Lil Baby | |
|---|---|
 Lil Baby in 2020 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Dominique Armani Jones |
| Born | (1994-12-03)December 3, 1994 (age 30) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Discography | Lil Baby discography |
| Years active | 2015–present |
| Labels | |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | iamlilbaby |
 | |
Dominique Armani Jones[3] (born December 3, 1994), known professionally asLil Baby, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He rose to prominence following the release of his 2017 mixtapesHarder than Hard andToo Hard — the former of which spawned his firstBillboard Hot 100 entry with its lead single, "My Dawg."[4] He signed withQuality Control Music, an imprint ofMotown andCapitol Records to release his debut studio albumHarder Than Ever (2018), which peaked at number three on theBillboard 200 and was supported by theBillboard Hot 100-top ten single "Yes Indeed" (withDrake). Later that year, he released the collaborative mixtapeDrip Harder with fellowGeorgia-based rapperGunna, and his solo mixtapeStreet Gossip; the former spawned his second top-ten single "Drip Too Hard", while the latter peaked at number two on theBillboard 200.
Lil Baby's second studio album,My Turn (2020), peaked theBillboard 200 for five weeks, receivedquadruple platinum certification by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and became thebest-selling album of that year.[5] It spawned the hit song "We Paid" (with42 Dugg), as well as theGeorge Floyd protest-inspired single "The Bigger Picture"; both peaked within the top ten of theBillboard Hot 100, while the latter received two nominations—Best Rap Song andBest Rap Performance—at the63rd Annual Grammy Awards.[6] The following year, his collaborative albumThe Voice of the Heroes (2021) with Chicago rapperLil Durk became his second project to peak theBillboard 200, while his guest appearance onKanye West andthe Weeknd's 2021 single, "Hurricane", wonBest Melodic Rap Performance at the64th Grammy Awards. His third album,It's Only Me (2022), became his third consecutive project to peak theBillboard 200 and spawned threeBillboard Hot 100 top-ten entries: "California Breeze", "Forever" (featuringFridayy), and "Real Spill". On January 3, 2025, Lil Baby released his fourth studio album,WHAM.
In addition to a Grammy Award, Lil Baby has won anMTV Video Music Award, twoBET Awards, and was named the all-genre Artist of the Year at the2020 Apple Music Awards. He founded the record labelGlass Window Entertainment (known previously as 4PF) as an imprint of Motown and Capitol in 2023; he has signed frequent collaborators 42 Dugg andRylo Rodriguez.[7][8]
Jones was born and raised in theOakland City neighborhood in SouthwestAtlanta,Georgia.[9] He was two years old when his father left the family. His mother raised him and his two sisters. He dropped out ofBooker T. Washington High School in ninth grade and committed to drug dealing.[10]
In early 2012, he was charged for possession with intent to sell, among other charges. In 2013, was charged with possession of marijuana of less than an ounce. In 2014, he was arrested on charges of possession of marijuana with intent to sell, and was incarcerated for two years.[4][11]
At age seventeen, Lil Baby was a regular presence in the studio of Atlanta-based Quality Control Records as a drug dealer. Label founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee encouraged him to become a rapper, as he felt Baby had "the swag... the lingo, [and] respect around the city".[10] Fellow rappersYoung Thug andGunna served as Baby's mentors in developing his style.[12][13] He released his first mixtape,Perfect Timing, in April 2017 with appearances fromYoung Thug,Gunna, andLil Yachty.
Another mixtape,Harder Than Hard, followed in August 2017. In October, he released his third mixtape in six months,2 The Hard Way, a collaboration with friend and fellow Atlanta rapperMarlo. A fourth mixtape,Too Hard, was released in December, led by his hit single "Freestyle" and accompanying music video. It was certified gold by theRIAA in February 2020.
With his career gaining momentum, Baby released his debutstudio album,Harder Than Ever, in May 2018. It debuted at number three on the USBillboard 200.[14] The album was supported by the singles "Southside" and "Yes Indeed" (withDrake), the latter peaked at number six on theBillboard Hot 100. "Life Goes On" featuring Gunna andLil Uzi Vert charted at 74 on theBillboard Hot 100.[15]
Lil Baby formed his own label,4 Pockets Full (initialized4PF) in 2017.[16][17] Rappers42 Dugg andRylo Rodriguez are signed to the label. In 2023, the label was renamed toGlass Window Entertainment.
