Editing Skiz Fernando (section)

===1995–1996: Debut solo album and working with Prince Paul===
While working on his 1994 book ''The New Beats'', Fernando started learning [[Hip hop production|music production]],{{sfn|Fintoni|2022|loc=Tape 4 – Destruction Of Syntax}} making music every night to relax. He took the pseudonym Spectre, which, according to the artist, represents his dark [[alter ego]] that is the exact opposite of himself, allowing him to "express his dark side".<ref name="dubspot" /> Later, he would use several other pseudonyms, including the Ill Saint, Slotek, and Wordsound I-Powa.<ref name="allmusic_ruff">{{cite web|last1=Simpson|first1=Paul|title=Spectre - Ruff Kutz Album Reviews, Songs & More|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/ruff-kutz-mw0002826603|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=12 August 2023}}</ref> Spectre's debut solo album, ''The Illness'', was released through WordSound in 1995. Thomas Quinlan of ''[[Exclaim!]]'' noted the "morbid shred of fear and decay" in the album's sound,<ref name="exclaim_end">{{cite web|last1=Quinlan|first1=Thomas|title=Spectre – The End|url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/spectre-end|website=[[Exclaim!]]|access-date=12 August 2023}}</ref> while AllMusic's John Bush in his review called ''The Illness'' a fusion of "hip-hop mysticism more than worthy of [[Wu-Tang Clan|Wu-Tang]]" with production techniques akin to those used by the Jamaican producer [[Lee "Scratch" Perry]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Bush|first1=John|title=Spectre - The Illness Album Reviews, Songs & More|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-illness-mw0000188399|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=12 August 2023}}</ref> The style of music, employed on this album, would later be called [[illbient]].<ref name="exclaim_end" />

The release of ''The Illness'' ultimately led to Skiz Fernando collaborating with the producer [[Prince Paul (producer)|Prince Paul]].{{sfn|Shapiro|1999|p=374}} The mid-1990s was a troubled period in Prince Paul's career. Known for his early 1990s work with [[De La Soul]] and [[Gravediggaz]], he now faced financial difficulties due to low album sales and was frustrated with the music industry. Fernando contacted him about recording an album, offering to do a small release of 1000 physical copies.<ref name="bsun" />{{sfn|Fintoni|2022|loc=Tape 6 – Fantastic Damage}} According to Prince Paul, he wanted to make "one of the craziest recordings ever",<ref name="bsun" /> marking the end of his career.<ref name="nyt_psycho">{{cite news|last1=Smith|first1=Dinitia|title=Guiding Hip-Hop Toward Operatic Leaps; Prince Paul Imagines a Movie as He Makes Rap Relevant for the Suburbs|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/04/12/arts/guiding-hip-hop-toward-operatic-leaps-prince-paul-imagines-movie-he-makes-rap.html|access-date=13 August 2023|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=12 April 1999|at=sec. E, p. 1}}</ref> The album, titled ''[[Psychoanalysis: What Is It?]]'', was released in 1996, through WordSound. It was one of the earliest [[instrumental hip hop]] albums,{{sfn|Fintoni|2022|loc=Tape 6 – Fantastic Damage}} featuring almost no rapping, with the only vocals throughout the majority of the album being [[Hip hop skit|skits]].<ref name="xxl_psycho">{{cite web|last1=Berry|first1=Peter A.|title=Today in Hip-Hop: Prince Paul Drops 'Psychoanalysis: What Is It?'|url=https://www.xxlmag.com/today-in-hip-hop-prince-paul-psychoanalysis-what-is-it-album/|website=[[XXL (magazine)|XXL]]|access-date=12 August 2023|date=25 June 2018}}</ref> The album consists of rappers' monologues, where they discuss their obscene thoughts and dreams with a psychoanalyst with a distinct [[Vienna|Viennese]] accent,<ref name="nyt_psycho" /> over [[jazz]]-inspired beats.<ref name="xxl_psycho" /> ''Psychoanalysis: What Is It?'' performed commercially far better than both the label and the artist anticipated, and became one of the best selling albums of the label. That prompted [[Tommy Boy Records]] to buy the album rights and re-release an updated version a year later.{{sfn|Fintoni|2022|loc=Tape 6 – Fantastic Damage}} Prince Paul has said that the album "catapulted [his] career".<ref name="bsun" /> Fernando later introduced him to [[Dan the Automator]], which resulted in the formation of the [[Handsome Boy Modeling School]] duo and the subsequent release of their critically acclaimed debut album ''[[So... How's Your Girl?]]'' (1999).<ref>{{cite web|last1=Cho|first1=Jaeki|title=Prince Paul Tells All: The Stories Behind His Classic Records (Part 2)|url=https://www.complex.com/music/a/jaeki-cho/prince-paul-tells-all-the-stories-behind-his-classic-records-part-2|website=[[Complex (magazine)|Complex]]|access-date=13 August 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Extance|first1=Andy|title=Album Review: Handsome Boy Modelling School - White People|url=https://drownedinsound.com/releases/3839/reviews/10803-handsome-boy-modelling-school-white-people|website=[[Drowned in Sound]]|access-date=13 August 2023|date=11 November 2004}}</ref>

