1. His real name is Jonathan Lyndale Kirk
DaBaby, real name Jonathan Lyndale Kirk, was born on on December 22, 1991 in Cleveland, Ohio, but was raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. He had run-ins with the law even as an adolescent, but still managed to graduate from ‘Zebulon B. Vance High School’ in Charlotte. He was interested in music ever since he was a kid but only became serious about being a rapper around 2014. Soon, he began rapping under the pseudonym “Baby Jesus.” After releasing his debut mixtape, Nonfiction in 2015, DaBaby gained some prominence. The rapper dove headfirst into music, choosing to pursue rap full-time with no previous experience and quickly rose from underground mixtape maven to multi-platinum global superstar.
2. DaBaby became popular through his debut album Baby on Baby
The Charlotte rapper rose to fame and became popular through his debut album Baby On Baby, which was released via South Coast Music Group and Interscope Records. The project featured standout hits including “Suge” and “Walker Texas Ranger”. Baby on Baby debuted at number 25 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in the US. This led to the rapper being featured on the cover of XXL as part of the Freshman Class of 2019. Paul Thompson of Pitchfork, gave the album a positive review saying “…the music is refreshingly without pretense or artifice, concerned less with the way it will play in boardrooms and more with the way it will play out of trunks.”
3. “Rockstar” is DaBaby’s highest charting song on The Billboard 100
“Rockstar” features Roddy Ricch and sees the two harmonizing about living the rock and roll lifestyle in the world of hip hop. The song debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and it also appears on DaBaby’s third studio album Blame It On Baby. “Rockstar” came in as the most-streamed Song of Summer 2020 with more than 380 million streams. At the 2020 BET Awards, he paid tribute to George Floyd and channeled the nationwide protests against police brutality in response to his death. DaBaby launched his performance on the ground, with the knee of a white police office sitting on his neck. The recreation of the traumatic video of Floyd’s suffocation by police was accompanied by a verse about DaBaby’s own encounters with police brutality and racial profiling that was featured in the “Black Lives Matter Remix” of the song.
4. DaBaby once dated singer and dancer Danileigh
DaBaby and Danileigh have been rumored to be dating since March 2020. However, in 2021, an argument between DaBaby and the mother of his child, played out live on Instagram, with both parties livestreaming various parts of the fight. The former couple exchanged insults as DaniLeigh claimed that the rapper hadn’t been around since the birth of their daughter, and he was trying to make her leave his apartment. Later on, in an interview with iHeartRadio’s Angie Martinez that premiered on People, DaniLeigh opened up about motherhood, DaBaby and “Dead to Me.” Most notably, she reflected on the Instagram Live she had with the “Rockstar” rapper, which she described as a “very bad time” in her life.
5. DaBaby fought with Danileigh’s brother in a bowling alley
DaBaby and his crew were caught on camera fist-fighting with Danileigh’s brother, Brandon Bills, at a bowling alley. The fight started when Bills confronted his sister’s ex. Within seconds, the brawl broke into the bowling lanes. Later on, Bills took to his Instagram Stories, alleging that “everything would’ve been different” had at least one person been there to assist him in the altercation.
6. He was criticized for his homophobic comments at Rolling Loud
DaBaby faced major backlash from fans and other high-profile musicians after making homophobic comments onstage at Rolling Loud Miami. During DaBaby’s performance, the rapper encouraged the audience to put their cell phone flashlights in the air if they “didn’t show up today with HIV/AIDS or any of them deadly sexually transmitted diseases that will make you die in two to three weeks,” among further derogatory remarks about HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ+ people. The comments quickly sparked backlash on social media, and DaBaby was pulled from his brand ambassador deal with Boohoo Man. His “Levitating” collaborator, Dua Lipa, also spoke out against him, along with other big names like Elton John.
7. DaBaby’s Lollapalooza performance was canceled following the homophobic comments
Following the rapper’s homophobic remarks at Rolling Loud, Lollapalooza removed DaBaby from their lineup. The Lollapalooza announcement was made about 12 hours before the rapper was scheduled to perform on the final day of the Chicago festival. “Lollapalooza was founded on diversity, inclusivity, respect, and love,” the festival said in a statement announcing the rapper was no longer performing. He later said people misinterpreted his comments, but eventually apologized. He issued a longer apology, calling his comments hurtful and triggering. “Social media moves so fast that people want to demolish you before you even have the opportunity to grow, educate, and learn from your mistakes,” he said in a statement. “I want to apologize to the LGBTQ+ community for the hurtful and triggering comments I made,” he continued. “Again, I apologize for my misinformed comments about HIV/AIDS and I know education on this is important. Love to all. God bless.”
8. DaBaby claimed self-defense in the shooting of Jaylin Craig at Walmart
In 2018, Charlotte native DaBaby was involved in a shooting inside a Huntersville Walmart where 19-year-old Jaylin Craig was shot and killed. DaBaby swears he acted in self-defense, when the controversial rapper shot and killed Jaylin Craig. However, never-before-seen footage raises doubts about his story. Rolling Stone obtained newly released security footage that seemed to show a different story from what was originally reported in 2018. Be that as it may, in June 2019 the case was closed and DaBaby was not charged in connection to the fatal shooting of Craig but was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and was sentenced to 12 months probation.
9. He was arrested on Rodeo Drive for allegedly carrying a loaded firearm
In July 2021, DaBaby hit several stores on Rodeo including Dior, Gucci and Moncler. As he and 3 other men were about to drive off, multiple cop cars surrounded their vehicle. A Beverly Hills Police spokesperson confirmed the incident saysing, “Police made contact with the group after they entered a vehicle and were preparing to leave the area,” the statement said. “An investigation followed and a 9MM handgun was found in the vehicle.” The rapper was taken into custody and booked, but was yet to be charged.
10. DaBaby collaborated with Dua Lipa on the “Levitating” remix
Artists in the music industry were quick to condemn DaBaby, including pop singer Dua Lipa, with whom he collaborated last year on a remix of her popular song “Levitating.” DaBaby’s ignorant comments sparked a response from collaborator Dua Lipa to say she was “surprised and horrified.” Lipa, whose Levitating remix features a verse from DaBaby – said in a post to her Instagram Story: “I really don’t recognise this as the person I worked with. I know my fans know where my heart lies and that I stand 100 per cent with the LGTBQ community. We need to come together to fight the stigma and ignorance around HIV/AIDS.” The song was now being phased out of radio play and streaming playlists in favor of a solo version.
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