Shaquan Ian Lewis was born on the 2nd June 1974, in Detroit, Michigan USA, and as Mad Skillz is a rapper, producer, DJ, and songwriter, perhaps still best known for his debut album “From Where???” (1996). Skillz has also worked with such musicians as Nas, Missy Elliott, Pharrell Williams, The Roots, Cee-Lo Green, P. Diddy, Common, Chris Brown, Jay-Z, and DJ Jazzy Jeff, among others. His career has been active since 1992.
Have you ever wondered how rich Mad Skillz is, as of mid- 2016? According to authoritative sources, it has been estimated that Skillz’s net worth is as high as $5 million, an amount earned largely through his successful hip-hop career, but in addition as a producer and songwriter .
Mad Skillz Net Worth $5 Million
Mad Skillz spent his early childhood in Fayetteville, North Carolina, but later moved to Richmond, Virginia. He got involved with hip-hop thanks to the Run DMC, and is the first rapper from Virginia became famous nationally, when he finished second in a national freestyle competition, behind MC Supernatural, and secured a recording contract with Atlantic Records.
His debut album “From Where???” came out in 1996 and reached No. 5 on Top Heatseekers, No. 18 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and No. 154 on Billboard 200 charts. Although praised for strong lyrics and production, the album failed to achieve significant commercial success, so Skillz then collaborated with fellow musicians including Timbaland and Aaliyah. In 2000, he released a single called “Ghostwriter”, in which he reveals the names for whom he had written hit songs; some of them were P. Diddy, who openly admitted it, Jermaine Dupri, Will Smith, Mase, and Foxy Brown.
Mad Skillz then signed a contract with Rawkus, and released his second studio album called “I Ain’t Mad No More” in 2002, featuring such renowned artists such as Missy Elliott, Cee-Lo Green, and Jazze Pha, and the extracted single “Crew Deep” peaked at No .83 on Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. In 2005, Skillz recorded another album “Confessions Of A Ghostwriter”, but it didn’t have a particularly good reception. Three years later, the “The Million Dollar Backpack” came out, with the leading single “So Far So Good” featuring Common and Talib Kweli. He then released “The World Needs More Skillz” in 2010, “Thoughts Become Things” in 2012, and most recently “Made in Virginia” in 2014, the sales of which certainly added a substantial amount to his net worth.
Skillz has also recorded several compilations/mixtapes, including “The Neptunes Collection Vol. 1” in 2002, “The James Brown Collection” in 2004, and “Got Skillz? – The Timbaland Collection” in 2006. Additionally, he is a founder of a supergroup called Supafriendz V.A. Playaz with N.E.R.D, Timbaland, Fam-Lay, Magoo, and Clipse, and created the web series “Hip Hop Confessions”, in which rappers reveal something related to hip-hop that was unknown earlier. The show featured numerous distinguished guests including DJ Jazzy Jeff and Q-Tip. The popularity of the show certainly added further to his net worth.
Regarding his personal life, Mad Skillz most intimate details concerning marital status and any children are unknown as he successfully keeps them away from public eyes.
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