Mad Skillz Interview | Bess Conversations Podcast | Episode 54

Venerable Richmond, Virginia rapper Skillz is the hip hop head’s hip hop head. He's the guy who spun on cardboard as a kid, sprayed graffiti, and deejayed by connecting his mother’s turntables together. Never in a million years would he think that years later he would become an in-demand songwriter, producer, artist & deejay. ​

Born in Detroit, Shaqwan Lewis, otherwise known as "Skillz" spent time in Fayetteville, North Carolina before landing in Richmond, Virginia. There he attended high school, where he soaked up all the Rakim, Kool Moe Dee, Run-DMC and anything he could get his hands on. “I’ve been a fan of hip hop since day one,” he says. “It always seemed like it was speaking to me directly.” He was a standout English student, honing his rap skills and enrolling in talent shows all over town. Answering an ad in the back of The Source magazine in the mid-90s, he sent in a one minute acapella rap, and won an opportunity to perform at the New Music Seminar in New York City. He finished second in a freestyle competition and drew the attention of Atlantic Records, who quickly signed him.His 1996 debut, From Where???, which some labeled an underground classic made his name and talents known throughout the hip hop world while his partnership with Atlantic eventually dissolved. Skillz (then known as Mad Skillz) eventually turned to writing raps for others. Before long he was introduced to soon-to-be rap potentate, Timbaland, through their mutual acquaintance Magoo, and Skillz signed with Timbaland’s label. Though nothing would come of the deal, he appeared on albums like, Tim’s Bio and Indecent Proposal, and toured with Missy Elliott in addition to acting as her hype man. Perhaps most importantly, his fellow-Virginian collaborators showed him how to compose a great song. “Before, it was just me rapping – a battle rap, and then maybe a hook,” he says. “But through Missy and Timbaland, I started paying attention to songwriting.”

​He next signed to underground label Rawkus Records, where he released his classic track, Ghostwriter, detailing his experiences secretly penning tracks for more-famous artists. Turns out he had become a ghostwriter by accident; a fellow DJ heard him recording one day, and said he’d like to use Skillz’s hook and beat for another MC. Eventually, he came to be known as a first-rate lyrical gun-for-hire, and went on to write songs for Diddy and Will Smith. And those are just the artists he’ll name. “A good ghostwriter never reveals all his clients,” he notes, adding: “I’ve definitely made a lot more money on songs that I've  written for bigger artists, than for myself. Sometimes it makes sense for me to sell a record rather than hold onto it.”  He just released his New Podcast  Hip-Hop Confessions