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J’Corey King (born March 29, 2004),[2] known professionally as Sk8star, is an American rapper from Macon, Georgia. Known for his contributions in the Atlanta hip-hop scene, his project, Designer Junkie was critically acclaimed by media outlets such as Pitchfork and The Fader. King is also known for being a member of the Atlanta-based collective, Ø Way.[3][4]

Early life

J’Corey King was born in Macon, Georgia and spent half of his life there before relocating to Atlanta.[5] He labeled himself as a black sheep within his community.[5] King began recording early at the age of nine, when he did a remix over A$AP Rocky‘s 2011 track “Peso”;[5] his older cousin, Juwon, recorded the verse.[5] However, he began taking music seriously in tenth grade, using Mixcraft with a $30 snowball mic.[5]

Career

2021-2025: Beginnings and early releases

After taking music seriously in tenth grade, King released his first track, titled “Stand 4 Sum,” on streaming platforms. His first major release was titled Superstar Status.[6][5] Following his career start, King would release a prolific amount of music onto streaming platforms. His second project, titled New World Order, was released in 2022,[7] which was later followed with Mogul.[8][7] King then followed with Rebel and Whole New Meaning in 2023.[9][7][10] Rebel in the Room appeared in 2024,[11][7] and his EP, REBELUTION was issued in 2025.[6][7]

2025-present: Rise to fame, Designer Junkie release

Main article: Designer Junkie

In July of the same year, he released his last project of the year titled PALE FEVER.[12][7] On December 10, 2025, serving as his last release of the year, King released “2 Sexy”, which served as one of the two lead singles to King’s upcoming album, titled Designer Junkie.[13] Entering 2026, King would release “ForMyFolks,” serving as the last release before his album.[14] Then, on February 11, 2026, King would go on to release Designer Junkie.[15][16] The album would have 20 tracks with features from Tezzus and Diamond*.[17][5] Upon release, it was critically acclaimed for it’s music production, experimentation and lyricism from King.[15][16] Serge Selenou of Pitchfork gave the album a 7.2/10, commenting that King “tightens his wild experimentation on an album that spotlights his increasingly distinct voice”.[18] On April 8, 2026, he released Quagoo.[19] Eight days after the release, King was featured on Tezzus and Diamond’s mixtape, UY Scuti Bøyz, specifically on the track “JØTP”, alongside EA TJ, and Lil Righteous.[20]

Musical style and artistry

King’s musical style is experimental[18] and reminiscent of Playboi Carti and Young Thug.[7] His style incorporates choppy and ad-lib heavy flows paired with AutoTuned vocals.[7] His vocal flows throughout his project, Designer Junkie received comparisons to Lil Gotit from music reviewers.[5][13]

Reception

King’s music has been positively received amongst the underground hip-hop scene, which helped get him generate a co-sign from Atlanta rapper Young Thug.[5] His track, “2 Sexy”, was labeled as one of the best songs of 2025 by The Fader.[13] Additionally, his track “Slatt Slatt” was listed on the “Pitchfork Selects” playlist during the week of February 17, 2026. [21] Additionally, King was listed as one of the 32 coolest artists of 2026 by The Fader.[22]

Notes

  1. ^ While some sources say that King is from Birmingham, England, King himself stated in an interview that he isn’t from the United Kingdom, and that he’s been living in Georgia for his entire life.[1]

References

  1. ^ “Sk8star Interview: ØWAY, Young Thug, Designer Junkie, Activism, His Letterboxd Account, Richie Souf”. YouTube. Kids Take Over. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
  2. ^ “ASCAP Repertory – SK8STAR”. ASCAP Repertory. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
  3. ^ Williams, Kylah (April 21, 2026). “diamond* and Tezzus on Young Thug, “ØWay Cypher,” and UY SCUTI BØYZ”. The FADER. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  4. ^ Medithi, Vivian (January 9, 2026). “Meet ØWay, the Atlanta rap collective behind 2026’s first viral cypher”. The FADER. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Medithi, Vivian (February 9, 2026). “Sk8star talks Young Thug, Richie Souf, and Designer Junkie”. The FADER. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  6. ^ a b “Sk8star – “Rebelution” Review”. Legends Will Never Die. March 19, 2025. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h “Sk8star Biography”. AllMusic. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
  8. ^ “Sk8star – “Mogul” Review”. Legends Will Never Die. December 18, 2022. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
  9. ^ “Sk8star – “Rebel” Review”. Legends Will Never Die. January 20, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
  10. ^ “Sk8star – “whole new meaning” review”. Legends Will Never Die. May 10, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
  11. ^ “Sk8star – “Rebel in the Room” Review”. Legends Will Never Die. August 7, 2024. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
  12. ^ “Sk8star – “Pale Fever” Review”. Legends Will Never Die. July 7, 2025. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
  13. ^ a b c Medithi, Vivian (December 29, 2025). “The Best Rap Songs of December 2025”. The FADER. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
  14. ^ Cole, Alexander (January 27, 2026). “ForMyFolks – Song by Sk8star”. HotNewHipHop. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
  15. ^ a b Cole, Alexander (February 12, 2026). “Designer Junkie – Album by Sk8star”. HotNewHipHop. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
  16. ^ a b Corcoran, Nina; Lindert, Hattie; Mickles, Kiana (February 13, 2026). “12 New Albums You Should Listen to Now: Charli XCX, Feng, and More”. Pitchfork. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
  17. ^ ““Yeannn” [ft. Tezzus]”. Pitchfork. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
  18. ^ a b Selenou, Serge. “Sk8star: Designer Junkie”. Pitchfork. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
  19. ^ Cole, Alexander (April 9, 2026). “Quagoo – Song by Sk8star”. HotNewHipHop. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
  20. ^ “UY SCUTI BØYZ – Album by Diamond* & TEZZUS”. HotNewHipHop. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  21. ^ “Sk8star, Jill Scott, Venturing, and More: This Week’s Pitchfork Selects Playlist”. Pitchfork. February 17, 2026. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
  22. ^ Hess, Tobias (June 3, 2026). “The 32 coolest artists of 2026 (so far)”. The FADER. Retrieved June 4, 2026.