Skyzoo & Apollo Brown Drop 'Luxury Tax': Ten Years After 'The Easy Truth'
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Ten years after The Easy Truth, Skyzoo and Apollo Brown are back. Luxury Tax dropped September 25, 2026: 14 tracks of soulful boom bap and sharp Brooklyn storytelling, with Elzhi and Blu on the guest list. If you've been riding with these two since 2016, this one's for you.
Listen: Luxury Tax
Watch: "God Given" (Official Music Video)
Watch: "Hear Me Out" (Official Music Video)
The pairing
Apollo Brown is one of the most respected producers in the underground, period. Dusty soul samples, hard drums, beats that feel like an old movie. He's done full albums with Ghostface Killah, Joell Ortiz, and Ras Kass, among others.
Skyzoo is a Brooklyn MC known for detailed writing and clean, careful flows. He's worked with 9th Wonder, Pete Rock, and Illmind. Fans have called him underrated for years. At this point, that's starting to feel like part of his bio.
The features fit right in. Elzhi is a Detroit legend from his Slum Village days. Blu is one of LA's most respected underground MCs. They both show up on "The Blind Spot."
What Luxury Tax is about
A luxury tax is an extra cost on fancy things. Here, the "tax" is everything you give up to get what you wanted. Time. People. Peace of mind. The album digs into the price of ambition, the sacrifices behind success, and what happens after you finally get there.
Look at the cover and you get the whole idea before you hit play. A lottery scratch-off and a stack of cash in one hand, a gold watch on the wrist, a corner store snack aisle in the background. The dream and the cost, side by side.
In an interview with SoFNdope Magazine, Skyzoo described the album as a drive toward the thing you're thinking about paying that tax on. The song titles follow the road, from "Detours" to "Under the Lights" to the closer, "The Rearview."
The tracklist
- Soapbox Two
- Abundance
- Detours
- God Given
- Keep It Close
- Table Manners
- Learned Behavior
- Rose Tinted
- Scrape The Bowl
- No Discounts
- Hear Me Out
- The Blind Spot (feat. Elzhi & Blu)
- Under the Lights
- The Rearview
Ten years later
The Easy Truth came out in 2016 and became a staple for a lot of underground heads. So yeah, people are going to compare. Early reviews say Luxury Tax holds its own. A reviewer at Soul in Stereo said it might be their new favorite album of the 2020s. HotNewHipHop said there's no filler on it.
That's the thing about this pairing. Skyzoo and Apollo Brown aren't chasing trends. Ten more years of life just gave them more to talk about. Same chemistry, new chapter.
Where to get it
Luxury Tax is out now on Escapism Recordings, Apollo Brown's own label, together with Skyzoo's First Generation Rich (FGR). Stream it everywhere, or buy it on Apollo Brown's Bandcamp. Buying direct puts more money in the artists' pockets than streaming.
Vinyl heads get four colors to pick from: Concrete Rose (with an OBI strip), Dirty Gold, Audemars Green, and Classic Black.
New to underground hip hop? Start here
If you're not from the scene, a few terms that'll help:
- Boom bap: a style of hip hop beat named after the sound of the kick drum ("boom") and the snare ("bap"). It's the sound of a lot of '90s East Coast rap, and it's still alive in the underground.
- Producer: the person who makes the beat. On this album, that's Apollo Brown on every track.
- MC: the rapper. MC stands for master of ceremonies, from the days when the MC hyped up the crowd for the DJ.
- Underground: artists who build their following outside the major labels and mainstream radio, mostly through independent labels, live shows, and fans who spread the word.
Luxury Tax: quick answers
When did Luxury Tax come out?
September 25, 2026.
Who is on Luxury Tax?
Skyzoo raps and Apollo Brown produces every track. Elzhi and Blu are featured on "The Blind Spot."
How long is the album?
14 tracks, about 45 minutes.
What label put out Luxury Tax?
Escapism Recordings, Apollo Brown's label, together with Skyzoo's First Generation Rich (FGR).
Are there music videos from Luxury Tax?
Yes. "God Given" and "Hear Me Out" both have official music videos. You can watch them above.
Where can I buy Luxury Tax on vinyl?
On Apollo Brown's Bandcamp, in four colors: Concrete Rose (with an OBI strip), Dirty Gold, Audemars Green, and Classic Black.
What was Skyzoo and Apollo Brown's first album together?
The Easy Truth, released in 2016.
The Panic 39 take
This is the kind of record Panic 39 was built around: real beats, real writing, no shortcuts. Put it on, play it front to back, and let it ride.
More hip hop on Panic 39
- Castor Pollux Drops Official Video for His Hit "Imagine That"
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- Everything in the Hip Hop section of the Panic 39 Magazine
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Cover art courtesy of Escapism Recordings.
