On this week’s episode of “Drink Champs,” N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN were again joined by revered rapper and ghostwriter Mad Skillz.
As a young kid who was born in Detroit, Michigan but grew up in Richmond, Virginia, Skillz started to soak up the art of Hip Hop. Artists like Run-DMC and Rakim set the bar high on performance and skill in a way that stuck out to Skillz. He sharpened his sword by competing in freestyle competitions, to the point where he landed on the radar of artists like Q-Tip and eventually signed a major record deal with Atlantic Records.
He released his debut album, From Where???, in 1996 and started to chart his own path as a mainstream solo act. But along the way, he leaned on collaboration and started working with acts from his home state, such as Timbaland, the late Magoo, and Missy Elliott. Over the years and with a pen game so strong, Skillz started ghostwriting for a multitude of acts and staked that claim in the bold song “Ghost Writer.” Well-known as one of the best lyricists in rap, Skillz has consistently earned his respect as an artist, producer and writer with an impact that has spanned decades.
Making his second appearance on the show, Skillz weighed in on some noteworthy headlines in 2024, the current state of music, shifting the culture in his hometown, and much more. Nine takeaways from the conversation can be found below. And check out the full episode here.
1. On J. Cole’s “apology” for dissing Kendrick Lamar
When Kendrick Lamar took shots at Drake and J. Cole during a guest verse on “Like That,” Cole returned fire with the now-deleted “7 Minute Drill.” During Dreamville Fest this past April, the North Carolina rapper walked back his gesture. And here, Skillz shared his thoughts on the moment. “I looked [at] the video, I didn't get apology. That's the first thing. The headline was wild,” Skillz began before expressing his belief that Cole’s hesitancy was because of his real-life bond with Kendrick. “What people gotta understand is, when you got friends in this game, it’s a little different ... if you're my friend, I'm not gonna do anything publicly, just for a look, to play you out.”
2. On the phrase “something in the water”
Outside of Virginia, the phrase “something in the water” is known to many as the festival that Pharrell Williams started years ago. With that in mind, N.O.R.E. asked Skillz if he was the first person to coin the title, to which the guest responded, “Listen, we all say that. But I might've been the first person to say it on record. Muthaf**kas take my ideas like, s**t. But when it's hometown, I don't trip.” He went on to give a preview of what's in the pipeline for Pharrell moving forward. “He got another movie coming out, like a real biopic. It's called Atlantis. I hope I ain't give it away. And I know he's debuting the Lego movie at Something In The Water this year. It's in October, so I'm looking forward to it.”
3. On putting Virginia on the map
Skillz wants and deserves his flowers for the impact that he had on Virginia’s music scene. According to him, he’s the one that broke the door down for others to eventually run through. “I tell people all the time, I was the first one [to make it out of Virginia]. So, it's almost like, I look at rappers now and cats be like, ‘Oh I put my neighborhood on, I put my city on.’ But when I look back, I'm like, ‘D**n I put a whole state on.’ Because it really wasn't nobody else from Virginia. I was the first person you ever heard was from the VA. So, for me, it’s like, I'ma put a claim in that. I don’t want muthaf**kas to forget that. It was me.”
4. On being inspired by Missy Elliott
Skillz is a go-to name when it comes to crafting songs for other people. His inspiration to lean into ghostwriting came from a specific moment where he witnessed Missy Elliott pull up to a flex in a Lamborghini with “purple piping on the seats” before she started releasing solo music as an artist. He recalled, “Me and Petey Pablo saw that s**t at the same time. You would've thought we saw a ghost when that car pulled up. It was like, n**gas could have that?” He took note and the rest was history.
5. On the current state of music
Understanding the vast differences between how the music industry was when he first got started versus how it is now, Skillz shared his thoughts on the modern-day era of music. “Songs be like two minutes long. Because people's attention spans are so short. It's like a TikTok era.” He continued, “I tell these kids a lot, ‘I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that you're hot because you got this amount of numbers on TikTok or you got a million views.’ You can fake the views. You can fake the followers. You can fake the likes. But you can't fake making people care ... The records gotta connect. If they don't connect, keep making records.”
6. On notable artists from Virginia
To this day, Skillz is still putting on for his home state. During this interview, he co-signed a number of acts that should be on everyone’s radar. “It's a cat named Noah-O. He do a lot of stuff in the city... There's a cat named Michael Millions. He's a good engineer and he's a dope MC. Radio B. Those are a few cats from my city that have put their claim [down],” he said. “And they're lyricists. They care about bars and this line connecting. It's not just, ‘Oh I got a catchy hook.’ It's some people that are still trying to keep the lyricism thing alive and I appreciate that as a MC.”
7. On the “Rap Up”
Here, Skillz talked about the origin point of his famed year-end recap. “The ‘Rap Up’ was a creation that started and people ran with it and did their own versions of it,” he started. “But that whole thing started on Stretch and Bobbito. I did a Stretch and Bobbito freestyle in like '93, from tying things together like that.” He continued, “Now we're in 2024 and I almost look at it like, how many muthaf**kas did something in '93 and they can still do it in 2024? [Michael] Jordan can't jump from the foul line anymore. That s**t ain't happening. Shaq [O'Neal] can't post up in the paint like he used to. So, for me, when those calls come [now], it's because I was able to do that.” He also explained that he quit doing the series because he felt stagnant and wanted to refresh his creative output.
8. On creating JAY-Z’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame montage
When JAY-Z was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame back in 2021, Skillz played a huge part in the tribute. “That video montage with all of the celebrities, I wrote that, word for word,” he said. Skillz proceeded to talk about the praise he received from his execution. [After the ceremony] “JAY tweets — and he don't even use Twitter like that — he said, ‘Yo whoever made that video package, I'ma cry in the car. That was amazing,’” Skillz recalled before revealing that JAY-Z sent him a personal text of approval. “For Hov to say, ‘Yo what you did was brilliant, was amazing.’ I framed that. You don't get texts from Hov everyday. So, for me to have that moment, [at the] Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, that's forever.”
9. On reconnecting with DJ Jazzy Jeff
Though they built their careers alongside one another, Mad Skillz and DJ Jazzy Jeff eventually journeyed apart. Last time Skillz was on “Drink Champs,” he spoke to the producer for the first time in 10 years. Fast forward to now, N.O.R.E. asked if there have been any updates in the situation, which prompted Skillz to say, “We talk a lot. I went up to his crib and we spun a DJ set together. Four turntables, two by two. He does a stream on his platform. And I went up there and hung out with him. And it was just good to see him, man. That's the homie. I love that dude … I filled up two passports. I seen the world messing with Jazzy Jeff. He's a super dope dude. I love him. That's my brother.”