Skizzy Mars - Alone Together (2016)

There’s a new lonely stoner in town. Harlem rapper Skizzy Mars keeps to himself on his studio debut, exploring mental landscapes and tactile affairs. Inward thinking and a bit emo (“I’m Ready” even references Morrissey’s “You Have Killed Me”), Mars stockpiles his misadventures and turns them into catchy, melodic songs that straddle the lines between hip-hop, R&B, and pop. Mars switches between singing and rapping with the flair and freedom of a street skater combining tricks. “Comb” is an anthem for post-club shenanigans. “Girl on a Train” is a missed-signals story in the vein of Frank Ocean’s “Novacane” that highlights his storytelling abilities. Alone Together is an intimate look at Skizzy Mars’s world and feeling isolated in the big city.