Lil Skies Bio
Kimetrius Christopher Foose, known professionally as Lil Skies, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter from Waynesboro, Pennsylvania. Born on August 4, 1998, in nearby Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, he first gained attention through streaming platforms before signing with Atlantic Records in 2017. He is recognized for melodic hooks, emotional lyricism, and a string of charting singles that have earned platinum and gold certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Lil Skies has released two studio albums, Shelby (2019) and Unbothered (2021), alongside the major-label mixtape Life of a Dark Rose (2018). Since departing Atlantic in 2023, he has continued releasing music independently, including the mixtape Out Ur Body Music (2024) and his third studio album, The Evolution of The Rose, released in June 2025. He resides in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, and remains an active touring and recording artist.
Early Life and Background
Kimetrius Christopher Foose was born on August 4, 1998, in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, and later moved with his family to Waynesboro when he was in the third grade. He is the son of Michael Burton Jr., a hip-hop artist formerly known as Dark Skies and now performing as BurntMan, and Shelby Foose. His stage name is a direct play on his father’s earlier alias, reflecting the deep musical roots that shaped his childhood.
Foose began freestyling at the age of three, and his early exposure to his father’s home studio introduced him to songwriting and recording at a young age. By eleven years old, his life was altered when his father was injured in a workplace chemical explosion at the Rust-Oleum plant near Williamsport, Maryland, an event that the family later addressed through a collaborative project titled Father-Son Talk.
He graduated from Waynesboro Area Senior High School in 2016 and briefly enrolled at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania before leaving to pursue music full-time. His formative influences include Lil Wayne, Eminem, Wiz Khalifa, 50 Cent, and a range of punk and rock acts such as The Offspring, MxPx, and Audiovent.
Path to Music
As a teenager, Foose spent summers writing and recording at a relative’s house, releasing his earliest project, “Birth of Skies Vol. 1,” on August 14 of his high school years. To fund studio time and music videos, he worked at a McDonald’s and a Japanese restaurant in his hometown and sold marijuana, experiences he has since cited in interviews. In October 2016, he opened for Fetty Wap at a show at Shippensburg University, an early stage opportunity that helped him build a regional audience.
In January 2017, Foose released his first mixtape, Alone, which circulated on SoundCloud and caught the attention of Atlantic Records. That summer, he dropped the breakout singles “Red Roses” and “Off The Goop,” the first of which would later peak in the top 100 of the Billboard Hot 100. He toured nationally with Lil Uzi Vert in 2017, a year that positioned him for a major-label signing later that year.
By the end of 2017, Lil Skies had signed with Atlantic Records in partnership with his own imprint, All We Got. The label collaboration set the stage for his commercially successful mixtape Life of a Dark Rose, released in early 2018.
Lil Skies Career
Early Career (2009–2017)
Lil Skies began releasing music as a teenager, listing 2009 as the start of his active years. His earliest projects, including “Birth of Skies Vol. 1” and the joint album Father-Son Talk with his father, demonstrated a young artist exploring personal themes and family experiences. The collaboration with his father traced the emotional and physical toll of his father’s workplace injury, giving Foose a foundation in storytelling.
During high school and his brief time at Shippensburg University, he continued building a catalog, performing live, and saving money for studio sessions. His 2017 mixtape Alone and singles “Red Roses,” “Rude,” and “Signs of Jealousy” marked the period when his streaming numbers began to surge and major labels took notice. The breakthrough year ended with his Atlantic Records deal and his first arena tour alongside Lil Uzi Vert.
Breakthrough (2018–2019)
On January 10, 2018, Lil Skies released his major-label mixtape Life of a Dark Rose, which debuted at number 23 and later peaked at number 10 on the Billboard 200. The project was supported by hit singles “Nowadays,” “Red Roses,” “Lust,” and “I Know You,” with “Lust” earning platinum certification and “I Know You” earning gold certification from the RIAA. That same year, he launched the Life of a Dark Rose tour, although he had to cut the run short after being diagnosed with pneumonia.
In 2019, Lil Skies released his debut studio album, Shelby, named in tribute to his mother. Released on March 1, 2019, the album featured the lead single “I” and peaked at number five on the Billboard 200. He also unveiled a short documentary on his YouTube channel in which he interviewed his mother and surprised her with the news that the album would carry her name. The success of Shelby cemented his standing as a top-tier young rapper in the melodic and emo-rap scenes.
Notable Works and Milestones
Lil Skies is best known for the mixtape Life of a Dark Rose and the studio albums Shelby and Unbothered, all of which charted on the Billboard 200. His catalog includes the platinum-certified single “Lust” and the gold-certified single “I Know You,” along with fan favorites “Red Roses” and “Nowadays,” both featuring Landon Cube. These releases established his signature blend of melodic rap and emotional storytelling and continue to anchor his streaming presence.
Later Career (2020–Present)
Between 2020 and 2022, Lil Skies rolled out a series of singles leading to his second studio album, Unbothered, which was released in 2021 and peaked at number 50 on the Billboard 200. Standalone tracks such as “Play This At My Funeral” and “Rage!” followed, and he appeared on collaborative singles with artists including Zhavia Ward, Lil Durk, and NoCap. He also featured on Lyrical Lemonade’s 2024 album All Is Yellow, contributing the track “This My Life” alongside Lil Tecca and The Kid Laroi.
On February 21, 2023, he released “Make A Toast,” his final single under Atlantic Records, and announced his departure from the label via Instagram Live. Operating independently, he issued the eight-track mixtape Out Ur Body Music on March 29, 2024, followed by singles with Masked Wolf and Apel8. In 2025, he released the singles “High Maintenance,” “2Much 2Fast,” and “Falling Backwards” before dropping his third studio album, The Evolution of The Rose, on June 27, 2025. The album featured collaborations with Landon Cube and Ravenna Golden and embraced a pop-rock and rap crossover sound.
Lil Skies Award Nominations
Lil Skies has received recognition from streaming and industry circles during his career, including nominations and placements on year-end and genre-specific lists tied to his charting singles and albums. His work has been certified by the Recording Industry Association of America, with “Lust” reaching platinum status and “I Know You” certified gold. Further details on individual nominations are not consistently documented across verified sources.
Lil Skies Awards Won
Across his career, Lil Skies has earned Recording Industry Association of America certifications tied to specific singles, reflecting strong streaming and sales performance. “Lust” is certified platinum, while “I Know You,” featuring Yung Pinch, is certified gold. These certifications represent the most clearly verifiable formal honors associated with his recorded music to date.
Lil Skies Family
Lil Skies was raised by his father, Michael Burton Jr., a hip-hop artist known earlier as Dark Skies and now performing as BurntMan, and his mother, Shelby Foose, after whom he named his 2019 debut album. His father’s musical career and 2015 workplace injury at the Rust-Oleum plant in Maryland played a significant role in shaping his early artistic direction, and the two even released a collaborative project titled Father-Son Talk addressing the recovery process. The family eventually settled in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, where Lil Skies continues to reside.
Personal Life
Lil Skies has been in a relationship with Jacey Fugate since 2018, and the couple became engaged in April 2025. In July 2019, the couple welcomed a son, also named Kimetrius. He resides in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, and in interviews has shared that he enjoys fishing and outdoor activities, citing a desire to one day pursue a more rugged, Bear Grylls-style lifestyle if he were not rapping. Lil Skies has also spoken publicly about avoiding drugs after witnessing the toll addiction has taken on friends from his hometown.