You may think the drill scene is dominated by one or two major names. However, we would like to introduce you to 41, if you haven’t heard them already. The Brooklyn trio consisting of Kyle Richh, TaTa, and Jenn Carter has been on a tear this year dropping party banger after party banger. 2023 was when they really broke through, thanks to their hit single “Bent.” That landed on their second project from that 12 month stretch, 41 World: Not The Album. It’s probably their most important song of their careers so far, as it’s gotten them recognition from hip-hop’s biggest stars. Additionally, a lot of collaborations have been sparked because of it, with Cash Cobain, NLE Choppa, Fivio Foreign, and Lola Brooke being a few of them.
Also, aiding their ever-flourishing success is the fact that the group’s members are dropping solo material. In doing so, they are following the footsteps of hip-hop’s most legendary formations like Migos, OutKast, and more. That’s only going to increase their exposure and continue to earn them more and more respect amongst their peers and fans. This weekend though, Kyle, Jenn, and TaTa are reuniting for their latest single, “Split.” It also brings on Detroit’s Skilla Baby, who has also been tearing it up. Typically, a drill beat would be the template, but in this case, it’s more a Midwest trap beat. It allows for Skilla Baby to fit more comfortably into the equation, but 41 doesn’t fall behind. Their fiery and aggressive flows and bars match the energy of all of the other elements in tow. Check out “Split” with the link below.
Social media influencer and entrepreneur Ari Fletcher has had her fair share of difficult relationships. Two of her more recent and most notable connections include Chicago rapper G Herbo, and Memphis MC, Moneybagg Yo. The latter is who she’s sort of with right now, as the best way to put their status would be “on and off.” As for the drill mainstay, they have not been together since 2019, but they share a now six-year-old son, Yosohn. Their experience co-parenting has also seen its own deal of ups and downs. We say all of this to say, Fletcher knows what comes with being well-known and how the relationships of this magnitude can be and how they are portrayed.
With that knowledge comes being able to handle the headlines and speculation that can come with it. So, it’s no surprise that Ari is controlling the narrative and setting the record straight, to perfection. Recently, there has been a rampant rumor running around that involves the multi-media savant and up-and-coming Detroit act, Skilla Baby. According to a post from HOLLYWOOD UNLOCKED, a video is the catalyst in this case and it’s been suggesting that he’s been sneaking around with Ari lately.
She didn’t make things look all hunky-dory either, as a lankier man wearing a yellow hoody was walking around behind her. As he was, Ari leaned in the direction of where this mystery man –suspected to be Skilla– was going. She even downplayed the situation by continuing to talk to her fans on social media after that had just happened. However, she’s saying that it wasn’t him in the video and so is the man in question.
Both took the time to address the cheating rumors and did so like adults. Skilla made sure to be on the record saying that G Herbo is one of his boys and that he’d never act out like that. “G Herbo my real big brotha and one of the only rapper friends I have that I value,” he began. “I’m not that type of guy and sis ain’t that type of girl 100% not me in no video with Ari.” She then spoke out saying that it was a close friend who was dealing with a nosebleed at that time. She was also quite shocked that people were assuming it was Skilla in the clip but that she would never fool around like that. She’s also done with the relationship posts claiming, “It’s just better private not even that it’s a secret. It’s just 1,000,000% better this way.”
Skilla Baby is continuing a mixtape series that his fanbase has vouched for time and time again. That is his Crack Music projects, and this weekend, the third installment has arrived. The Detroit rapper is bringing it back to life after two years with 16 new cuts. Features on the project include 2024 XXL Freshmans Hunxho and 4batz, Toosii, Tee Grizzley, and Peezy. The lineage of Crack Music tapes traces back to 2020, about five years after dropping some loosies. Throughout his career, he has been a fairly versatile artist. He’s able to go more pop rap and melodic. But on Crack Music3 (and the rest of them), Skilla Baby is ditching that for more straightforward trap cuts.
