Skilla Baby, one of Detroit’s hottest MCs, used connections to other artists in the city like Sada Baby to catapult himself into the limelight. Once fans began noticing his unique skill set, he never looked back. While still staying true to his Motor City roots, he invites a diverse set of rappers from across the country to help colour his 2024 LP The Coldest. On “Richie” he goes bar-for-bar with Memphis mainstay Moneybagg Yo. The dark and minimal beat, highlighted by sparse piano notes and horror-movie-esque synths, is classic Detroit, but Skilla proves chameleonic when he tag-teams with the deep-voiced Bluff City assassin. On “Slimm Shady”, the rapper recruits Sacramento street legend Mozzy to add his perspective. Skilla proves dexterous, narrating a street tale that would make his co-artist proud while still cleverly honouring his home state: “Gun hot but my glovеs on, I’m in the mitten with it.”