DaBaby | |
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 DaBaby in 2025 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jonathan Lyndale Kirk |
| Also known as |
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| Born | (1991-12-22)December 22, 1991 (age 33)[a] Cleveland,Ohio, U.S. |
| Origin | Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Discography | DaBaby discography |
| Years active | 2014–present |
| Labels |
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| Children | 4 |
| Website | officialdababy |
| Signature | |
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Jonathan Lyndale Kirk[5] (born December 22, 1991), known professionally asDaBaby (formerlyBaby Jesus), is an American rapper. After releasing severalmixtapes between 2014 and 2018, he signed withInterscope Records in January 2019 in a joint venture with the North Carolina–based record label, South Coast Music Group. His debut studio album,Baby on Baby (2019), spawned the single "Suge", which peaked within the top ten of theBillboard Hot 100 a month after its release.
His second studio album,Kirk (2019), debuted atop theBillboard 200 and spawned the hit singles "Intro" and "Bop". That same year, he guest appeared on the singles "Enemies" byPost Malone and "Cash Shit" byMegan Thee Stallion. His third album,Blame It on Baby (2020), became his second to peak the chart and spawned the single "Rockstar" (featuringRoddy Ricch), which spent seven non-consecutive weeks atop theBillboard Hot 100 in the wake of that year'sGeorge Floyd protests. Furthermore, it receivedquintuple platinum certification by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and was nominated forRecord of the Year at the63rd Annual Grammy Awards.
In 2020, he guest performed on the remix of "Whats Poppin" byJack Harlow and the single "Levitating" byDua Lipa, both of which peaked at number two on theBillboard Hot 100. In the wake of controversies regardinghomophobia, he released the collaborative mixtapeBetter than You (2022) withYoungBoy Never Broke Again, and his fourth album,Baby on Baby 2 (2022); both were met with commercial declines.
Jonathan Lyndale Kirk was born on December 22, 1991,[a] inCleveland,Ohio.[6] He moved toCharlotte, North Carolina at age six, where he spent most of his early years.[7] He attended Vance High School, now calledJulius L. Chambers High School, where he graduated in 2010.
He attended theUniversity of North Carolina at Greensboro for two years.[8] He did not complete his studies, saying he only went to college for his parents' sake.[9] He grew up listening toEminem,50 Cent andLil Wayne with his two older brothers.[10]
Kirk began taking music seriously between 2014 and 2015.[9] In 2015, he started off his music career by releasingNonfiction, his debutmixtape. He followed this up with hisGod's Work mixtape series,Baby Talk mixtape series,Billion Dollar Baby, andBack on My Baby Jesus Sh*t. He initially performed under the name Baby Jesus, which he eventually changed out of concern that it had become a distraction.[11]
Kirk got his big break after signing to Arnold Taylor, the president of the South Coast Music Group label, a big radio promoter. Taylor saw Kirk perform aroundNorth Carolina clubs at the time he [Taylor] was launching his label. Taylor had been responsible for the early rise ofSouthern rap stars includingYo Gotti andFuture.[9] Once they started working together, the team kept building buzz around the South with mixtapes and club shows, while Kirk was finding his sound.[11]
Through his deal with South Coast, Kirk signed a short-lived distribution deal withJay-Z'sRoc Nation for hisBlank Blank mixtape that would prove to be his breakout in late 2018.[11] Thanks to the guidance of Taylor, and following major label bidding wars, Kirk landed a seven-figure recording deal withInterscope.[9]
In January 2019, upon being signed to Interscope, Kirk launched his own imprint, Billion Dollar Baby Entertainment.[12] In March 2019, Kirk's debut studio albumBaby on Baby, was released viaInterscope Records and South Coast Music Group in ajoint venture with both labels. The thirteen-track project features guest appearances fromOffset,Rich Homie Quan,Rich the Kid andStunna 4 Vegas.[13]
Baby on Baby debuted at number 25 on theBillboard 200 albums chart in the US. The song "Suge" debuted on theBillboard Hot 100 at number 87 on the chart, dated April 13, 2019, and reached the top 10 on the chart, dated June 8, 2019.[13] Kirk was featured on the cover ofXXL as part of the Freshman Class of 2019.[14]
Kirk featured on various hit songs throughout mid-2019, includingMegan Thee Stallion's "Cash Shit" andQuality Control's "Baby", both of which reached the top 40 on theBillboard Hot 100. In July 2019, Kirk was featured onDreamville's compilation albumRevenge of the Dreamers III, on the opening track, "Under the Sun". He received acclaim for his guest feature, with various publications ranking it as his best verse of 2019,[15][16][17] includingComplex magazine calling it a "defining breakout moment for a new rap superstar".
