:Skrilla
{{Short description|American rapper}}
{{Distinguish|Scrilla|Skrillex}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| background = person
| name = Skrilla
| image = Skrilla Interview 2025 02 (cropped 2).jpg
| alt = A black man with braids silver chain with an eagle on its end
| caption = Skrilla in 2025
| birth_name = Jemille Edwards
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1999|06|03}}
| birth_place =
| origin = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
| genre = Drill
| occupation = Rapper
| instrument = Vocals
| discography =
| years_active = 2018–present
| label = Priority
}}
Jemille Edwards (born June 3, 1999), known professionally as Skrilla, is an American rapper. He is based in Kensington, a neighborhood of Philadelphia. He signed to Priority Records in 2023 and so far has released two albums through the label: Underworld (2023) and Zombie Love Kensington Paradise (2024). His single "Doot Doot" became popular on TikTok in 2025.
Life and career
1.Jemille Edwards was born on June 3, 1999{{cite web |author1=Skrilla |title=June 3 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9JfXLEOj4M&ab_channel=Skrilla |access-date=March 8, 2025 |format=Music video |date=July 10, 2023 |quote=It my birthday, it my birthday}}{{cite web |title=Skrilla Talks Zombieland, Philly's Rap Scene & His Journey |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp0RebCu5OQ&ab_channel=Nardo7_ |publisher=SiriusXM |access-date=March 8, 2025 |format=Video |via=YouTube |date=September 18, 2024 |quote=I just turned 25.}} and raised in Kensington, a neighborhood known chiefly for its open-air drug trade.{{cite web |last1=Duquette |first1=Mike |title=Skrilla Biography |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/skrilla-mn0001299678 |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=March 7, 2025}}{{cite web |title=The POW Best Albums of 2024 |url=https://www.passionweiss.com/2024/12/31/the-pow-best-albums-of-2024/ |website=Passion of the Weiss |access-date=March 7, 2025 |date=December 31, 2024}} His mother is Mexican and from Texas, while his father is African-American and from Philadelphia. The two met in college. He described his childhood as "the best time of [his] life" and has stated that he began selling drugs in his neighborhood at around age 12. He also played basketball for the Amateur Athletic Union and ran cross country in his youth, but stopped playing sports in order to focus on selling drugs.{{cite web |author1=Adam22 |title=Skrilla on Being The Face of Zombieland, Ot7Quanny Beef, Meek Mill & More |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcMGkj-XRoM&t=5s&ab_channel=NoJumper |format=Podcast |via=YouTube |website=No Jumper |access-date=March 7, 2025 |date=April 18, 2024}} As a teenager, he aspired to become a fashion designer and was a member of the Young Chances Foundation program. In 2013, he was involved in organizing a protest for the program against the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the killing of Trayvon Martin.{{cite web |last1=Armstrong |first1=Jenice |title=Saving the next Trayvon Martin |url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/news/20130722_Saving_the_next_Trayvon_Martin.html |website=Philadelphia Inquirer |access-date=March 7, 2025 |date=July 22, 2013}} He has stated that, while in high school, he spent two and a half years under house arrest following multiple heroin-related charges against him. Edwards also practices santería.{{cite web |last1=Amorosi |first1=A. D. |title=Ultimate Philly playlist: The latest local music to check out this winter |url=https://metrophiladelphia.com/philly-playlist-winter/ |website=Metro |access-date=March 7, 2025 |date=November 6, 2024}}
He was inspired by fellow Philadelphia rapper RecoHavoc, his childhood friend, to begin rapping. He soon recorded "Dog Food", his first song as Skrilla. He released his debut single, "Green Snake", in 2018. His mixtapes Kutthroat and Gemini Season were released in 2022 and 2023, respectively. He was signed to Priority Records in 2023 and released his first single with them, "Booted", later that year. His singles "GD", released in January 2024, and "Chrome Hearts", released in August of that year, followed. His album Underworld was released in early 2024 and its follow-up, Zombie Love Kensington Paradise, was released on November 1, 2024, with a deluxe version released on February 28, 2025.{{cite web |title=Skrilla Drops New Project 'Zombie Love Kensington Paradise' |url=https://blancotarantinotv.com/f/skrilla-drops-new-project-%E2%80%9Czombie-love-kensington-paradise%E2%80%9D |website=Blanco Tarantino TV |access-date=March 7, 2025 |date=November 1, 2024}}{{cite web |last1=Wang |first1=Steffanee |last2=Helfand |first2=Raphael |last3=Darville |first3=Jordan |title=Stream LISA's Alter Ego and more albums for New Music Friday |url=https://www.thefader.com/2025/02/28/stream-lisas-alter-ego-and-more-albums-for-new-music-friday |website=The Fader |access-date=March 7, 2025 |date=February 28, 2025}} He also appeared on 03 Greedo's 2024 album Crip, I'm Sexy.{{cite web |last1=Pierre |first1=Alphonse |title=The 27 Best Rap Albums of 2024 |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/best-rap-albums-2024/ |website=Pitchfork |access-date=March 7, 2025 |date=December 9, 2024}}
