, Virghost, Jason Da Hater, Sincere Da Misfit, Crown Holdaz Otis "Mr. Music" Logan, Nina 9, and Little Rock's Epiphany.

"There is a huge underground scene here in Memphis that needs an outlet," says Hip Hop Set promoter Steven Snipes, who is also using the show as platform to release his debut record, My Point of View, recorded under his last name. Though this is the inaugural year, Snipes says he is already talking to backers about taking next year's show to a bigger level. "I envision this thing as a launching platform for artists who are on the bubble. They have a following but they just need a push to get over the top. This will be where people go to discover that next big artist."

That description applies to Skewby, who by almost any measure enjoyed a great 2011.

He started rapping at age 12, a sort of Plan B after his growth didn't measure up to his desire to be a professional basketball player.

"When I first started rapping, I emulated the local people, Three 6 Mafia, 8Ball and MJG," Skewby recalls. "Around 2003-2004, my brother was playing basketball in New York City and he would always bring me back their local music, guys like Jay-Z and Talib (Kweli), which took me back to stuff like Tribe Called Quest. They had more content than the local stuff and when I heard that, it spoke to me and changed the way I do music."

At Cordova High School, Skewby showcased his flow in talent contests. After graduating in 2006, he moved to Atlanta, crashing in a friend's Morehouse College dorm while he hustled his way into the business. He had begun to establish a name as a producer, working with the likes of Short Dawg and Pimp C, when his mother implored him to come home.

"In Atlanta, you have more direct access to top-notch people in the game," Skewby says of the move. "In Memphis, you're not going to go to Burger King and see Kanye West hanging out. But that's why I always appreciated Memphis. It's a slow city. You can get work done without all the pressure of the Atlanta or the L.A. or New York."

Even as he was packing, however, Skewby was also building an audience online through tracks he posted for free. Back home, he assembled a management and production team and in 2009 released Proving You Wrong Since 1988, a mixtape, downloaded more 65,000 times so far from skewbymusic.com, that with its expansive sound and Lil Wayne-inspired artwork, established him as something different on the local rap scene.

In 2010, Skewby began to break out beyond Memphis. He opened for Lil Wayne and became the first Memphian featured in hip-hop bible The Source's influential "Unsigned Hype" column, which praised his unique blend of West and Lupe Fiasco.

This year has been even bigger for Skewby, however. In January, he released his first all-original album, More Or Less, which has been downloaded more than 125,000 times. The record landed on The Commercial Appeal's list of the best local albums of the year.

In March, Skewby made his well-received debut at the annual SXSW convention in Austin, Texas. He also was tapped to appear earlier this year in a commercial for a campaign sponsored by Adidas and Complex magazine.

"That was probably the most surprising thing to happen this year," says Skewby, who is looking to drop a new album in the first quarter of the year as well as continue to hone his video directing skills. "But the biggest thing to happen to me this year is just finding kids across the country that can relate to me. That was the most important thing, them taking their time to come to my shows and spend their money to watch me perform or download my music. That means the most to me."

1st Annual True Hip Hop Set

7 p.m. Sunday at Mr. A's Entertainment Lounge, 1411 E. Brooks Rd. (inside the Airport Inn). Tickets: $7 in advance, $15 at the door. Advance tickets available online at eventbrite.com. Call (901) 878-2199.

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