The rollout began back in early October with his unexpected 4batz collab, “So Bad.” It would then end on November 8 with the braggadocious and threatening single “Jwett.” Crack Music 3 looks to cap off a strong year for Skilla Baby, who’s been on multiple star-led projects. G Herbo, Maxo Kream, the late Rich Homie Quan, DaBaby, are just a few to list. Additionally, his solo catalog has been bolstered to a great extent with The Coldest and then it’s subsequent deluxe. You can stream Crack Music 3 on your favorite streaming platforms with the links below.
Rising Detroit rap star Skilla Baby returns to his fan-favorite Crack Music mixtape series with CM3, out today via Geffen Records. The 16-track set comes packed with menacing beats, quotable bars, and select guests including 4batz, Toosii, Tee Grizzley, and Hunxho.
Skilla Baby comes in hot on opener “Donovan Mcnabb.” After an intro calls out haters for falsely claiming “Skilla ain’t in the streets, Skilla only makes girl music,” he makes it clear that he’s out for blood and money: “AYE! A hundred thousand every week, I’m in my bag / Richer then I ever f—-g been, that’s probably why they mad.” His voice is raw, the production is booming, and his lines hit with hard punchlines and heavy truths.
CM3 thrives in this space, as Hunxho pops in to flex alongside Skilla Baby on the victorious “Can’t Afford It,” and 4Batz joins in to celebrate loyal ladies on the previously released “So Bad” which included a mansion party video. When Skilla Baby and Tee Grizzley reunite on “Controversy 2” (the sequel to their 2023 collab), their bar-for-bar chemistry makes the case for a new Detroit rap superduo.
Today, revolutionary R&B artist 4Batz and rising rapper Skilla Baby return with the vibrant music video for their latest release, “So Bad.” The video, directed by Anfy, follows the success of 4Batz’s recent single “roll da dice,” featuring Lil Baby.
The “So Bad” video, which premiered on BET Jams, BET Hip Hop, and on the Paramount Times Square billboards, opens with women planning to meet up at a lively house party with 4Batz and Skilla Baby. The party plays out across a luxurious estate, with scenes unfolding around the pool, on the tennis court, and in the living room under a sparkling crystal chandelier.
In “So Bad,” 4Batz pays tribute to a special woman, highlighting her unique presence and unmatched energy. His signature melodic tones blend seamlessly with Skilla Baby’s Detroit-infused flow, creating an engaging and fresh sound. With lyrics like “Let me take you shopping” and “Take you to the tropics,” 4Batz expresses his devotion and the deep connection he feels. The song continues the relationship journey begun in “roll da dice,” now exploring the next chapter with lines like “I seen you on the story, you can be my shawty.”
The music video, teased last week on both artists’ Instagram handles, showcases 4Batz’s 90s-inspired aesthetic, with women speaking on colorful landlines as they get ready for a night out, encapsulating the laid-back vibe of the track.
Today, revolutionary R&B trailblazer 4Batz continues his musical momentum by collaborating with Skilla Baby on the new track “So Bad.” This release comes shortly after his latest single and music video for “roll da dice,” featuring Lil Baby. In “So Bad,” 4Batz pays tribute to the extraordinary woman in his life, emphasizing her unique presence and the deep connection they share.
4Batz’s signature melodic tones blend seamlessly with Skilla Baby’s unmistakable Detroit flow, creating a fresh dynamic that energizes the track. Opening with lines like, “Let me take you shopping” and “Take you to the tropics,” 4Batz expresses his devotion to his partner and the emotional bond they share. While “roll da dice” introduced the pursuit of love, “So Bad” boldly advances the narrative with lines like, “I seen you on the story, you can be my shawty,” marking a natural progression in their relationship.
Initially teased on the artists’ Instagram accounts last week, the music video encapsulates the vibrant vibe of “So Bad.” With a nod to 90s inspiration, it features women preparing for a night out, connecting over colorful landlines. As 4Batz and Skilla Baby continue to build their artistry, “So Bad” showcases their growing chemistry and sets the stage for exciting future collaborations.
In early December 2020, R&B singer-songwriter Teyana Taylor surprised fans by announcing she was retiring from the music industry. In a caption for her Spotify yearly listener wrap-up post, she thanked fans before admitting to feeling “super under-appreciated” by the industry at large, adding that she felt that there was “little to no real push from the ‘machine.’” Later, she clarified those comments on an Instagram live, sharing: “I’m putting in 110%, and my label is giving me — they’re reciprocating, what, 10% of that.”
