He first made a name for himself by finishing in second place in a national freestyle competition in 1995, which resulted in a recording contract with Atlantic Records. Skillz' Atlantic debut, From Where???, and its single, The Nod Factor, were released in 1996, but sank without a trace. In the late-1990s, he allied himself with fellow Virginia natives Missy Elliott, Timbaland, and The Neptunes. He made appearances on Timbaland's albums Tim's Bio in 1998, and Indecent Proposal in 2001; Timbaland made plans to sign Skillz to the Blackhand label he was developing, the label failed to materialize. He along with Danja Mowf, Lonnie B, and Patrice O'Neal, members of Mad Skillz' Supafriendz collective, also appeared on a remix of Aaliyah's hit single "Are You That Somebody" in 1998.
More recently (2000) Skillz is known for his tell all single "Ghostwriter". In which he names (but edits) artist for which he has written hit singles. With lines like 'I'm a ghostwriter, I'm the cat that you don't see/I write hits for rappers you like and charge 'em a fee'. Un-edited versions of the track have not surfaced but Skillz is known to do a live performance in which he includes the names. One artist that openly admits Skillz has written hits for them is P. Diddy.
From 2002 through 2009 Skillz has done a year end "Wrap-Up" song that encapsulates the events of the prior 12 months. Pop radio will recognize him more for this as the hilarious comedic lyrics are timely & funny. During the last years Skillz has claimed each to be his last doing this track.
Skillz eventually got a deal with Rawkus, where he recorded his 2002 LP I Ain't Mad No More, the title of which commemorated the official change of his MC moniker from "Mad Skillz" to just "Skillz". The afore mentioned LP was never released in the U.S. and re-packaged with additional tracks as Confessions Of A Ghostwriter in 2005.
A client for the Mama's Boys management company which also includes Musiq, Skillz has been a featured artist at okayplayer.com, run by ?uestlove of The Roots.
Celebrate Life
Skillz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yup! Yup! Uhh
Now when the cork get popped, ain't no tellin'
If we ballin' or not, that's what they yellin'
I'ma keep 'em guessin' cause they nothin' but watchers
Show 'em how to move in a room full of impostors
Pass up pimp, if she blink then I got'cha
Pass on the shrimp~! Cause I'ma take the lobster
But it's not Sunday and I'm lookin' like church (WOO)
It's a celebration bitch
We on our celebration shit
Scorsese, crazy
I'ma show you how a celebration can GET
Uhh, so just do it from afar
Ye ain't gotta look up if you wanna see a star
I love y'all cause y'all don't change
All you need's a memory to see how far we came
[Chorus]
Yo, put your glasses up
Don't worry about what's in it
We still in the lead
Cause we never took our minds off winnin'
Big nights, big lights
You invited to see the sights with me
So tonight get right
I need y'all to celebrate life with me
Uh-huh, celebrate life with me
C'mon, celebrate life with me
Uh-huh, celebrate life with me
C'mon, celebrate life
[Skillz]
Uhh, well wishers don't blink you might miss it
Tonight's undoubtedly exquisite
Slack's got a bad crease, I'm with a bad piece
On my side, Jewish lawyer with the hairpiece
WOO~! Gotta get my team right
All I see is some green lights
The judge tryin' to jail me quick
But look at me now you cain't tell me SHIT!
Uhh, stand up and sit down
My mind make money so I'm livin' for the right now
A lot of cats fell to the game
And we all coulda been like dark-skinned Jermaine
So now I smile at my haters
And deep down I know that they appreciate it
It's what you call slow success
I'm takin' all bets, no regrets
[Chorus]
[Outro]
Uh-huh, celebrate life with me
C'mon, celebrate life with me
Uh-huh, celebrate life with me
C'mon, celebrate life
In "Celebrate Life," Skillz raps about the joys of life and celebrating all the victories that come with it. The song has a very upbeat and positive tone to it, with Skillz encouraging his listeners to keep their heads up and keep pushing forward. The first verse talks about how he's always on the move, surrounded by people who are trying to take his place, but he's not worried because he knows how to stay ahead of the game. He also talks about how he's not afraid to take risks and live a little, enjoying life to the fullest.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the importance of celebrating life no matter what's going on around you. Skillz tells his listeners to raise their glasses and enjoy the moment, not worrying about what's inside of them. He also reminds them that they're still in the lead because they're always striving to win. Skillz then goes on to talk about some of the people in his life who have helped him get to where he is, from his team to his lawyer. He also addresses his haters, saying that he smiles at them because deep down, he knows that they appreciate his success. The song ends with Skillz encouraging his listeners once again to celebrate life with him.