A snippet of Skrilla's song "Doot Doot" was uploaded to TikTok by an anonymous account in September 2024. It was partially popularized by Taylor "TK" Kinney, a basketball player for the RWE team of the Overtime Elite league who recited the song's lyric "six, seven" in many of his interviews over several months, and through TikTok videos referencing basketball player LaMelo Ball's height.{{cite web |last1=Good |first1=Anna |title=Why do you keep seeing '6-7?' on TikTok? The viral trend and LaMelo Ball meme, explained |url=https://www.dailydot.com/memes/6-7-meaning-tiktok-lamelo-ball/ |website=The Daily Dot |access-date=March 7, 2025 |date=February 4, 2025}} By February 2025, it had been used in more than 126 thousand videos on TikTok. It was released as a single that month with a music video.{{cite web |last1=Denis |first1=Kyle |last2=Unterberger |first2=Andrew |last3=Lipshutz |first3=Jason |title=Viral 'Hostile Government Takeover' TikTok Gets Turned Into Best-Selling Dance Banger |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/viral-hostile-government-takeover-tiktok-best-selling-song-trending-up-1235910818/ |website=Billboard |access-date=March 6, 2025 |date=February 26, 2025}}{{cite web |last1=Wang |first1=Steffanee |last2=Darville |first2=Jordan |last3=Renshaw |first3=David |last4=Helfand |first4=Raphael |title=Songs You Need In Your Life: February 26, 2025 |url=https://www.thefader.com/2025/02/26/songs-you-need-in-your-life-february-26-2025 |website=The Fader |access-date=March 6, 2025 |date=February 26, 2025}} Later that month, he posted on his Instagram account, inviting fans to the filming of a music video with livestreamer N3on in Kensington. It amassed a crowd of more than 200 people that was soon broken up by Philadelphia police officers.{{cite web |last1=Grassi |first1=Emily Rose |title=Crowd gathers in Kensington to meet rapper Skrilla |url=https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/kensington-large-crowd-skrilla/4119061/ |publisher=NBC10 Philadelphia |access-date=March 6, 2025 |date=February 25, 2025}}{{cite web |title=Police break up crowd that gathered to see rapper Skrilla in Philadelphia's Kensington section |url=https://6abc.com/post/police-break-large-gathering-see-rapper-skrilla-youtuber-n3on-philadelphias-kensington-section/15956819/ |publisher=6ABC Philadelphia |access-date=March 6, 2025 |date=February 26, 2025}} In late February, Kyle Pagan of Crossing Broad called Skrilla "the hottest rapper in the city of Philadelphia right now".{{cite web |last1=Pagan |first1=Kyle |title=Rapper Skrilla and Streamer N3on Shut Down Kensington |url=https://www.crossingbroad.com/2025/02/rapper-skrilla-and-streamer-n3on-shut-down-kensington.html |website=Crossing Broad |access-date=March 7, 2025 |date=February 26, 2025}}
Musical style
Skrilla's music is largely drill mixed with detroit rap and he is considered a prominent figure among Philadelphia drill artists. His lyrics often discuss selling and consuming drugs, also referencing santería and his Mexican heritage. His music videos usually feature drug users from Kensington.{{cite web |last1=Burney |first1=Lawrence |title=Skrilla: Zombie Love Kensington Paradise (Deluxe) |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/skrilla-zombie-love-kensington-paradise-deluxe/ |website=Pitchfork |access-date=March 31, 2025 |date=March 18, 2025}} A.D. Amorosi of Metro called his melodies "raging and rough-edged" with "something swift and soulful about them", while Alphonse Pierre of Pitchfork described his flow as "woozy", "swerving", and "punctuat[ed]{{nbsp}}...with unexpected pauses and purposeful stutters", and his beats as "eerie".{{cite web |last1=Pierre |first1=Alphonse |title=Listen to Skrilla's 'GD': The Ones |url=https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/skrilla-gd-new-song-listen/ |website=Pitchfork |access-date=March 7, 2025 |date=January 2, 2024}} For Passion of the Weiss, Harley Geffner defined Skrilla's rapping style as featuring "onomatopoeic" ad-libs and switching between "delicate" and "heavy" flows and "speed[ing]" and "slow[ing]" the pace of his rapping.{{cite web |last1=Geffner |first1=Harley |title=The Rap-Up: Week of August 5, 2024 |url=https://www.passionweiss.com/2024/08/05/the-rap-up-week-of-august-5-2024/ |website=Passion of the Weiss |access-date=March 7, 2025 |date=August 5, 2024}} He has stated that he makes all of his music while under the influence of drugs.