In August 2019, he announced that his second album would be titledKirk, named after his surname.[18] It was released in September, and debuted atop the USBillboard 200.[19] Its lead single, "Intro", was successful, peaking at number 13 on theUSBillboard Hot 100 chart. Around that time, Kirk also made notable appearances on singles such asPost Malone's"Enemies",[20] which peaked at number 16 on theBillboard Hot 100, and on the remixes toYG's "Stop Snitchin",Lizzo's "Truth Hurts",[21] andLil Nas X's "Panini",[22] released in May, August, and September 2019, respectively. In October, he made a cameo appearance in the music video for his protégé, Rich Dunk's single "High School".[23]
Kirk closed 2019 having 22 entries on theBillboard Hot 100 for the year, the most of any artist that year.[24][25]
At the62nd Annual Grammy Awards, held in 2020, Kirk received two nominations, both for"Suge", in the categoriesBest Rap Performance andBest Rap Song.[26] His third studio album,Blame It on Baby, was released in April 2020.[27] The album received mixed to positive reviews, and achieved commercial success, debuting atop theBillboard 200 with 124,000album-equivalent units, becoming Kirk's second number-one album.[28] It produced his highest-charting song, "Rockstar", featuringRoddy Ricch, which spent seven non-consecutive weeks at number-one on theBillboard Hot 100, and reached number-one in the United Kingdom.[28][29]
In June, Kirk was featured on the remix for theJack Harlow song "Whats Poppin", which peaked at number two on the Hot 100 while "Rockstar" was still at the top. This made DaBaby the 20th act to occupy the chart's top 2 positions, and the first sinceAriana Grande in 2019. In July, Kirk was featured on "For the Night" byPop Smoke andLil Baby, which debuted at number six on the Hot 100. As a result, DaBaby became the seventh act to chart at least three songs in the top six simultaneously.[30]
In July 2020, Kirk released a single with his signeeStunna 4 Vegas, titled "No Dribble",[31] included on the deluxe edition ofBlame It on Baby, which was released in August 2020, and described by DaBaby as a "brand new album".[32]In November 2020, DaBaby released his debut EP,My Brother's Keeper (Long Live G). It pays tribute to his late brother, Glenn Johnson, and features appearances fromMeek Mill,NoCap,Toosii, andPolo G.[33] Kirk contributed a feature on the remix of "Levitating" by English singerDua Lipa. Though the remix was released in late 2020, the song began climbing up the charts and peaked at number 2 on theBillboard Hot 100 in 2021.
