Hip hop news 201611/24/2023 ![]() The following song contains explicit lyrics.Ĭurrently, Skillz writes for the Grammy Award-winning production team Mars On Sunday and tours as the MC of DJ Jazzy Jeff. ![]() ![]() But do I have something that I own, that people want to hear only from me? Yes. “Do I want to be known just as “The ‘Rap Up’ guy? No. This would be the start of "Rap Up," his signature series. In 2002, over the Thanksgiving holiday, he watched a year-end television special, which inspired him to do his own hip-hop version. Sometimes it makes sense for me to sell a record, rather than hold onto it.” “A good ghostwriter never reveals all of his clients,” he says, adding, “I’ve definitely made a lot more money on songs that I’ve written for bigger artists, than for myself. He went on to write songs for Diddy and Will Smith and many others. It always seemed like it was speaking to me directly.”Īlso known as Mad Skillz, he started honing his skills as a rapper while in high school in Richmond and began to make a name for himself. It was during this time he worked with Missy and Timbaland, two artists he credits for becoming a serious songwriter. Known for his ghostwriting and freestyle approach to songwriting, Skillz says in his SoundCloud bio, he was "a fan of hip-hop since day one. When asked what left the greatest impact on him in 2016, Hypes says, "Prince and David Bowie were tough to lose! So many though this year!" "That led to him asking me to help him put together the 'Rap Up,'" says Hypes. "I finally got one that got his attention and from then we just became really cool."ĭuring that time, Hypes produced a song for Skillz off of his project, "Thoughts Become Things." "I got his email then and just started to send him records consistently!" says Hypes. "We met several times over the past 10 years which is why it's so crazy today to be such good friends with him." The reality television series Growing Up Hip Hop premiered in 2016 and centered on the offspring of hip-hop royalty. New Zealand, who moved to New York in 2009 with an interest in hip-hop and graffiti and an urge to document the culture he had studied only from afar. Hypes and Skillz first met in 2008 at John Paul Jones Arena. “Definitely trying to start 2017 strong!” says Hypes about co-producing the year-end signature song.
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