Discography
=Studio albums=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+List of studio albums, with release date and label shown ! scope="col" rowspan="1"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="1"| Details |
| scope="row"| Underworld
|
|
|---|
| scope="row"| Zombie Love Kensington Paradise
|
|
=Mixtapes=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+List of mixtapes, with release date and label shown ! scope="col" rowspan="1"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="1"| Details |
| scope="row"| Kutthroat
|
|
|---|
| scope="row"| Thrilla {{small|(with Thwaglord)}} |
|
| scope="row"| Santos
|
|
| scope="row"| Gemini Season
|
|
=Singles=
==As lead artist==
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ List of singles as lead artist with title, year, and album ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:15em;"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Year ! scope="col" colspan="2" | Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Album |
| scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%"| US Bub. {{cite web |title=Bubbling Under Hot 100: Week of March 8, 2025 |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/bubbling-under-hot-100-singles/2025-03-08/ |website=Billboard |access-date=March 7, 2025}} ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%"| US |
|---|
| scope="row"| "Green Snake"
| 2018 | — || — | rowspan="4" {{Non-album singles}} |
| scope="row"| "187"
| rowspan="2"| 2020 | — || — |
| scope="row"| "24"
| — || — |
| scope="row"| "Murda Gang" {{small|(featuring 40ordy)}} | 2021 | — || — |
| scope="row"| "Neighborhood Hot Boii" {{small|(featuring Jonny Esco)}} | 2022 | — || — | Kutthroat |
| scope="row"| "Mind Blown" {{small|(featuring Broadday PNB and FsdaBender)}} | rowspan="9"| 2023 | — || — | {{Non-album single}} |
| scope="row"| "Geeked Up"
| — || — | Underworld |
| scope="row"| "Too Bloody" {{small|(featuring Quilly)}} | — || — | rowspan="5" {{Non-album singles}} |
| scope="row"| "Monsters Inc."
| — || — |
| scope="row"| "Yeah Its Me"
| — || — |
| scope="row"| "Free Young Thug"
| — || — |
| scope="row"| "The Recipe" {{small|(featuring Jaylanie, Quadie Diesel, and Bigrisky)}} | — || — |
| scope="row"| "Booted"
| — || — | Underworld |
| scope="row"| "Kick Door" {{small|(with Cel NoLackin)}} | — || — | {{Non-album single}} |
| scope="row"| "Blahdahdahdahdah"
| rowspan="14"| 2024 | — || — | Zombie Love Kensington Paradise |
| scope="row"| "God Damn"
| — || — | Underworld |
| scope="row"| "How" {{small|(with Prince Dre)}} | — || — | rowspan="2" {{Non-album singles}} |
| scope="row"| "Dring" {{small|(with Jwles)}} | — || — |
| scope="row"| "Curtis Jackson" {{small|(with C Stunna)}} | — || — | Still Stuntin |
| scope="row"| "Matte Black"
| — || — | Zombie Love Kensington Paradise |
| scope="row"| "Fitness" {{small|(with Quan'ta and D. Savage)}} | — || — | rowspan="4" {{Non-album singles}} |
| scope="row"| "Bhrome Heart"
| — || — |
| scope="row"| "Slide Musik" {{small|(with Lefty Gunplay)}} | — || — |
| scope="row"| "Straight Striker" {{small|(with Baby Kia)}} | — || — |
| scope="row"| "Shirtoff" {{small|(with Perfect Timing)}} | — || — | Everything Comes with Perfect Timing |
| scope="row"| "Resident"
| — || — | Zombie Love Kensington Paradise |
| scope="row"| "Judo" {{small|(with Guapo)}} | — || — | rowspan="3" {{Non-album singles}} |
| scope="row"| "Cadavers" {{small|(with Midnvght)}} | — || — |
| scope="row"| "Walking Dead" {{small|(featuring Lil Uzi Vert)}} | rowspan="2"| 2025 | — || — |
| scope="row"| "Doot Doot"
| 10 || 45 | Zombie Love Kensington Paradise (Deluxe) |
==As featured artist==
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ List of singles as featured artist, showing year released and album title ! scope="col" style="width:15em;" |Title ! scope="col" |Year ! scope="col" |Album |
