Skills Pay The Bills

Skilla Baby‘s ascension as one of the fastest rising artists in Detroit has come with a mix of success and tribulations that may have sent lesser determined artists in a downward spiral. From jail stints to gunshot wounds, the rapper’s career has been peppered with incidents which most would attempt to capitalize on as a testament to their street cred. Yet, Skilla prefers to place the focus on his music, which has garnered the up-and-comer’s popularity beyond the borders of Michigan.

Building his base with breakout projects like Push That Shit Out Skilla, Crack Music, Carmelo Bryant, and Standing on Business, the rapper sparked a bidding war, eventually signing with Geffen Records in 2022. Unleashing his We Eat The Most EP at the tail-end of last year, Skilla spent 2023 on a tear. After appearing alongside fellow Detroit native Tee Grizzley for the collaborative project Controversy in April 2023, Skilla returned in the summer with We Eat The Most Reloaded, a deluxe project featuring appearances from G Herbo, BabyTron, Rylo Rodriguez, and Luh Tyler.

Having amassed millions of spins on streaming platforms and YouTube, Skilla Baby looks to up the ante with his forthcoming project God’s Favorite. Slated for release in January 2024, God’s Favorite marks the next step in Skilla’s creative journey and looks to continue the star’s promising trajectory. After celebrating his 25th birthday with a party with guests like G Herbo, DreamDoll, Lakeyah, Luh Tyler, Tee Grizzley, and more, Skilla is prepared to expand his empire and fully assert himself as a boss in the making. “I’m just more focused on business and being more business savvy,” he tells VIBE on the phone. “Entrepreneurship, I’m trying to do more ventures like that. I think that’s how my mind has expanded, for real.”

VIBE spoke with Skilla Baby about his ongoing hot streak, personal and professional growth, and his evolution into a neighborhood hero and leader in his community. 

You come from Detroit, which has a deep and rich history. How would you describe the vibe and culture of the city?

Detroit is Detroit. It’s raw, rugged, but it’s more like a family. Like you’ll fall out with your family, but the family is always us versus everybody. So it’s not like Detroit against Detroit when it comes to other people. It’s like more of a family vibe.

Earlier this year, you released your album We Eat The Most Reloaded. How did it feel to see the public gravitate to that record?

I like it. I didn’t want to drop the Reloaded [version] to my tape, it was more labeled decision. That’s more their expertise, so they dropped the tape. I guess they knew the reaction it was gonna get. I never expected it to get the reaction it got. So hopefully we do better in 2024.

A popular song from We Eat The Most is “Icky Vicky Vibes.” What was the inspiration behind it?

I don’t know. I just wanted you to do something fun. I was writing and I wanted to write something that was fun and something that was relatable while being witty and metaphoric. So that’s what just came about. That’s why it’s just not like one topic. I feel like it’s a good song, but it’s not just about one thing.

You also linked with Tee Grizzley for the album Controversy earlier this year. How did that collaboration come about?

We have mutual friends, so they just put us together and then we just ended up enjoying working with each other and it’s been up from there.

How would you describe the chemistry with Tee and working with him in the studio?

It’s easy. He has ideas, I have ideas. We come together and it don’t matter who takes point or who takes the lead, it’s just be easy like that because it don’t feel like it’s one-sided. So we both be open and listening and trying new things and trying ideas. Like I put together the “Gorgeous” record and the “Side Piece” record, he put together the “Controversy” record and “B&E Pt. 1” Like he made me try the storytelling stuff, so it was fun. It wasn’t just doing one thing, we were just having fun, day by day. We were just coming up with new ideas.

You’ve collaborated with Tee Grizzley and Sada Baby on albums. Is there any other artists you’d consider working on a project with?

It’s a bunch of artists I’d consider doing it. I’m gonna focus on dropping me a project first because I haven’t dropped a project or a full body of work since I’ve been on the label for real. So I wanna do that first. But it’s the Rob49’s, it’s the G Herbo’s, a lot of people I’d do projects with, but it would be based off chemistry and friendship and people I get along [with]. I don’t not get along with nobody, but these are people that I hang with and call regularly on daily basis. And that’s the type of people I want to work on a project with, not just based off [peoples] views or social status.

