Skilla Baby

Style and influences quote="I ain't gon lie, everybody that come to my shows be like, 'Yo front row is full of girls!' I thought that's how everybody's front row look. I don't know where that came from though. I don't get that part, I just be living my regular life." — —Skilla Baby, regarding his largely female fanbase. He describes his style as unorthodox and diverse, making music based on his feelings and experiences. Known for his smooth tone and women-empowering lyrics, Skilla's fanbase includes a significant number of female listeners. He credits his upbringing around strong Black women for his respectful and admiring approach to women in his music.

According to Rap-Up, Gardner was named #9 of Rappers to Watch in 2024, noted for his "smooth tone and women-empowering lyrics that still maintain his bravado". Tracks like "Bae" and his feature on Dess Dior's "Leave Her Alone" have made him a favorite among female listeners. Nonetheless, during an interview with Angela Yee's Lip Service, Gardner addressed a viral video of him stopping a concert in Milwaukee after a male fan began rubbing his chest. Gardner explained that while his friends find it amusing that fans touch him, he is not entertained by such acts, which occur during every show. "I had a girl stick her whole hand in my pants," he revealed.

Activism In February 2024, Gardner partnered with City Council President Mary Sheffield and Judge Tenisha Yancey for a gun buyback event and expungement fair in Detroit. The event aimed to reduce gun violence and assist those with criminal records in finding employment. Gardner emphasized the importance of the initiative: "This will not be the last one. We will try to get as many guns off the streets and clean as many records as possible every year if it's up to me".

Personal life Gardner has been involved in settling disputes within the Detroit rap community, notably helping to reconcile differences between Tee Grizzley and Sada Baby. He also faced an altercation in October 2023 but maintained that the incident did not harm his reputation, Gardner stating, "This is how not gangsta y'all n-ggas is. Y'all walk up on a n-gga while he with a pregnant lady and some kids, man. Then, y'all walk up on me tryin' to go [on Instagram] live, man. Stop doin' that shit. That live shit is police shit, man".

On May 22, 2025, in Redford, Michigan, Gardner was shot three times in a drive-by shooting and crashed his SUV into a building. Gardner was taken to the hospital, and is expected to make a full recovery. Police arrested the primary suspect on June 6.