RICHMOND, Va. β Richmond native Donnie Lewis, better known as Mad Skillz, won his first Grammy Sunday for his latest album "Words for Days, Volume 1."
The spoken-word album showcases Virginia's music community, including 14 Richmond-area musicians, producers and engineers.
"I want this win to inspire and uplift every creative from where I'm from. Through hard work and dedication you can achieve any dream you have. It may not happen when you want it to or the way that you want it to but if you stay on your path with your passion? It will happen," Skillz said in a statement to CBS 6.
Rapper-producer Michael Millions served as sound engineer on the Grammy-winning album and credits much of his success to Richmond.
"What an incredible feeling," Millions in an interview with CBS 6 one day after winning his first Grammy.
The sound engineer has been working with Skillz for years.
"To have a hand in that it's just, wow," Millions said. "I think it means a lot for the city to be seen in this light because we don't often get it and Richmond is such a special place."
One of the album's producers, Bboy Soul, who's also a Richmond native, accepted the award in Los Angeles on Skillz's behalf alongside Steph Love, who is featured on the album.
When asked what's next after the national recognition, Millions said new projects are already in the works.
"New music. So that's next. New albums new fun things," he said.
AJ Young, a songwriter and family engagement support specialist at Ashland Elementary School, was part of Skillz's Grammy-winning team, according to Hanover County Schools.
"As a songwriter, you try to find the most innovative way to say things,β Young said prior to the award show. "You want to be a voice for the voiceless and find a way to deliver on a topic that everyone can relate to. I love going into a space and creating something that wasnβt there before. When you leave, you have this creation that you can put out into the world."
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