skaiwater doesn’t play by the rules. The Nottingham-born rapper, producer and genre-bender moves seamlessly between worlds — musically, culturally and digitally. Their latest project,#mia (short for Manic in America), is a warped, hyper-emotive mixtape that exists somewhere between SoundCloud-era rap nostalgia and the unpredictable chaos of the internet. skaiwater thrives in the undefined, pulling from hip-hop, electronic and alternative influences for their sound.
With #mia out in the world, skaiwater isn’t thinking about what’s next — they’re just thinking about what’s real. “I know I have a bigger end goal,” they say, “but people haven’t fully seen where I’m trying to go yet.” Even if you haven’t intentionally pressed play on their music, you’ve probably heard it. Their 2022 breakout, “#miles,” went viral on TikTok. With its hypnotic melodies and glitchy textures, the track laid the foundation for an artist who refuses to be boxed in. Since then, they’ve collaborated with Lil Nas X, exchanged ideas with Lil Uzi Vert and continued shaping their own sonic universe — one that exists outside the algorithmic assembly line.
skaiwater started producing music at eight years old, inspired by their father, a hip-hop producer who taught them how to flip samples and mix stems. That early exposure shaped their approach to music, pairing technical skills with an instinct for experimentation.
With #mia, skaiwater takes that vision even further. “I set out from the beginning to make a mixtape,” they tell PAPER. “I never really had a rap mixtape, so I wanted to put one out with this new confidence.” Across its runtime, skaiwater floats between moods, from high-energy catharsis to stretches of melancholy.
We sat down with the rapper to discuss #mia, their early influences, and what the skaiwater video game would look and sound like.
Your new project, #mia, has been out for a couple of weeks now. What’s the meaning behind the title?
It really started with me coming off my last project. I wanted to do something in a similar vein but with a different approach, you feel me? #mia stands for Manic in America which was more about addressing things like mental health. Not necessarily in the lyrics, but just in terms of the energy of the project.
Your music crosses so many genres. If you had to describe skaiwater as a feeling rather than a genre, what would that be?
Probably love. I think a lot of my shit is based on love.
Your sound exists in this hyper-digital space — it feels very internet-born, but also raw and personal. How do you balance the chaos of the internet with your real life?
I just try to stay out of the way. I really only be on the internet when I need to be. I’ve been using social media for a long time, but I try not to get caught up in it.
What was your first most impactful social media platform? I was a big Tumblr kid.
Probably Instagram. I think I was 11 when I got on there. I don’t even remember what year Instagram came out.
I remember when Snapchat came out — it changed the game.
Yeah, I feel that. These apps have been around for so long that it's hard to remember which thing came from where. But yeah, Snapchat definitely changed things.
Talk about making #mia. When did it click for you that this was a full project and not just a collection of songs?
I think when I made the last song. I set out from the beginning to make a mixtape. I never really had a rap mixtape, so I wanted to put one out with this new confidence, you feel me?
You started producing music when you were eight — that’s crazy. How did that happen?
My dad always produced, so it was like... you know how if your dad knows how to shoot a gun, he’ll teach you how to shoot a gun? It was like that. He was just passing down skills that he already had.
What kind of music was he into?
Definitely hip-hop. Sample-heavy hip-hop. He was teaching me how to flip samples, mix stems, all that. He had one of those portable mixer boards with all the knobs and shit. That was his passion — just evolving what he already loved.
Were you exploring different types of sounds online at that time?
Not at eight. I didn’t really have internet access like that. I was mostly listening to what my family put me onto. But around 12, I started getting into dubstep and pop-punk. That was probably my most explorative phase as a listener. Now, I try to tap into new shit every day, so I can put people onto new shit.
Who were some of your biggest influences during that time?
When Rodeo came out, I got back into hip-hop and R&B.
So Travis Scott was a big influence on you?
Honestly, Kanye [was]. I was just fucking with the fact that there was a new, younger Kanye at the time.
Who’s inspiring to you that people might not expect?
Probably Hayley Williams. During my Paramore phase, I learned a lot about her vocal control, and I think that subconsciously helped me with singing.
She’s an incredible singer.
Yeah, she’s dope. I used to watch her studio videos a lot.
Now that #mia is out, where’s your head at? What’s next?
Honestly, I don’t even feel like there’s a “next,” you feel me? I just want to keep going. I know I have a bigger end goal, and I feel like people haven’t fully seen where I’m trying to go yet.
What brands are you into right now?
Hysteric. Oh, and have you heard of OMIGHTY? This T-shirt I’m wearing is from them. Vivienne Westwood, Balenciaga. Oh, and Coperni has been fire lately. And Burberry, I’ve been into Burberry heavy.
If skaiwater was a video game, what would the objective be and what would it sound like?
There’s just so many sides to what I do. I feel like it’d be a multi-series game. Different genres, different worlds. I actually used to go to school for programming video games, so I always wanted to make one. Maybe something like Ocarina of Time. I’d love to make something like that.
I know I have a bigger end goal, and I feel like people haven’t fully seen where I’m trying to go yet.
Photos courtesy of skaiwater
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