Mad Skillz

b. Donnie Shaqwan Lewis he first made a name for himself by finishing 2nd in a National Rap Competition in 1993 which lead to a record deal in 1994 and him releasing his debut album “From Where ???” In 1996. That album is credited for putting Virginia on the map. he would go on to become a ghostwriter in the late 90’s and early 2000’s and release 7 studio albums. In 2018 Skillz was an artist-in-residence at the University of Richmond where he still teaches The Voice of Hip Hop in America. On February 13, 2019, Mayor Levar Stoney declared it to be "Mad Skillz Day" in Richmond, VA to commemorate the 23rd anniversary of Skillz's debut album From Where??? and to recognize his "positive influence on our city." In 2025 and 2026 Skillz earned two back to back grammy nominations for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album for the albums "The Seven Number Ones" and "Words For Days Vol 1." eventually winning a Grammy Award in 2026 for "Words For Days Vol. 1".