Since her debut in 2014, the star had released three critically acclaimed albums, with her 2020 release, Album, reaching No. 1 on the R&B charts. Still, she felt that pushing a career in R&B was leading her down a path to nowhere. “Baby, I gotta do it for my mental health,” she continued on her live. “I have to do it for my emotional health.”
Later, she spoke to Cam Newton for his BET series Sip ‘N Smoke, sharing: “I felt like the label [first Pharrell’s Interscope imprint Star Trak, then Kanye West’s label Good Music] wasn’t really hearing me and seeing me. I felt underappreciated. So, for my mental health, my mental well-being, for my kids, let me just put this on ice for a little [bit],” she said. “It’s not that I retired permanently. It’s more like: I just don’t feel like I want to move another inch for a company.”
Fast-forward to now, and the idea of retirement seems to be the antithesis of Taylor’s multifaceted creative career. In the four years since she announced her exit from making music, she’s poured herself into other lucrative creative endeavors—ones that have positioned her as a leading visionary in not only music but also film and entertainment and as creative director.
“I pour into other artists because I want to give them something I wasn’t able to have,” she told NME about her creative direction career. “There are people that are like, ‘I don’t know how to love because I never received love,’ and then you have people that are like, ‘I want to love harder because I want to give you everything I wasn’t able to have’ and that’s me. Imagine retiring and taking the secret potion [of success] to the grave with me. Why would I do that?”
Last year, Taylor took on the reigns of one of Latto’s biggest performances to date, orchestrating the star’s debut Coachella performance. She shared a BTS video of the process, from overseeing choreography to double-checking stage props and analyzing the timing of graphics. Her production company, The Aunties, also worked with up and-comer Lola Brooke. “We literally only had two four-hour rehearsals, but I had no worries,” Taylor wrote in a video post of Brooke preparing for the set. “‘Cause I knew you could and would kill that sh*t. I want to thank you and ya amazing team for trusting The Aunties and knowing that you were in good hands.”
Her team also co-produced and creative directed Lil Baby’s 2023 tour and worked with Summer Walker for a one-off, intimate show in Atlanta last May. Recently, it was announced that she’d taken on creative direction for Skilla Baby. In a video published near the time of the announcement, you can hear Taylor giving the young rapper advice, telling him that the way he carries himself, the way he releases music, all tell the story of who he is and who he’s going to be as an artist, “you got to embrace it,” she says.
Creative direction has always seeped its way into Taylor’s repertoire, even when she wasn’t running a production company. “I think a lot of people get confused and think it was this pivot,” she told the crowd at CultureCon. “I wasn’t like, ‘Now that I’m not doing it I can help others.’ I was already doing it for other artists behind the scenes since I was 15 years old. It’s healing to me,” she said. She directed the neon-lit, slow-burning video for Coco Jones’ “Caliber,” R&B legend Monica’s video for “Commitment,” and has shared her vision with acts like Bryson Tiller, Macy Gray, and ScHoolboy Q.
She also provided choreography for massive stars, like the intense and jittery moves in Beyoncé’s “Ring the Alarm” video, choreographed by Taylor when she was just 15. Direction has been another hat for the star to wear when she isn’t creating elsewhere. She took on the lead in 2023’s critically acclaimed film, A Thousand And One, or when she’s creative directing for fashion brands like the UK’s Pretty Little Thing. Despite her segue from singing, she has no plan to stop creating, and according to one interview, she hasn’t completely ruled out releasing music.
The star even teased a new track on social media earlier this year. “I’m like a Glade plug-in. I want to be plugged all throughout the room,” she told CULTURED magazine of her multi-hyphenate status. “Why only be locked in this bathroom? Why only have the kitchen smelling good when the whole building can smell good?” As Taylor told Jimmy O. Yang for Interview magazine after her film release, “When I follow my heart, it takes me in the right direction every single time,” and much of that direction has been to become a beacon for other artist on the rise, other creatives who could use direction, other creatives who can learn from what she’s been through in the music industry.
