SkyHook by Mausiki Scales

Remember the Feeling? ...FUNK!

SkyHook, the latest single from Mausiki Scales, channels the spirit of Black liberation through the pulse of Funk music. Rooted in the raw energy of the ‘70s, it blends deep grooves with Mausiki’s signature storytelling, weaving in the sounds that shaped his journey through Gary, Tuskegee, and Atlanta.

Xavier Jones’s relentless bass lines lay the foundation while the rhythm section locks into a hypnotic pocket. The title itself nods to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s legendary "SkyHook"—a metaphor for ambition, resilience, and soaring beyond limits…into the stratosphere where Voyager 1804 travels. With layered synths and poetic testimony, Mausiki pays tribute to the sounds that shaped him.

Then there’s AntiFunk—a trickster character voiced by Zakee Young. He’s that dude ready to leave before the party even starts, rolling his eyes at Mausiki’s deep love for long, unfiltered sets, reminiscent of Grandma's revivals, Fela Kuti's epic performances and African ritual drama.
SkyHook is a journey—one that echoes the tradition of Parliament-Funkadelic/George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, Ohio Players, James Brown, and Gil Scott-Heron. It celebrates the Great Migration, collective memory, and a vision where Black folks are fully realized in a boundless universe. Group vocals bring that classic ‘70s “village sound” to life. Just as Flashlight by Parliament lit the way for Mausiki’s musical awakening, SkyHook carries that torch—guiding us upward, toward freedom, power, and infinite imagination.

SkyHook is a call to rise, aim beyond the clouds and reach for the heavens–where dreams take flight and spaceships glide. It’s Funk in its purest form—rooted, rebellious and boundless.

Mausiki Scales & his band Common Ground Collective have been a staple on the Atlanta scene since the late 90s. With their influence of African sounds like Afrobeat and Hi-Life mixed in with Funk, Blues, Jazz and other Black musical traditions brings an unique irresistible dance filled soundscape.
"WestWest Africa" (July 2020)

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