[2] After deciding against college due to a lack of basketball offers and his desire to make money, Skilla shifted his focus to music.

[2] His dedication to rap caught the attention of veteran Detroit rapper Sada Baby, which helped him gain significant exposure.

[4] Signing to Geffen in 2022,[5] Skilla's 2023 releases include Controversy, a collaboration with Tee Grizzley, and his solo album We Eat the Most, which debuted at No.

[8] In April 2024, Gardner released The Coldest, a 19-track project,[5] that features collaborations with Rob49, DaBaby, Moneybagg Yo, Flo Milli, and Polo G, among others.

Gardner's music is inspired by the sounds of rappers like Meek Mill and Lil Wayne, as well as vintage soul and RandB from his father's record collection and even the poetry and literature that came out of the Harlem Renaissance.

[15] 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".

[16] 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.

[17] 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.

[19][20] Gardner has been involved in settling disputes within the Detroit rap community, notably helping to reconcile differences between Tee Grizzley and Sada Baby.

[21] 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.