Skee-Lo

Biography

Antoine Roundtree (born March 27, 1975), better known by his stage name Skee-Lo, is an American rapper best known for his 1995 song "I Wish×I Wish27 June 1995 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Superman4:112I Wish4:123Never Crossed My Mind4:044Top of the Stairs4:335Come Back to Me3:276Waitin' for You3:277Holdin' On3:158You Ain't Down3:509Crenshaw3:5410This Is How It Sounds3:2511The Burger Song3:3612I Wish (Street mix)4:43", which became a hit in several countries and reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The song was known for its lack of explicit lyrics at a time when gangsta rap was very popular. His debut album of the same title was released shortly thereafter, earning him two Grammy nominations for both the album and single. Afterwards, he stopped his rapping career before coming back to release a new album in 2000 and another in 2012.

Early life and education

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Roundtree and his family subsequently relocated to Poughkeepsie, New York before then moving to Riverside, California when he was nine. He first started rapping in 1983.
He graduated from Canyon Springs High School in Moreno Valley before moving to Los Angeles in 1993. He attended El Camino College. At about this time, he converted to Islam and joined the Nation of Islam.

Career

He first made his couple debuts in the Good Life Cafe in the early 1990s. Skee-Lo's debut album I Wish×I Wish27 June 1995 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Superman4:112I Wish4:123Never Crossed My Mind4:044Top of the Stairs4:335Come Back to Me3:276Waitin' for You3:277Holdin' On3:158You Ain't Down3:509Crenshaw3:5410This Is How It Sounds3:2511The Burger Song3:3612I Wish (Street mix)4:43 was released in 1995, which he first started working on in 1993. The album was a huge success. One of the singles, "Top of the Stairs×Top of the Stairs1995 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Top of the Stairs (vocal radio mix)4:212Top of the Stairs (Soul Inside mix)4:173Top of the Stairs (Street radio mix)3:374I Wish (Stylus Flava cut)3:53", was featured in the ending credits as well as the soundtrack to the 1995 film Money Train. He quietly "retired" from rapping five months after the album's release because of a dispute with label Sunshine Records. Skee-Lo claims Sunshine Records took all the credit from the album's success, and he did not make a single cent from it. "So I refused to shoot any more videos, promote or record music. I'm not their slave. I wasn't working for free." After many years, he eventually won the rights against the label in court.
Skee-Lo recorded a cover of the Schoolhouse Rock! song "The Tale of Mr. Morton", which taught sentence structure (subject, verb and predicate). The song appears on the 1996 compilation album, Schoolhouse Rock! Rocks.
In 1996, Skee-Lo became a VJ for both MTV's The Beach House and The Grind.
He co-wrote "I'll Be Your Everything" by boy band Youngstown. The song is featured on the 1999 Inspector Gadget movie soundtrack.
In 2011, he wrote "Burnin' Up" as part of the soundtrack of the 2013 horror movie Killer Holiday from Lionsgate Entertainment. MTV produced a music video directed by Marty Thomas that was filmed at actor Howie Mandel's house, which was rented by his son to MTV without Mandel's knowledge. It was released under his own indie label, Skeelo Musik.
Skee-Lo made a guest appearance on a track "Now You See My Life" with former Hollywood Undead rapper Deuce from Deuce's album Nine Lives in 2012.
He released his third album, Fresh Ideas×Fresh Ideas13 November 2012 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Heaven Sakes3:472Hip Hop3:303Club Song3:404Vibe Is Right4:395Raw3:166Untouchable4:307Riding on Empty3:528Real3:109I Love L.A.3:5310We On!3:1311Boomerang3:3112Friday Nite3:47, on his own label Skeelo Musik, via iTunes on November 13, 2012. It appeared in stores July 9, 2013.
In 2023, Shaquille O’Neal and Skee-Lo recreated “I Wish” in a new ad for Pepsi.
In 2024, after an 11-year break, he released a new single "Slow Down" independently on Bandcamp.

Personal life

He and his wife, Stacy Ambrose, resided in Los Angeles with their five children. Ambrose died from cardiovascular disease on August 22, 2025.