| scope="row"| "Free Stoopid" {{small|(FSDaBender featuring Skrilla)}} | rowspan="3"| 2023 | rowspan="6" {{N/A|Non-album singles}} |
|---|
| scope="row"| "Striker" {{small|(Rich Sinners featuring Skrilla)}} |
| scope="row"| "Praying to the Wrong God" {{small|(Rich Sinners featuring Skrilla)}} |
| scope="row"| "Stars in the Mirror" {{small|(Rich Sinners featuring Skrilla)}} |
| scope="row"| "Money" {{small|(Sonata featuring Skrilla)}} | rowspan="9"| 2024 |
| scope="row"| "Harriet" {{small|(Shakur Smalls featuring Skrilla)}} |
| scope="row"| "Bowls in the Underworld" {{small|(1mirs featuring Skrilla, Ybcdul, and YoungBagChasers)}} | rowspan="2"| It Starts Here 2 |
| scope="row"| "MLK" {{small|(1mirs featuring Skrilla)}} |
| scope="row"| "Dear YBC" {{small|(Rich Sinners featuring Skrilla)}} | rowspan="3" {{N/A|Non-album singles}} |
| scope="row"| "Paradox" {{small|(Paradox Lab featuring Skrilla)}} |
| scope="row"| "Shoestrings on Lanvins" {{small|(Philly Heat featuring Skrilla)}} |
| scope="row"| "Auntie Ain't Playin'" {{small|(1900Rugrat featuring Skrilla)}} | Porch 2 the Pent |
| scope="row"| "Party Pack" {{small|(Scooby Stackz featuring Skrilla)}} | rowspan="2" {{N/A|Non-album singles}} |
| scope="row"| "All on My Shit" {{small|(Bo Gotti and Kaz Miyagi featuring Skrilla)}} | 2025 |
=Guest appearances=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ List of non-single guest appearances, showing year released, other artists and album ! scope="col" style="width:15em;" |Title ! scope="col" |Year ! scope="col" |Other artist(s) ! scope="col" |Album |
| scope="row"| "Exotic Hots"
| rowspan="7"| 2023 | rowspan="2"| FSDaBender | rowspan="2"| Murder Music |
|---|
| scope="row"| "Nothing Else" |
| scope="row"| "Gunz N Butta"
| OT the Real | Red Summer |
| scope="row"| "Chase Em Til He Trip"
| FSDaBender | Murda Music 2 |
| scope="row"| "Meet the Reaper"
| 1mirs | It Starts Here |
| scope="row"| "Intuition"
| The Vybe | For Those Who Matter |
| scope="row"| "Not a Glock Party"
| Zy Benji | Grab the Belt |
| scope="row"| "Damn!"
| rowspan="13"| 2024 | Cel NoLackin | Highspeed Music |
| scope="row"| "Same Night"
| Lil Tony | 2 Sides 2 Every Story (Deluxe) |
| scope="row"| "Trim"
| FSDaBender | Everything But Death |
| scope="row"| "Going Dum"
| Lil Scoom89 | Nightmares Over East |
| scope="row"| "Trouble Boys"
| Bloodie, DudeyLo, Roscoe G | Bloodbath |
| scope="row"| "Slide Musik"
| PreSeason |
| scope="row"| "Upstate Coke Bender"
| Chito Ranas | Hoodrich Hector |
| scope="row"| "Bippin' Great"
| DjSlimebxll, DoodiBabby | rowspan="2"| Tried to Tell Em |
| scope="row"| "Dribble"
| DjSlimebxll, Jwles |
| scope="row"| "Good Timing"
| 03 Greedo, GrindHard E | Crip, I'm Sexy |
| scope="row"| "Onomatopoeia"
| Zy Benji | In a Month of Sundays |
| scope="row"| "Glockboyz"
| Ola Runt | Backseat Muzik, Vol. 5 |
| scope="row"| "Do a Hit"
| MAF Teeski, Big Opp | Big Scoom (Vol. 1) |
| scope="row"| "Sanity"
| rowspan="8"| 2025 | DoodiBabby, FSDaBender, RecoHavoc | I Am a Rich Sinner |
| scope="row"| "Lets Do It"
| Luh Monk | Archives (Act 2) |
| scope="row"| "Chosen"
| Lil Hawa | 1st Lady Trey |
| scope="row"| "Hat Collection"
| 1mirs, FSDaBender, Zy Benji | rowspan="2"| It Starts Here 2 |
| scope="row"| "Goyard"
| 1mirs, C Stunna, BabyQah, RahhForeign |
| scope="row"| "Fuego"
| KayGlizzy | Locked In |
| scope="row"| "Rick Owen's Glowin'"
| Reese Youngn | Pain or Problems |
| scope="row"| "Real"
| Brezzo | Impatient |
References
{{reflist}}
[[Category:1999(births)
Category:21st-century American male musicians
Category:21st-century African-American musicians
Category:21st-century American rappers
Category:African-American male rappers
Category:21st-century American male rappers
Category:American people convicted of drug offenses
Category:American rappers of Mexican descent
Category:American drill musicians