Lonnie Kimble (born January 3, 1990), better known by his stage name Skeme, is an American rapper from Inglewood, California. Skeme has collaborated with various West Coast rappers such as the group Black Hippy, Bizzy Bone, The Game, Dom Kennedy, Nipsey Hussle, E-40, Casey Veggies and Problem among others. In 2012, Skeme released his debut studio album Alive & Living under RBC Records. His second studio album Ingleworld was released in 2013 by MADE Headlines. In July 2014, The Game announced that he had signed Skeme to Blood Money Entertainment. In 2016, Skeme told HotNewHipHop that he is not signed to Blood Money Entertainment anymore, but only affiliated with them. Later that year, Skeme signed a deal with DJ Drama and Don Cannon's Generation Now label, alongside frequent collaborator Lil Uzi Vert. Early life Lonnie Kimble was born on January 3, 1990. His parent split when he was two years old and his father was in the military. As a result, he moved in with his grandmother in Inglewood, California. Once his father came into the picture at age 10, he started listening to hip hop and memorizing his favorite songs. His dad originally gave him the idea to come up with his own material and start rapping. Skeme acquired his stage name at 13, when a friend noticed his craftiness at generating money. He said most of these money making strategies, were of the illegal nature, but they allowed him to purchase a BMW 525I while he was in the twelfth grade at Gardena's Junipero Serra High School. He grew up affiliated with the Piru Blood gang and was a gangbanger throughout his high school years. Career 2007–2010: Early mixtapes and Pistols and Palm Trees Skeme first began rapping around age 12 and began writing around age 15. He recorded his first song at a studio in Long Beach, California, at age 16. When he first began taking rapping seriously at age 17, he was graduating high school. He shortly after met Dolla, whom he began hanging out and frequently working with. He credits Dolla for significantly influencing him. He has said, "Dolla kind of molded me when I was young. He shaped me into being somebody and trying to tell me what could happen if you took this shit seriously." In 2007 he released Skeme Of Things, which was then followed by Skeme Of Things 2 in June