mad skillz

Donnie Shaquan Lewis – better known by his stage name Mad Skillz – is an American rapper from Virginia, USA. Skillz has worked alongside some of the biggest names in rap including Timbaland and Missy Elliot, and he is also known as the creator of the “Hip Hop Confessions” web series where hip hop fans and purists reveal a hip hop related secret that they’ve never told anyone before, with guests including the likes of DJ Jazzy Jeff, Peanut Butter Wolf, Kwamé and Q-Tip. The talented freestyle rapper is also well known for his annual “Rap Ups” summarising the events of the last 12 months, which he has now done for close to two decades. He is also the founder of rap supergroup Supafriendz V.A. Playaz with N.E.R.D., Clipse. Magoo, Fam-Lay and Timberland.

Skillz – born in Richmond, Virginia – first rose to prominence in 1992 when he landed second place in a national freestyle competition and won a recording contract with Atlanta Records. The rapper’s debut album From Where??? garnered favourable reviews from critics and hardcore hip-hop fans, the title referring to the lack of a large hip-hop scene in Virginia at the time. By the late 1990’s the rapper allied himself with fellow Virginia natives the Neptunes, Missy Elliot and appeared on several of Timbaland’s albums. In 2000 Skillz dropped his tell all track ‘Ghostwriter’, where he name drops (but edits) the many artists he has written his singles for.

In November 2017 Skillz began teaching a hip hop course with Professor Erik Nielson at the University of Richmond where he is an artist-in-residence, and continues to produce music.