Speaking of Sada Baby, he’s a mentor of yours and has appeared on all of your albums, outside of We Eat The Most. What’s the backstory to your relationship?

I grew up with his little brother. We got a lot of mutual friends and family, so one day, he just called and wanted me around. I don’t really just be hanging with people or working on music with people I don’t know like that, so I just had to feel him out and see what type of person he was. He was a cool person, then we got to hanging and it turned to music and that’s just been my brother ever since.

You played a pivotal role in squashing a dispute between Tee Grizzley and Sada Baby earlier this year. What inspired you to take it upon yourself to clear the air?

I just care about both of them and they both care about me. Regardless of what’s going on, what genre of music I’m in, I like peace. I don’t like discrepancies, I don’t promote violence or anything like that. They’re older than me, but I’d rather see these two young men come together and get money and be able to do shows together and do stuff like that than just letting something linger. And it’s really about nothing and wasn’t that serious.

You recently received a cosign from Jack Harlow, who shouted you out in a snippet of his own music. Have you heard that yet and if so, what was your reaction?

It was cool. I’ve been knowing Jack Harlow for a minute, for real. We haven’t been best friends, but I knew him before he blew up and stuff, so it was cool getting that shout out from him. Especially seeing where he came from and where I come from. So it was like receiving a recognition a little bit and notoriety for the work I do in my community and stuff like that.

You recently released your new single “Bae,” which was accompanied by a music video. How would you describe the perfect “bae” for Skilla?

I don’t know, I don’t really have no type. I just like somebody with a beautiful soul for real, like beautiful inside and out. That’s cool with me. As long as you love me for me, I’m cool.

Was that song inspired by anybody in particular?

I think the song was more inspired by previous songs that I had success with. Like my mind gorgeous was like two successful songs for me that I came up with the concept for by mistake. So by me coming up with those songs by mistake, I just wanted to see how well a record would work if I took some of the same elements and ingredients out of those songs and put it into another song. And [to] see how well the record turned out for me.

You’ve dubbed yourself “God’s Favorite,” which is also the title of your EP that’s set to drop at the top of next year. What inspired the title?

I just be going through a lot of stuff personally and I make it out with a smile. And nobody ever knows the stuff I be going through because I just always come out every situation on top for some reason. And I be feeling like it’s not me, it’s God. I just feel like God favors me. I’m not saying he loves me more than anybody else, I just be feeling like to make it out of a lot of situations I be making out of, I gotta be God’s Favorite.

Who are some of the artists and producers you worked with on this project?

GoGrizz. I got some producers, Jay and Cee I work with them a lot. Some artists…NoCap, Rob49, G Herbo and Jeremiah is going to be on there. Hopefully some more artists, too, I just can’t think of them all right now. 2Rare. There’s a couple people I’m trying to get on there.

Is God’s Favorite going to be an album or is it still an EP project?

Like a mixtape. I don’t know what classifies something as an album. I’m not really aware of that, but I know it won’t be short like an EP, though. It won’t be real short, so it will probably more of an album-like mixtape.

What was your mind-state while recording this project?

I just wanna showcase my talent, for real. I just wanna show people how diverse I can be, how intimate I can be. I just want to show different sides of me. Like the rap side, singing. The melodic side, the tough side, the emotional side. I just showcase all different sides of me.

What are three songs from God’s Favorite you’re excited for fans to hear?

I’m excited about all of them, for real. I be excited about different songs on different days.

What do you think you’ll have proved or accomplished with God’s Favorite when it’s finally in the hands of the people?

I just wanna be solidified as an artist. I know people be trying to put me in a box or say I yell too much, I talk too much about girls or I’m going too commercial. I just want to show all sides and satisfy all my fans. So I just want to show people like like I’m here to stay, for real.

What’s next for Skilla Baby?

There’s new music. I’m gonna do more stuff for my community and try to expand it to other people’s communities. I’m doing a gun buy-back in February for Detroit. I’m partnering with the city council, the mayor’s office, Wayne County sheriffs, and Detroit Police Department. I’m just doing more stuff giving back to my community instead of taking out of it. I think that’s gonna be my focus in 2024.