Line by Line Meaning
Now when the cork get popped, ain't no tellin',
When the bottle is opened, there's no telling how good the occasion is
If we ballin' or not, that's what they yellin'
People shout whether the celebration is successful or not
I'ma keep 'em guessin' cause they nothin' but watchers
He will keep them guessing because they are just spectators
Show 'em how to move in a room full of impostors
Demonstrate how to handle frauds in a crowded room
Pass up pimp, if she blink then I got'cha
Ignore women who want to flirt and focus on the serious ones
Pass on the shrimp~! Cause I'ma take the lobster
Avoid something of lesser quality if you can have the best
Proper, I won't tell you what it's worth
He won't reveal its exact value
But it's not Sunday and I'm lookin' like church (WOO)
He is dressed up in formal attire, but it's not Sunday
It's a celebration bitch
The celebration is in full swing
We on our celebration shit
We are fully into the celebration
Scorsese, crazy
Just like a Scorsese film, this celebration is epic
I'ma show you how a celebration can GET
He wants to showcase just how wild this celebration can be
Uhh, so just do it from afar
Don't get too close, enjoy the celebration from a distance
Ye ain't gotta look up if you wanna see a star
You don't have to look for someone famous to see a star
I love y'all cause y'all don't change
He loves his supporters because they remain loyal
All you need's a memory to see how far we came
A memory is enough to show how much they've achieved
Don't worry about what's in it
Don't be concerned about the drink's contents
We still in the lead
We are still winning
Cause we never took our minds off winnin'
They have always been focused on winning
Big nights, big lights
A grand celebration with lots of bright lights
You invited to see the sights with me
He wants you to join and enjoy the celebration with him
So tonight get right
Tonight is the night to live life to the fullest
I need y'all to celebrate life with me
He wants everyone to have a good time and celebrate life with him
Well wishers don't blink you might miss it
Don't blink, or you might miss the fun
Tonight's undoubtedly exquisite
Tonight is sure to be spectacular
Slack's got a bad crease, I'm with a bad piece
His pants are poorly ironed, but he's with an attractive woman
On my side, Jewish lawyer with the hairpiece
By his side is a Jewish lawyer with a wig
All I see is some green lights
Everything is looking positive, as if the stars are aligned
The judge tryin' to jail me quick
The judge is trying to imprison him quickly
But look at me now you cain't tell me SHIT!
Despite all odds, he has succeeded and won't listen to any negativity
Uhh, stand up and sit down
Get up and dance, then have a seat
My mind make money so I'm livin' for the right now
He is focused on making money and living in the moment
A lot of cats fell to the game
Many people failed but he overcame it all
And we all coulda been like dark-skinned Jermaine
They could have had a typical rapper's lifestyle but instead they succeeded
So now I smile at my haters
He is content with his success, despite what his detractors might think
And deep down I know that they appreciate it
Despite what they might say, they actually admire his accomplishments
It's what you call slow success
He has taken the time to achieve his goals
I'm takin' all bets, no regrets
He's up for any challenge and won't look back with regret
C'mon, celebrate life with me
He invites everyone to celebrate life with him
Contributed by Mia C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
47kiexe
Underappreciated. One of hip-hops unsung heroes. I always was moved by this dude skillz.
YFL The Greatest
Alot of people never heard real rap before this guy is a legend
dece ased
The music behind the song is what made this original. It doesn't have to be like every other song. It's awesome because it's something different.
Bernard
I dont understand how theres so much hate on this video. If this dude was younger people would probably love him...hes got good lyrics and a good beat to back it up. I hate how hip hop has now turned into an image rather than music #R.I.P hip hop
Dr. LS
My official celebration anthem. Therefore, on heavy rotation 🙏🏾
YFL The Greatest
This is one of the hottest songs of the year this is real rap
Donnomercy
Props to Barker for tearing those drums on this track....My boy Skillz and I go back to 87..Richmond, Virginia.....1992-2011...that's a career of MCing...not a one hit wonder..he made it his career folks...appreciate making a living out of your craft..
APL
Travis is on the instrumental, if you had any respect for him you shouldn't be hating on dudes he works with. Much respect to Skillz.
Eric Crown
Sad that if Rick Ross had taken this, it would have been a top 5.. top 1.. song ... but Skillz drops it, classics that'll never be heard by masses
eurone215
Thank you for making a true hip hop song