Several other albums were released by WordSound in 1996. One of them was the second Crooklyn Dub Consortium compilation, titled ''Certified Dope, Vol. 2''.{{sfn|Wheaton|2022|p=19}} ''[[MTV]]''{{'s}} music critic [[Kembrew McLeod]] praised the album's unique sound. He called Crooklyn Dub Consortium "some of the most innovative and cutting-edge sound sculptors", noting that despite ''Certified Dope, Vol. 2'' being a compilation album it still sounds cohesive due to the artists' association with the label.<ref>{{cite web|last1=McLeod|first1=Kembrew|author1-link=Kembrew McLeod|title=Get Your RDA of Certified Dope|url=https://www.mtv.com/news/24v32b/get-your-rda-of-certified-dope|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230815221508/https://www.mtv.com/news/24v32b/get-your-rda-of-certified-dope|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 15, 2023|website=[[MTV]]|date=November 4, 1998|access-date=August 15, 2023}}</ref> The German magazine ''[[Spex (magazine)|Spex]]'' placed ''Certified Dope, Vol. 2'' at number 20 of their list of the 50 best albums of 1996.<ref>{{cite magazine|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line --> |title=Jahresrückblick 1996: Lange|magazine=[[Spex (magazine)|Spex]]|page=|date=January 1997}}</ref> Among other albums Fernando released that year were ''Live from the Planet Crooklyn'', released under the pseudonym Wordsound I-Powa through [[ROIR Records]],<ref>{{cite web|last1=Anderson|first1=Rick|title=WordSound I Powa - WordSound I Powa: Live from the Planet Crooklyn Album Reviews, Songs & More|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/wordsound-i-powa-live-from-the-planet-crooklyn-mw0000183426|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=August 16, 2023}}</ref> ''Dread Western'' by Roots Control duo, a collaborative album with his former roommate Jeremy "Likkle Jer" Dawson,<ref name="bandcamp_daily" /><ref>{{cite web|last1=Anderson|first1=Rick|title=Roots Control - Dread Western Album Reviews, Songs & More|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/dread-western-mw0000648414|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=August 16, 2023}}</ref> and a highly acclaimed ''Subterranean Hitz, Vol. 1'' compilation.{{sfn|Shapiro|1999|p=374}}<ref name="cmj_subter2">{{cite magazine|last=Haslett|first=Tim|date=April 1998|title=Reviews – Dance|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3CoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA62|magazine=[[CMJ New Music Monthly]]|page=62|access-date=20 August 2023}}</ref> Described by AllMusic's John Bush as a mix of illbient and [[abstract hip hop]],<ref>{{cite web|last1=Bush|first1=John|title=Ill St. Presents Subterranean Hitz, Vol. 1 - Various Artists|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/release/ill-st-presents-subterranean-hitz-vol-1-mr0001083539|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=August 17, 2023}}</ref> ''Subterranean Hitz, Vol. 1'' featured a number of hip hop artists, including [[Rob Swift]] of [[X-Ecutioners]], [[Scott Harding (musician)|Scott Harding]], Prince Paul, and [[Afrika Baby Bam]] of [[Jungle Brothers]].{{sfn|Shapiro|1999|p=374}} In his review of the album, Tony Herrington of ''[[The Wire (magazine)|The Wire]]'' magazine categorized its tracks as "insulated studio odysseys" which require listeners to have "superhuman levels of concentration".<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Herrington|first=Tony|date=April 1997|title=Soundcheck: Various Artists – The Ill St Presents Subterranean Hitz Vol. 1|magazine=[[The Wire (magazine)|The Wire]]|page=68}}</ref> According to Skiz Fernando, soon after the release he went to Fat Beats, one of the biggest hip hop record stores in New York City, asking them to sell copies of ''Subterranean Hitz, Vol. 1''. But despite the album featuring numerous hip hop artists, the owner of the store refused to sell it, saying that "this isn't hip hop".{{sfn|Fintoni|2022|loc=Tape 6 – Fantastic Damage}}