Detroit’s up-and-coming rap artist Skilla Baby, whose real name is Trevon Gardner, was the target of a drive-by shooting at the intersection of 8 Mile and Beech Daly, FOX 2 reports. Gardner was in a black SUV when the attack occurred and, shortly afterwards, allegedly crashed into a nearby building.
Sources validate that the 26-year-old rapper was hit in the head and back and received a gunshot wound to the hand. Emergency personnel took him to a nearby hospital, where he is currently stable. FOX 2 indicates that Gardner will recover fully.
Social Media Erupts With Concern and Support
Word of the shooting shocked fans and the music community, with an outpouring of messages of support and outrage circulating online. “They shot Skilla Baby??? Too far fr,” a fan wrote. Another couldn’t believe what was happening, writing, “Skilla Baby is so unproblematic. Why would anyone shoot him?”
Others theorized that the increasing popularity of the rapper could have brought in unwanted attention. “I can tell some of y’all found him once he went industry… but true. Shooting Skilla Baby regardless is wicked,” another user wrote. Another begged, “I’m happy Skilla Baby okay because I almost cried… is y’all coo?”
Some warned against going back home, with one user cautioning, “Don’t go back home, them n***as hateful… Nothing good ever come from there.”
Who Is Skilla Baby?
Having been born on Detroit’s West Side in 1998, Trevon Gardner started his music career as a teenager. He caught the mainstream ear with his 2019 single “Trevon” off the album Push That Shit Out Skilla. Ever since, his original sound and hard work ethic have established him with a loyal fan base.
Skilla Baby has more than 380,000 YouTube subscribers and a whopping 1.4 million on Instagram. In April 2024, BET chose him as their Amplified Artist of the Month in recognition of his growing influence.
As Skilla Baby recuperates, questions also surround what could have been the motive for the shooting. The attack serves to highlight the dangers of fame, especially in a city where rap stardom and street politics tend to intersect. For now, fans and contemporaries alike are relieved that the rapper survived the shooting and wish him nothing but continued success in music, not crime.
