Richmond’s Mad Skillz Nominated For 2025 Grammy Award

Today, the Recording Academy revealed the nominations for the 67th Grammy Awards, scheduled for February 2, 2025. Some of the biggest stars in popular music received nominations across 94 categories, including Richmond’s own—hip-hop legend Mad Skillz, who earned a nod in the Best Spoken Word Poetry Album category for his album The Seven Number Ones.

Released this past August, The Seven Number Ones stands out in Skillz’s impressive catalog, focusing entirely on spoken-word prose. “…I have never been this nervous in my whole career,” Skillz shared on social media leading up to its release, underscoring the unique direction and vision behind this project. Unlike his celebrated works like From Where??? (1996) and The Million Dollar Backpack (2008), this album explores new ground. Produced by Gavin Lamont Williams and James Poyser and engineered by underground rap icon Michael Millions–who Skillz praised on Drink Champs this past summer–the album resonates deeply as Skillz recounts personal stories that have shaped his 30-year career. In the third track, “Music,” he recalls discovering his musical roots with vivid memories of cleaning to the scents of Pine-Sol and Ajax, as he first learned about legends like James Brown and the Motown sound, igniting his musical path. The journey comes full circle on the powerful closing track, “Becoming Mad Skillz,” where his stories crystallize the legend of his talent, bringing his artistry into sharp focus.

Mad Skillz previously earned a Grammy nomination in 2015 for his contributions to Nicki Minaj’s album The Pinkprint, having co-written the track “The Night Is Still Young” alongside Minaj, Dr. Luke, Ester Dean, Cirkut, and Theron Thomas. Given his extensive work as a ghostwriter over the years, he likely has additional Grammy nominations under his belt, yet this latest honor is his first as the primary artist—a significant milestone for the MC who has captivated audiences for over thirty years with his electrifying words and storytelling.

Give the record a spin below, and if you’re curious to learn more about Mad Skillz, check out HearRVA’s insightful interview with him in their Liner Notes series–just click here to watch. Until then, let’s keep our fingers crossed for Richmond’s own to bring that Grammy home this February.