THE THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM — AND THE DEAL

Sean Ski conquers New York's Sony Hall and enters talks with Big Red NOLA Publishing

By Bee Dee • New York — New Orleans Bureau • May 22, 2026

Sean Ski (@seanskimusic) – 13K+ followers, tour footage from the Winners Circle and God of 2 runs.

NEW YORK — The house lights at Sony Hall cut to black at 8:47 p.m. on May 18, 2026, and for a kid from Connellsville, Pennsylvania, the third time in New York finally felt like arrival. Sean Ski — born Sean Lewandowski — walked out as direct opener for Curren$y on the final leg of the Winners Circle Tour and played like a man who understood the assignment.

It was a lean 25 minutes. No DJ chatter, no gimmicks. He opened with the steel-town bounce of "I-376," let the room settle into "Believer," then detonated "Cash App ft. Hardo." By the time he closed with "Right on Time (Burgh Remix)," the balcony — usually reserved for industry arms-folded — was leaning over the rail. Phones up. Mouths moving. New York was learning the words in real time.

“Locked in with a lot of solid individuals the other night for my 3rd time performing in NYC!” — Sean Ski, via Instagram

From Connellsville to the God of 2

Sony Hall wasn't an overnight booking. Ski built his name the way they still do in Western PA: road miles. His breakout came opening Chris Webby's God of 2 Tour, where he went from Pennsylvania club draws to proving he could win rooms in markets that owed him nothing.

That run sharpened the catalog. "Cash App" with Pittsburgh veteran Hardo gave him street radio. "I-376" named the highway home and became a regional anthem. "Right on Time (Burgh Remix)" showed he could flip a melodic concept without losing grit. "Believer" proved the pen could do more than flex — it could confess.

Sean Ski on stage screenshot from Instagram — Third NYC performance — opening for Curren$y, May 18, 2026 at Sony Hall.

The New Orleans Connection

Side-stage at Sony Hall was Cyril Darensbourg, founder of Big Red NOLA Publishing. Rooted in both New Orleans and New York, Big Red NOLA has built its name on the unsexy stuff that sustains careers: music production, distribution, content creation, and transparent rights management.

Darensbourg had been tracking Ski since the Webby dates. Sources close to both camps say the Sony Hall performance moved conversations from casual to concrete within 48 hours.

“All I see is red flags, still I want you so bad” — from “Into the Grave,” Ski’s latest single

A Deal Built On More Than Music

The term sheet being discussed isn’t a standard publishing advance. According to two people briefed on the talks, the framework includes full catalog administration for Ski’s independent releases, co-production of a six-track New Orleans EP slated to be cut at The Box Studios, and the formation of a joint content arm to produce a tour documentary covering his 2025–2026 runs with Webby and Curren$y.

It mirrors Big Red’s bi-coastal identity: New York for the leverage, New Orleans for the live instrumentation and soul. For an artist who has stayed independent through 13K+ Instagram followers and sold-out regional dates, it offers infrastructure without a master grab — the rare 2026 compromise.

Why The Third Time Mattered

The first New York show gets you in the building. The second proves you can get invited back. The third — especially opening for a cult hero like Spitta — proves you can command a room that didn’t come to see you.

Ski sequenced his set like a tight EP rather than a mixtape dump. He trusted the records. The crowd responded in the only currency that matters in this business: they stayed off their phones for the verses, then pulled them out for the hooks.

If the Big Red NOLA deal closes this summer as expected, May 18 won’t just be a footnote about a Pittsburgh rapper opening at Sony Hall. It will be the night Sean Ski turned a third New York look into a first real partnership — and walked out of midtown with a New Orleans area code in his phone.

Name

Sean Ski (Sean Lewandowski)

Hometown

Connellsville, PA

Followers

13K+ — Instagram @seanskimusic

Notable Collabs

Chris Webby, Curren$y, Hardo

Key Tracks

"Cash App ft Hardo", "I-376", "Right on Time (Burgh Remix)", "Believer"

Latest

"Into the Grave"

THE THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM — Sean Ski | JUPEMAGAZINE

Deep Dive • Music

THE THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM — AND THE DEAL

Sean Ski conquers New York's Sony Hall and enters talks with Big Red NOLA Publishing

By Bee Dee • New York — New Orleans Bureau • May 22, 2026

Sean Ski (@seanskimusic) – 13K+ followers, tour footage from the Winners Circle and God of 2 runs.

“Locked in with a lot of solid individuals the other night for my 3rd time performing in NYC!” — Sean Ski, via Instagram

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