Police seek information on person who wounded Eminem protege Obie Trice on the Lodge.
George Hunter / The Detroit News
SOUTHFIELD– Police and family members of rapper Obie Trice were trying to find out why someone shot the Detroit native and Eminem protege as he drove home from a party early Saturday morning.
Trice, 28, was driving his sport utility vehicle on the northbound Lodge Freeway with his girlfriend in the passenger seat when, about 1:10 a.m. Saturday, someone in another vehicle shot him in the head, police said.
“The shot came through his back window,” Michigan State Police Sgt. Mario Gonzalez said. “He was struck in the head, but the bullet just grazed him.”
Trice managed to continue driving, Gonzalez said. “He got off the 10 Mile/Evergreen exit, then (Trice’s girlfriend, whose name was not released by police) flagged down a Southfield police officer, who contacted EMS.”
Trice was taken to Providence Hospital, where he was treated and released Saturday morning.
Trice’s grandmother, Delois Askew, said the rapper was shaken up by the incident.
“He’s doing fair, but he’s naturally quite upset,” Askew said. “It’s a puzzle why anyone would want to do this. Was it just a random incident, or did someone go after him? That’s what we’re trying to figure out.”
Police are also looking for clues, but so far the investigation has revealed little, Gonzalez said.
“We have very little to go on,” Gonzalez said. “We’re asking anyone who may have been on the Lodge at that time and saw the incident to contact us, because right now, we just don’t have much information.”
Askew called it a miracle that her grandson survived the shooting.
“It’s very unusual to get shot in the head and live,” Askew said. “It’s just a blessing he wasn’t hurt really bad. I’ve talked to his mother twice (since the shooting) and I talked to his other grandmother, and we’re all trying to figure out why someone would do this. He’s a happy-go-lucky fellow who tries to be friends with everyone.”
Trice records on Eminem’s Shady Records label. He recently released a new single, “Wanna Know.”
Eminem produced Trice’s 2003 debut album, “Cheers,” which went platinum, and Trice’s second album, “Second Round’s On Me,” which is expected to be released this summer.
Trice had a bit part in Eminem’s hit movie, “8 Mile.” Trice also stars in “Life Goes On,” a movie that is set in Detroit. The film is scheduled to be released Jan. 9 at the Sundance Film Festival.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Michigan State Police at (313) 456-6600.
You can reach George Hunter at (586) 468-7396 or ghunter@detnews.com.