After Lil Baby releasedHarder Than Ever, he released the collaborative mixtapeDrip Harder with Gunna on October 5, 2018. The lead single, "Drip Too Hard" went on to become certified Diamond by theRIAA[18] and 4× Platinum byMusic Canada.[19] The song peaked at number 4 on theBillboard Hot 100 and was nominated forBest Rap/Sung Performance at the62nd Annual Grammy Awards. The mixtape was released under the labelsQuality Control,YSL Records andMotown/Capitol.
In September 2018, Baby appeared on theAdult Swim television seriesFishCenter Live.[20] In November 2018, he released his mixtapeStreet Gossip.[21] In December 2018, Baby collaborated withYung Gravy on the latter's single, "Alley Oop".[22]
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He starred in the 2019 filmHow High 2, a sequel to the 2001 stoner filmHow High, which premiered in April 2019, onMTV.[23] In June 2019, Baby andFuture released a single titled "Out the Mud".[24] In July 2019, Lil Baby appeared alongsideDaBaby on the single "Baby", released onQuality Control's second studio album, Control the Streets, Volume 2. The song peaked at number 21 on theBillboard Hot 100.[25]
In November 2019, Baby released his single "Woah" as the lead single for his second studio albumMy Turn.[26] The song peaked at number 15 on theBillboard Hot 100. Baby was featured on YouTuberKSI's track "Down Like That" withRick Ross and British producerS-X, and performed it for KSI'sboxing match againstLogan Paul.[27][28] In November 2019, Baby released a song from the filmQueen & Slim titled "Catch the Sun", which subsequently appeared onMy Turn.
In January 2020, Lil Baby released the second single ("Sum 2 Prove"), for his at-the-time upcoming album, and it reached number 16 on the Hot 100. The album,My Turn, was released in February 2020, and debuted at number one on the USBillboard 200.[29] It features guest appearances fromGunna,42 Dugg,Future,Lil Uzi Vert,Lil Wayne,Moneybagg Yo,Young Thug andRylo Rodriguez.My Turn produced 12 songs that appeared theBillboard Hot 100 chart, giving him a career total of 47 songs on the chart, tying him withPrince andPaul McCartney.[30]
Following the release of the album's deluxe version on May 1,My Turn returned to the top spot on theBillboard 200. In June 2020, Lil Baby released the political track "The Bigger Picture", amid theGeorge Floyd protests. The song debuted at number three on theBillboard Hot 100, becoming Lil Baby's highest-charting song as a lead artist.[31]
On June 26, 2020, Lil Baby was featured onLil Mosey's single "Back at It"— which would appear as the lead single of Mosey's deluxe edition ofCertified Hitmaker.[32][33] Lil Baby’s song "We Paid" featuring42 Dugg from the deluxe reissue ofMy Turn peaked within the top-ten of the Hot 100. In July 2020, Lil Baby was featured onPop Smoke's "For the Night", from his posthumous debut album,Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon. The track reached number six on the Hot 100. In September 2020,My Turn became the first album of the year to be certified double platinum by the RIAA. "The Bigger Picture" received two nominations at the63rd Annual Grammy Awards:Best Rap Performance andBest Rap Song.[34]
In March 2021, Lil Baby performed "The Bigger Picture" at the Grammy Awards in 2021 to mostly positive reviews.[35][36][37][38] The following day, another collaboration with Drake, "Wants and Needs", debuted at number two on theBillboard Hot 100. Passing a previous peak and debut with "The Bigger Picture" for Jones, becoming his highest-charting song overall.[6] In June 2021, Lil Baby released his collaborative studio album with Lil Durk,The Voice of the Heroes.[39] The album debuted at number one on theBillboard 200.
