SKILLA BABY

I mean, the greatest entertainer ever was signed to Motown. Michael Jackson. So it was hard not to notice Motown growing up, especially being from there. My dad used to grow up with some of the artists. They had a place called Graystone Ballroom where all the Motown artists went.

That influenced it a lot because it made me want to think deeper, comprehend, and use similes and metaphors and stuff like that. I was inspired by a lot of stuff though. My dad was an English teacher, so that was the first thing I knew how to do: write and read.

I used to do a bunch of showcases. That meant a lot to me. I used to have to pay for 'em though. Then one time I won, and they let me freestyle on the radio. It felt like I was getting somewhere. I was going to work, probably making $150 each paycheck, and then paying a whole $150 just to go [to the showcase]. I was probably like 16 or 17. That meant a lot to me because normally with showcases, it's a scheme where whoever brings the most people automatically win. I was coming by myself, so when I won it felt good. After that, everyone knows you in the city.

Sometimes I feel survivor's remorse, but I try not to be too far away from the city because that's what really made me. I still go back, I reach back out to the kids. I try to do stuff like that. I don't want to be in the neighborhoods doing street stuff like I used to, so I try to reach back to the kids and show 'em that what they think they can do is obtainable. You can touch me. I'm not too far removed from it.

Sometimes I'm inspirational, sometimes I'm empowering. Sometimes it's a little dark. Sometimes it's gospel-y, and sometimes it's refreshing. Sometimes it feels a little evil. It depends on how I feel that day. I wouldn't put a label on my music. Some people try to label me a girl's rapper and others might label me a street rapper. It depends on what day you catch me for real.

I like this stage in my life, but I like my childhood playing sports. That was a big part, so I'd probably go back to the days when I was playing in little leagues. I didn't have to worry about nothing. No bills, no people, no waking up worried about what I had to eat when everything was planned for me.

I was always able to speak my truth. I was outspoken with people that I know and I love. I'm kind of still like that. If I don't know you, I really probably won't talk so much around you, but if I know you I'll probably tell you exactly how I feel.

It's crazy because my audience changed a lot. At first I thought my target audience was street guys because that's where I come from. Then my target audience changed to women a couple of years ago. Then I found out kids love me, so the more I find different demographics who love me, I try to cater my music to that. Sometimes I get caught up with that. I might drop more songs for the girls or I miss what I used to put out so I put out something like that. It is just based off how I feel really.

It's all about your confidence and how you go through it. When people see that you are not embarrassed by it and you just embrace it, they embrace you. People kick people while they down. If something happened to you and you don't act down, they won't kick you because they're wasting their time. If I keep talking about you and you're ignoring me, eventually I'm going to shut up.

In a room full of vultures, we eat the most. It don't matter who is in the room, who's got more than us, or who they are. It doesn't matter if they're more famous than us. We still getting ours. We're not really focusing on what everybody else is on. We focus on getting ours, we got our eyes on our own paper, and that's all we want. We don't want nothing that don't belong to us. That's really what it is.

I'm going to always embrace Detroit, but it's a ceiling. I think we have a ceiling because we limit our ourselves to the target audience of Detroit. We stay talking about Detroit things and only stuff that Detroit people understand. You got to spread your wings, get out there in the world, hang with different people, get in different circles, and see different stuff so then you don't limit yourself to Detroit and they won't label you as a Detroit rapper. They stopped labeling me as a Detroit rapper. They call me all types of different rappers. I like it though because it puts a different spin on it. I can just play off of whatever, and go whatever way I really want to.

Everybody knows about Coney Island. When somebody comes to the city, I take 'em to the burger truck. They got all types of organic burgers. It's fire. They make nacho burgers, all that type of stuff. Or Churchills. I go to Churchills a lot. The Clique is a good place to get breakfast from. There's all type of spots. I could go on and on. It is the mom and pop spots that you've got to go to. But the best food comes out of Granny's house for sure.

My dates be so simple. I like doing fun stuff, so I do activities. I'm still going to arcades. I'm still going to Top Golf. I'll beat you in bowling. I've been on it. My favorite date though is a nap. I like taking naps. If a girl can nap with me, she's a keeper.

We switch it up so much. People were doing Air Force Ones back in the day, for sure. If you got a whole Dickies fit or Carhartt fit, that's real Detroit. But first that's just real Detroit stuff. Or you could just put on the shorts with the white t-shirt with some J's. You would be that guy. You could do a white beater, you could do a tank with some shorts and Timbs and you'd be that guy.

I like Rick Owens. I like Asics. My favorite Jordans were the 11's but now they're the 4's. Travis Scott's been on my mind lately. I wear a lot of Louis sneakers. I wear that type of stuff too.