Skilla Baby says Detroit rappers feel left out of the conversation when it comes to Eminem, even though they look up to him.
In a new episode of Johnny Dang’s YouTube series, Detroit rapper Skilla Baby opens up about his rise in the industry, emotional growth, and what it means to give back to his city. But one topic hits close to home: Eminem.
“Detroit got the biggest rap artist in the world. Eminem. I have not met Eminem yet. I would love to”, Skilla said, adding that the disconnect many feel with the rap icon stems not from resentment but admiration. “All the artists in Detroit would love to meet Eminem. That’s why he gets a lot of push from us. A lot of people are pushing away from Eminem in Detroit because we really want to meet him so bad. He is such a great artist, and he is so big that he doesn’t have to. But that is where the disconnect between us and Eminem is because we actually genuinely want to meet him”.
The rapper explains that for many younger artists, it is hard not seeing someone they admire so much, especially when he’s from the same city: “Every artist in Detroit would love to be in the same room as Eminem. We look up to him, so it comes off wrong because we are kinda young, and it’s a disconnector in the streets. Maybe he didn’t grow up in the streets like us, but we look up to Eminem, just off his path, off how he made it, and where he came from. He has been on the same streets as us. He’s the biggest rapper in the world by far, and a lot of us still have not seen him. That crushes”.
This is not the first time the topic has come up. Icewear Vezzo, Tee Grizzley, and others have all echoed similar feelings. Years ago, Royce 5’9 addressed the issue, reminding artists that being from Detroit does not automatically entitle anyone to a personal bond, but also extended his support to those who reach out.
Eminem may not be out networking with the local scene, but he keeps his ear to the ground. He has tapped Detroit’s own BabyTron for “Tobey”, brought in Young M.A from New York for “Unaccommodating”, and had plans for Tee Grizzley — until he dissed Em and discovered that Marshall was listening.
As for Skilla Baby? He is still hopeful.