In September 2021, Lil Baby was featured on the song "Girls Want Girls" fromDrake's sixth studio album,Certified Lover Boy.[40] The song debuted and peaked at number two on theBillboard Hot 100, tying their previous collaboration "Wants and Needs" as Baby's highest-charting song overall.[41] On December 16, 2021, Lil Baby was featured on the song “Moved to Miami” byRoddy Ricch from Ricch’s second studio albumLive Life Fast— the track would later peak at number 85 on theBillboard Hot 100.[42] In February 2022, "Do We Have a Problem?" – a collaboration withNicki Minaj was released, along with a music video starring the two.[43] In March 2022, Lil Baby was announced as one of the headliners forJ. Cole's Dreamville 2022 Music Festival.[44] Lil Baby is the subject of the documentary filmUntrapped: The Story of Lil Baby, directed by Karam Gill, which premiered at theTribeca Film Festival in June 2022 and was released onAmazon Prime Video in August 2022.[45]
In April 2022, Lil Baby released the singles "In A Minute", and "Right On", which peaked at number 14 and 13 respectively on theBillboard Hot 100.[46] In September, he released the promotional single "Detox".[47] In October, he released the single "Heyy" as the second single to his forthcoming albumIt's Only Me.[48] The album released four days later and became his third consecutive number one album.[49]
In January 2023, Lil Baby was featured twice on Trippe Redd's comeback album,Mansion Musik.[50] In March, he appeared as a feature on Nardo Wick's "Hot Boy".[51] In April, he released the previously teased single, "Go Hard",[52] before appearing as a feature om Gucci Mane's "Bluffin" in June.[53] In the following month, he released "Merch Madness".
Lil Baby began to roll out his fourth studio album in December with the release of "Crazy" and "350" which were met with negative critical reception and mediocre commercial performance, leading to delays.[54]
In April 2024, Baby appeared on Future and Metro Boomin's collaborative studio album,We Still Don't Trust You on the album's twenty-first cut, "All My Life".[55] The following month, Baby appeared alongside, "Band4Band", the lead single from UK rapperCentral Cee's debut studio album,Can't Rush Greatness (2025).[56] The track peaked at number 3 on theUK singles chart, at number 12 on theBillboard Global 200, and number 18 on theBillboard Hot 100, before being certified gold by theBPI and platinum by the RIAA.
In November 2024, Baby started to roll out his fourth studio album with the release of the promotional singles, "5AM",[57] "Insecurities",[58] and "Touchdown" in December of that year.[59]
On January 3, 2025, Lil Baby released his fourth studio album,WHAM featuring guest appearances from Young Thug, Future, GloRilla, Rylo Rodriguez, Rod Wave, Travis Scott, and 21 Savage.[60] The album debuted at number 1 on theBillboard 200, moving 140,000 album-equivalent units in its first week, beating outBad Bunny's sixth album,Debí Tirar Más Fotos by 18,000 units.[61]
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Jones has a son from a relationship with former girlfriend Ayesha. He later dated model and entrepreneur Jayda Cheaves.[62][63] She appeared in the music video for his song "Close Friends".[64][65]On February 18, 2019, Cheaves gave birth to their son.[66][67]
In May 2021, Jones visited theWhite House along with the family ofGeorge Floyd on the anniversary ofFloyd's murder.[68][69]
On July 7, 2021, after attendingParis Fashion Week events with basketball playerJames Harden, Jones was arrested on a drug charge by police in the8th arrondissement of Paris. Harden was stopped but not detained, and both men were soon released.[70][71][72][73] For this offense, Jones agreed to pay a fine.[74]
On August 26, 2024, Jones was arrested inLas Vegas on a concealed weapons charge.[75][74] He was detained at Clark County Detention Center, and was soon afterwards released after posting a $5,000 bond.[75][76]
Studio albums
Collaborative albums
| Award | Year[A] | Recipient(s) and nominee(s) | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Music Awards | 2020 | Himself | New Artist of the Year | Nominated | [77] |
| "My Turn" | Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album | Nominated | |||