Taylor isn’t only rooting for herself, she’s directing in hopes that other artists “win.” “One thing about working with artists, it’s already there,” Taylor said with regard to creative direction and collaboration during CultureCon. “Some people just handle things differently. I don’t feel like I’m teaching anybody anything. I’m just putting makeup on a face that’s already beautiful. I’m just enhancing what’s already there and bringing it out.”
N3WYRKLA is continuing to make a name for herself out on the East Coast, specifically New Jersey. She blends pop rap, R&B, and alterative to create a unique identity. Since launching her professional career in 2023, she’s already gained some notoriety with some established veterans and legends alike. You could argue she got her big break when she got to feature on the most recent album from R&B stalwart Brent Faiyaz, Larger Than Life. Her song with him and A$AP Rocky, “Outside All Night”, has racked up over 52 million streams. Perhaps due to that record, N3WYRKLA is now getting the chance to develop a work relationship with arguably the biggest hitmaking producer of the 2000s, Timbaland.
We covered their first-ever collaboration, “CH3RRY”, and it’s done well with listeners (614,090 streams) and our readers since its June release. Now, we are covering the latest N3WYRKLA and Timbo effort, “mind now”. But this time, she’s recruiting another artist for this release. Skilla Baby, one of the most in-demand guests right now, is coming along for this “messy” love cut. N3WYRKLA is playing the role of one of the Detroit MC’s other options. He’s having a hard time deciding whether or not he wants to date the singer or his “girlfriend”. N3WYRKLA is done with the mind games and wants Skilla to make up his mind and now.
I hope my girlfriend don’t pull a me on me You want me and yo boyfriend Ooh you toxic What the f*** made you tell me to tell my b**** I ain’t tryna be yo man shawty we just vibin I can be yo side n**** you can be my side b**** (HAN!)
Doe Boy is continuing to bring together big names with this new single “Special”. The Cleveland, Ohio native is working with Skilla Baby (once again) and Flo Milli, a first timer. The Midwesterners were recently on “Smack Sh*t”, a September 2023 release, so you know they are going to have great chemistry. In fact, they do on “Special”, a song all about being infatuated with a one-of-a-kind woman. However, if you are familiar Doe Boy and Skilla Baby’s music, you know they aren’t going to go about this subject matter in lovey-dovey fashion.
Flo Milli is also her to give this collaboration its extra flair and raunchy attitude with some pretty braggadocious bars. “I be like, “F*** a red light,” I’m speedin’ my way to the d**k (Damn) / He found out my s*** was tight ’cause he could barely make it fit (Woah) / Now he stalk a b**** for life, you know I’m good for talking s*** (Hey)“. This banger is co-produced by Gentle Beatz, a rising name from Germany whose done a lot of his early hitmaking alongside BossMan Dlow. Overall, “Special” has loads of firepower on all sides, making it a sure-fire club mainstay going forward. Stream the single with the link below.
I knew I was special when I didn’t pay attention in class (Duh) Imagine b****es want my head, I like makin’ ’em mad (Haha) Pretty b****, he choosin’, I can’t help, he like chocolate and a** (Okay) I might shake it all night (Ooh), he suckin’ toes, they all white (Yeah) I was first, stupid b****, she a pup, I’m a pit’
Skilla Baby has been making a lot of noise out of the Detroit rap scene this year. He has really come into his own as of late and it’s given him a much bigger audience. It seems every mainstream MC’s newest tape or single has him on it. He has featured for Latto, Yung Miami, Coi Leray, Rob49, and many more. As a result of these new connections, a lot of them made it onto Skilla’s The Coldest and its brand-new deluxe. The original version of this tape hit streaming platforms with 16 songs on April 26 to some pretty mediocre reviews.
Users on Album Of The Year gave it an overall rating of 54, citing that Skilla Baby has the potential to make some great tracks. However, they felt there were just far too many lackadaisical efforts to rate it any higher. Overall, we share those same sentiments, but the 25-year-old is back to give his die-hards some bonus material. On The Coldest (Deluxe), Skilla Baby has four unheard recordings which feature the likes of Rob49 (again), DaBaby (again), Baby Money, and fellow rising star, BossMan Dlow. Give these new additions a try with the links down below.
