Born in Johannesburg and raised in Doncaster, Skinny Pelembe was influenced by hip-hop, country, west-side folk and dance music. It was Future Bubblers, a Gilles Peterson-and Brownswood-founded, Arts Council-supported programme for unsigned artists, that provided Skinny with an important early launchpad. His track ‘Should You Go’, for instance, first self released on his 2017 "Seven Year Curse" EP, was included on Gilles Peterson’s iconic Brownswood Bubblers series. It sparked connections with other artists on Future Bubblers, such as Yazmin Lacey. The pair performed together at the 2018 edition of Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Awards, and Lacey featured on Skinny’s "Sleep More, Make More Friends" EP later that year. Releasing debut album "Dreaming Is Dead Now" in 2019, he’s been tipped by The Observer, The Quietus and Huck. He’s guested on 6 Music, BBC 1xtra, and recorded live sessions for The Vinyl Factory and Worldwide FM. He sold out a headline UK tour last year, and has supported Nightmares on Wax, Maribou State, and UNKLE.
