Everything We Know About Missing Detroit Rappers

Police in Michigan are still searching for three rappers almost two weeks after they mysteriously went missing following a canceled show in Detroit.

Armani Kelly, 27, and his friends Dante Wicker and Montoya Givens, both 31, were supposed to go to the city's Lounge 31 for a January 21 show where Kelly was to perform for the second time in his rising music career.

However, it is unclear whether Kelly ever arrived at the venue, a three-hour drive from his home in Oscoda, Michigan. The event he was going to perform at was canceled because of technical difficulties.

After several days without finding any answers, investigating police have called the case "extraordinary."

Commander Michael McGinnis of the Detroit police said at a Monday news conference there is no evidence of activity on any of the men's phones since the evening of the canceled show, according to The New York Times. A car that Kelly drove was found in Warren, a city north of Detroit, on January 23, with no sign of the three missing men.

Law enforcement teams in Warren, Oscoda and Melvindale have now joined forces in investigating the case, according to Detroit police, who said it is particularly unusual for three people to go missing under the same circumstances.

"When you're dealing with an adult that's missing, it's usually one person," McGinnis said.

Kelly's fiancée, Taylor Perrin, who is from Grand Rapids, said that the last contact she had with him was at about 5 p.m. on January 21 over the phone. He told her about the show being canceled and said he would look for another venue in Detroit that was holding an open mic session.

Perrin told the Times that her messages to Kelly had stopped delivery by 9 p.m. on that night. This was a particular cause for her concern because they live in different cities and calls and messages were a major part of their communication.

"We always had contact," Perrin said. "We didn't go hours without talking or at least sending a text to let the other know we're OK. So my mind is racing. I couldn't sleep all night."

The following day, she reached out to Kelly's mother to ask if he had contacted any family or friends. His mother reported he was missing on January 22, the day after the canceled performance, McGinnis said.

Who Are Kelly, Wicker, Givens?

According to Perrin, Kelly met Wicker and Givens when they were in prison together. She said that her fiancée was turning his life around following his release in 2022 after serving eight years for armed robbery.

According to Perrin, he had been working on his music career and taking classes at trade school. She also said they she and Kelly were in the early stages of planning their wedding and were hoping to buy a home.

Relatives of Wicker and Givens reported the men missing after the news of Kelly's disappearance broke in local media on January 27.

Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Detroit Police Chief James E. White said of the investigation: "What was the most concerning, candidly, was the fact that there's been no activity on their phones since they've been reported missing. And that's very, very concerning. That's an unusual circumstance."

White said the case was under investigation by his department's homicide and missing persons units.

As their frustration and concerns increase with each passing day without answers, Kelly's fiancée and mother have moved to launch an investigation of their own.

"Our determination and love for him is what's been driving us this whole time," Perrin said, according to the Times. "And not knowing whether the man I'm supposed to marry is dead or alive—I can't stop until I see his face again, and I won't."

She continued: "With how many days it's been, it's hard to believe he's still out there alive. But I can't sit here and tell everybody, 'Oh, I think he's dead,' because I don't know and the world is a crazy place. Until I see a body, I'm not going to believe it."