23-05-2025
Detroit rapper Skilla Baby in hospital after ‘targeted drive-by shooting'
Detroit rapper Skilla Baby was reportedly shot in an alleged targeted drive-by shooting on Thursday.
The 26-year-old artist, real name Trevon Gardner, was driving in a black SUV on Eight Mile Road in Redford, an inner-ring suburb of Detroit, when he was shot at multiple times, according to local news outlet Fox 2.
Multiple sources told the outlet that one of the bullets hit the rapper in the hand, and two grazed him in the head and the back, causing him to crash into a building on the side of the road. He was taken to a local hospital, where he is expected to recover.
Click on Detroit spoke to one police source, who claimed that Skilla Baby was driving alone at the time of the shooting.
Redford police have launched an investigation into the shooting. As of Thursday night, no suspects had been identified, per Fox 2.
The Independent has reached out to the authorities and to Skilla Baby's representative for comment.
Following reports of the shooting, several fans flocked to Skilla Baby's Instagram to wish him a quick recovery.
'Heavenly Father please bring this man a safe healing and easy recovery in Jesus mighty name we all pray amen!' one wrote.
'Uh un Trevon you better hang in there,' a second said, while a third begged for him to 'let us know you alive please.'
'I love you heal up,' another added.
Skilla Baby has been on the rap scene since 2015, when he decided against attending college, according to Detroit's Metro Times. His dedication to the craft eventually caught the eye of Detroit rapper Sada Baby, who took the then-19-year-old under his wing.
'He found out I was walking to the studio, he made me quit my job,' Skilla told the publication. 'Then I met Juan, who's Sada's manager, and he helped me to the utmost extent. I had stayed with him for a little minute. And Sada was taking me everywhere, to all the shows. Being around Sada did help me.'
In 2019, he released his mix tape Push That Shit Out Skilla, which would help him garner a fanbase. The next year, he released his breakthrough track 'Womack,' which he followed up in 2022 with his first major label debut, We Eat The Most, a mixtape that features some of his top hits, 'Icky Vicky Vibes' and 'Tay B Style.'
During an interview on Keke Palmer's podcast last July, Skilla boldly disagreed with the idea that Eminem was Detroit's best rapper.
'I don't know because if you think number-wise Eminem is the best Detroit rapper,' he explained. 'But the gag is nobody would say that in Detroit.'
A surprised Palmer then asked him to name some of his favorite Detroit rappers.
'I don't know because everybody had their turn being Detroit's favorite rapper,' Skilla responded.
'Sada Baby had his turn, Tee Grizzley had a turn, [42] Dugg had a turn, Babyface Ray had a turn. Veeze is one of Detroit's best rappers now,' he declared. 'Baby Smoove, Big Kizz – a lot of artists had their turn. Rocaine… Everybody had their turn being the best in the city, but what we lack is consistency. Nobody's consistently been Detroit's best rapper.'
Turning the conversation back to Eminem, he admitted that while he was a fan of the 'Real Slim Shady' artist as a child, and still is, he didn't think Detroit considered him 'our best rapper.'
'Nobody in Detroit plays Eminem right now,' he argued.
