Craiga Ski, also billed Craig Ski, was a lifelong Jersey City native, an emcee and promoter of the city's early 1990s hip hop scene, and a core member of the underground group Maniac Mobb.
In the Record§
He moves in the circles of the Flavor Unit, the Jersey born collective around Queen Latifah, and in Maniac Mobb stood alongside Double J, the Flavor Unit founding member.
In 1992 he appeared with Jersey City artist Double J on the very first broadcast of a Jersey City cable television music program, a moment the program's own tribute recalls.
In later years he worked in the local film scene as an associate producer and writer on projects made in and around Jersey City, by community account.
He produced most of the tracks on Double J's 1991 album The Hitman (4th and Broadway), the beats done in house by the two of them, including If It Ain't A Caddy, It Ain't A Car.
Double J told the story of how they met: Craigaski left a cassette of beats on his car with an invitation to come check him out; he answered the door in Bootsy Collins glasses with Christmas lights blinking in the basement and the beats banging, and since he lived around the corner the two clicked and worked from then on.
Sources§
- Unkut: The Hitman Double J (production credit and the meeting story, told by Double J) — link
- Jersey City cable program tribute post (Facebook): the program's first 1992 broadcast featured Double J and Craiga Ski
- Community identification, The Jersey City Sound, 2026
Wanted for this Entry§
The archive is looking for the following. If you can supply any of it, use the claim bar below.
- His own account, firsthand
- Identify the Jersey City made film he associate produced (the 2015 Brotherly Love attribution is wrong, that film is from Philadelphia)
- URL of the Facebook tribute post (the Double J memorial recalling the 1992 broadcast)
- Photo