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The Million Dollar Backpack

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2008 studio album by Skillz
The Million Dollar Backpack
Studio album by Skillz
ReleasedJuly 22, 2008
Recorded2006–08
Studio
  • Homecookin Studios (Philadelphia, PA)
  • Portside Sound
  • Donland Studios
  • Chung King Studios (New York, NY)
  • K1 Laboratories
  • The House That Quest Built
  • Larry Gold's The Studio (Philadelphia, PA)
  • The Boom Room (Philadelphia, PA)
GenreHip hop
Length52:53
Label
Producer
Skillz chronology
Confessions of a Ghostwriter
(2005) 		The Million Dollar Backpack
(2008) 		The World Needs More Skillz
(2010)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
HipHopDX3.5/5
PopMatters7/10
RapReviews8.5/10

The Million Dollar Backpack is the fourth solo studio album by American rapper and record producer Skillz. It was released on July 22, 2008 via Big Kidz Music and Koch Records. Recording sessions took place at Homecookin Studios, Larry Gold's The Studio and The Boom Room in Philadelphia, at Portside Sound, at Donland Studios, at Chung King Studios in New York, at K1 Laboratories, at The House That Quest Built. Production was handled by Bink!, Fusion Unlimited, Khari Ferrari, Carvin & Ivan, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Jake One, James Poyser, Jimmy "Slim" Rose, Kwamé, ?uestlove, Usef Dinero, and Skillz himself. It features guest appearances from Black Thought, Common and Freeway.

The first single off the album was "So Far So Good" featuring Common on the album version and Talib Kweli on the video version. It is the follow-up to Skillz 2005 album Confessions of a Ghostwriter.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."The Million Dollar Backpack (Intro)"2:38
2."Where I Been"Jake One3:39
3."Don't Act Like You Don't Know" (featuring Freeway)Carvin & Ivan3:38
4."So Far So Good" (featuring Common)Usef Dinero4:06
5."Sick"Kwamé3:05
6."(For Real) He Don't Owe Me"Bink!3:21
7."My Phone"
  • Lewis
  • Tyrone Tellington
  • Leonard Stephens
  • Fusion Unlimited
  • E-Flat (co.)
4:37
8."Yeah Ya Know It"3:50
9."Hold Tight" (featuring Black Thought)4:05
10."Crazy World"
  • Lewis
  • Mateen
  • Jenkins
  • Khari Ferrari
  • Skillz
3:25
11."I'm Gon Make It"
  • Lewis
  • Durrell Scott
  • Harrell III
Bink!3:31
12."Be Alright"
  • Lewis
  • Tellington
  • Stephens
  • Fusion Unlimited
  • E-Flat (co.)
4:10
13."Hip Hop Died"
  • Lewis
  • Mateen
  • Jenkins
  • Khari Ferrari
  • Skillz (co.)
  • Dice Raw (voc.)
4:51
14."Preachin to the Choir"
  • Lewis
  • Jimmy Rose
Jimmy "Slim" Rose3:57
Total length:52:53

Personnel

  • Donnie "Mad Skillz" Lewis – vocals, producer & recording (track 10), co-producer (tracks: 8, 13), executive producer
  • Duane Fowlkes – additional vocals (track 2)
  • Leslie "Freeway" Pridgen – rap vocals (track 3)
  • Lonnie "Common" Lynn – rap vocals (track 4)
  • Kwamé "K1 Mil" Holland – additional vocals & producer (track 5)
  • Jamal "Truck North" Miller – additional vocals (track 8)
  • Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter – rap vocals (track 9)
  • Maimouna Youssef – additional vocals (track 10)
  • Durrell "Bishop" Scott – vocals (track 11)
  • Kenny Wray – vocals (track 11)
  • Aaries – vocals (track 12)
  • Cornbread – vocals (track 12)
  • Maurice "DJ Aktive" Deloach – scratches (track 4)
  • Leonard "E-Flat" Stephens – guitar (track 7), co-producer (tracks: 7, 12)
  • James Poyser – keyboards (track 13), producer (track 9)
  • Jeffrey "DJ Jazzy Jeff" Townes – producer & recording (track 1)
  • Jacob "Jake One" Dutton – producer (track 2)
  • Carvin "Ransum" Haggins – producer (track 3), recording (track 4), co-executive producer
  • Ivan "Orthodox" Barias – producer (track 3), mixing (tracks: 1-4, 6, 7, 12), recording (tracks: 2-4, ), co-executive producer
  • Joseph "Usef Dinero"/"Joe Money" Pritchard – producer (track 4)
  • Roosevelt "Bink!" Harrell III – producer (tracks: 6, 11)
  • Tyrone D. Tellington – producer (tracks: 7, 12)
  • Khari Abdul Mateen – producer & recording (tracks: 8, 10, 13)
  • Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson – producer (track 9)
  • Jimmy "Slim" Rose – producer & recording (track 14)
  • Johnnie "Smurf" Smith – co-producer (track 1)
  • Karl "Dice Raw" Jenkins – vocal producer (track 13), co-executive producer
  • Andre Dandridge – recording (tracks: 1, 7, 12)
  • Gary Herd – recording (tracks: 2, 6, 9, 11)
  • Chris "Tek" O'Ryan – mixing (track 4), recording (track 11)
  • A Kid Called Cus – recording & mixing (track 5)
  • Kristal Oliver – recording (track 6)
  • Jon Smeltz – mixing (tracks: 8-10, 13, 14)
  • Steven Mandel – recording (track 9)
  • Montez Roberts – recording (track 9)
  • Jerome Hipps – executive producer
  • Michael McArthur – executive producer
  • Mahfuzur "Shomi" Patwary – design, layout
  • Paul Grosso – design
  • Laurel Dann – A&R

References

  1. Pitts, Brandon (July 23, 2008). "Skillz - Million Dollar Backpack". HipHopDX. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  2. Henriques, Anthony (September 18, 2008). "Skillz: The Million Dollar Backpack, PopMatters". PopMatters. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  3. Juon, Steve 'Flash' (July 29, 2008). "Skillz :: The Million Dollar Backpack – RapReviews". www.rapreviews.com. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
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