| 2021 | Himself | Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist | Nominated | [78] | |
| ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards | 2021 | Songwriter of the year | Himself | Won | [79] |
| Winning Rap Songs | Baby | Won | |||
| The Bigger Picture | Won | ||||
| Emotionally Scarred | Won | ||||
| For The Night | Won | ||||
| Leave Em Alone | Won | ||||
| Sum 2 Prove | Won | ||||
| We Paid | Won | ||||
| WOAH | Won | ||||
| 2022 | Songwriter of the year | Himself | Won | [80] | |
| Winning Rap Songs | Every Chance I Get | Won | |||
| Girls Want Girls | Won | ||||
| On Me | Won | ||||
| Rags2Riches 2 | Won | ||||
| Wants And Needs | Won | ||||
| 2024 | Songwriter of the year | Himself | Won | [81] | |
| Winning Rap Songs | HEYY | Won | |||
| Hurricane | Won | ||||
| Forever | Won | ||||
| Freestyle | Won | ||||
| Berlin Music Video Awards | 2024 | Pepper (withFlowdan,Skrillex) | Best Cinematography | Nominated | |
| BET Awards | 2019 | Himself | Best New Artist | Won | [82] |
| Himself &Gunna | Best Group | Nominated | |||
| 2021 | Himself | Best Male Hip Hop Artist | Won | [83] | |
| "For the Night" (Pop Smoke featuring Lil Baby andDaBaby) | Best Collaboration | Nominated | |||
| "The Bigger Picture" | Coca-Cola Viewers' Choice Award | Nominated | |||
| 2022 | Himself | Best Male Hip Hop Artist | Nominated | [84] | |
| Lil Baby &Lil Durk | Best Group | Nominated | |||
| "Every Chance I Get"(withLil Durk &DJ Khaled) | Best Collaboration | Nominated | |||
| "We Win"(withKirk Franklin) | Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award | Won | |||
| 2023 | Himself | Best Male Hip Hop Artist | Nominated | [85] | |
| BET Hip Hop Awards | 2019 | "Drip Too Hard"(withGunna) | Best Collab, Duo or Group | Nominated | [86] |
| 2020 | "The Bigger Picture" | Best Hip Hop Video | Nominated | [87] | |
| Impact Track | Won | ||||
| Himself | Hip-Hop Artist of the Year | Nominated | |||
| "My Turn" | Hip-Hop Album of the Year | Nominated | |||
| 2021 | Himself | Hip-Hop Artist of the Year | Won | [88] | |
| "Every Chance I Get"(withLil Durk) | Best Collaboration | Nominated | |||
| Lil Baby &Lil Durk | Best Duo or Group | Won | |||
| Himself | Lyricist of the year | Nominated | |||
| Himself | Hustler of the year | Nominated | |||
| "We Win"(withKirk Franklin) | Impact Track | Nominated | |||
| 2022 | Girls Want Girls | Sweet 16: Best Featured Verse | Nominated | [89] | |
| Billboard Music Awards | 2019 | Himself | Top New Artist | Nominated | [90] |
| 2021 | Himself | Top Male Artist | Nominated | [91] | |
| Top Streaming Songs Artist | Nominated | ||||
| Top Rap Artist | Nominated | ||||
| Top Rap Male Artist | Nominated | ||||
| "My Turn" | Top Billboard 200 Album | Nominated | |||
| Top Rap Album | Nominated | ||||
| 2022 | Himself | Top Rap Artist | Nominated | [92] | |
| The Back Outside Tour | Top Rap Tour | Nominated | |||
| Grammy Awards | 2020 | "Drip Too Hard"(withGunna) | Best Rap/Sung Performance | Nominated | [93] |
| 2021 | "The Bigger Picture" | Best Rap Performance | Nominated | [34] | |
| Best Rap Song | Nominated | ||||
| 2022 | Back of My Mind(as featured artist and songwriter) | Album of the Year | Nominated | [94] | |
| Donda(as featured artist and songwriter) | Nominated | ||||
| "We Win"(withKirk Franklin) | Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song | Nominated | |||
| "Hurricane"(withKanye West andThe Weeknd) | Best Melodic Rap Performance | Won | |||
| "Pride Is The Devil"(withJ. Cole) | Nominated | ||||
| IHeartRadio Music Awards | 2021 | Himself | Hip-Hop Artist of the Year | Nominated | [95] |
| "My Turn" | Hip-Hop Album of the Year | Won | |||
| MTV Video Music Awards | 2020 | "The Bigger Picture" | Best Video with a Social Message | Nominated | [96] |
| "We Paid" (Feat42 Dugg) | Song of Summer | Nominated | |||
| 2021 | "On Me" (FeatMegan Thee Stallion) | Best Hip Hop | Nominated | [97] | |
| 2022 | "Do We Have a Problem?" | Best Hip Hop | Won | [98] | |
| XXL Awards | 2022 | Himself | Male Rapper Of The Year | Nominated | [99] |
| Lyricist Of The Year | Nominated | ||||
| Performer Of The Year | Nominated | ||||
| The People's Champ | Nominated | ||||
| "Every Chance I Get"(withLil Durk) | Song of the Year | Won |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
