Skilla Baby Shows Maturity & Growth

Skilla Baby is an artist I’m familiar with; I even caught a project or two from him a few years back. His new album, The Price of Fame, just dropped, and while I wasn’t sure if I’d get to it, a push from my guy Ernie on IG convinced me to check it out. I’m glad I did. I needed a reminder of the skill Skilla Baby brings to the table, and it’s not to be slept on.

​Skilla delivers better rhymes and flows than my memory served. While his cadence isn’t overly flashy, it’s solid and maintains consistent quality across the project. There are a lot of tracks to enjoy here, elevated by a blend of strong production choices, personal insight, and vulnerability. Hard-knocking cuts like “For Sure” and “Standing On It” are somewhat few and far between, but they still stand out as personal favorites. For the most part, the album leans into a more melodic, soulful sound—a direction I don’t always prefer for a full-length LP, but one that Skilla executes well while continuing to spit real bars.
​Tracks like “GYSM,” “No Tears,” “Paranoid,” and the Nas-assisted “Respect My Gangsta” anchor this cohesive, laid-back vibe with high-quality songwriting. A few tracks don’t hit the mark for me—such as “Ain’t Enough” or “Face Card” with Chris Brown and Bryson Tiller—and “London Tings” is easily my least favorite. It’s the second song this month to feature a British theme and accent, though to be fair, Skilla handles it much better than the other track I heard.

​On the flip side, several songs showcase a level of maturity and intelligence that critics might not expect. “Be Me” is the absolute high point of the record. On it, Skilla talks about motivating the youth back home, explaining that the only reason he goes back to the hood is to show kids they aren’t trapped.
​While The Price of Fame took some warming up to and might not be an everyday rotation pick for me, Skilla Baby went off and curated a fantastic soundscape. It re-established just how dope he is, makes for a thoroughly worthwhile listen, and leaves me looking forward to his next move.

​Standout Tracks: “GYSM,” “No Tears,” “Respect My Gangsta,” “Be Me”

Album Rating: 👑👑👑👑👑👑👑 (7.5/10)