In January 2021, DaBaby released the single "Masterpiece" alongside a music video for the track directed by Gemini Visions.[34] The track includes references to his relationship withDaniLeigh and to his past legal troubles.[35][36] In February, DaBaby released a remix toSpotemGottem's singleBeat Box, along with a music video. He released the June singles "Ball If I Want To",[37] and "Red Light Green Light",[38] and "Giving What It's Supposed To Give" in July.[39]
In July 2021, Kirk faced backlash for remarks largely regarded to behomophobic.[40][41] While performing at theRolling Loud Festival inMiami Gardens, Florida on July 25, he said, "[If] you didn't show up today withHIV/AIDS, or any of them deadly sexually transmitted diseases that'll make you die in two to three weeks, then put a cellphone light in the air. Ladies, if your pussy smell [sic] like water, put a cellphone light in the air. Fellas, if you ain'tsucking dick in the parking lot, put a cellphone light in the air."[42][43][44] In the wake of his remarks, DaBaby's scheduled appearance atLollapalooza on August 1 was cancelled and later replaced byG Herbo.[45] The fashion brand BoohooMAN ended its collaboration with Kirk.[46] On August 2, the organizers of theGovernors Ball Music Festival announced Kirk had been removed from the 2021 lineup as a result of his comments.[47] He was also cut fromParklife Festival, Day N Vegas,[48]Austin City Limits Festival,Music Midtown, and theiHeartRadio Music Festival.[49] Radio stations substituted a version of the "Levitating" remix without his contribution, resulting in his credit being removed on theBillboard Airplay Charts on August 9.[50] On August 24, he also addressed being "canceled" in a freestyle overBia's song "Whole Lotta Money".[51]
In March 2022, he released the mixtapeBetter than You withYoungBoy Never Broke Again. In September, he released his fourth studio albumBaby on Baby 2.[52]
| Billion Dollar Baby | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2017 |
| Founder | DaBaby |
| Status | Active |
| Distributor(s) | Interscope Capitol Labels Group |
| Genre | |
| Country of origin | U.S. |
| Location | Charlotte, North Carolina |
Billion Dollar Baby Entertainment is an American record label founded by DaBaby in 2017, based inCharlotte, North Carolina.[53] DaBaby spoke about intending to focus on the record label saying "I won't be rapping in five years; I won't be rapping. I'll be creating other superstars."[54]
Charles Holmes ofRolling Stone described Kirk's flow as a "staccato, precise, and brutal rapping style, a syllable-crushing force delivered with such forward momentum it often gives the illusion that he starts rapping before the beat begins". According to Holmes, the most notable example of this effect is in his breakthrough hit "Suge".[8]
Speaking on his influences, Kirk has said he studied artists likeFuture,Lil Wayne andKanye West, who he says "came up and consistently progressed". He further elaborated: "I've studied all the genius marketers throughout the rap game. I borrow from anybody with something to offer". Jeff Weiss ofThe Guardian favorably compared to Kirk toBusta Rhymes,Eminem,Missy Elliott andLudacris, noting the similarities in their musical styles which include "inventive rap stylists unafraid to make videos full of funny parodies and rubber-faced camera goofs".[9] According to Weiss, Kirk "reflects ananachronistic approach to the rap game. If the charts are filled with opiated threnodies about addiction and sadness, he eschews singing in favor of raps that could take your head off". Kirk has said "I can't sing, but I'll hit some notes here and there".[9]
DaBaby often collaborates with Reel Goats. Jessica McKinney ofComplex wrote that their videos "always have comedic and fun elements to them."[55]
Kirk has a stepson born in 2014 and three daughters born in 2017, 2020, and 2021.[56]
Kirk's father died in 2019 shortly after the release of his debut studio album. Hissecond album is a tribute to his last name, with the cover being his father holding him as an infant.[57] Kirk's brother, Glen Johnson, died in November 2020, at age 34, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.[58][59]
Regarding his religious beliefs, he stated in 2019 that "I'm blessed. I'm covered bythe blood of Christ."[60]
He dated fellow American rapper and singerDaniLeigh in 2020. The couple split in February 2021. Months after the split, it was reportedly confirmed that Kirk had fathered a child with her after a viral incident of the two was recorded and posted onInstagram.[61][62][63]
He supported but did not vote forKanye West's2020 presidential campaign and supportedDonald Trump's2024 presidential campaign.[64]
In November 2018, Kirk shot a 19-year-old man in the abdomen at aWalmart inHuntersville, North Carolina. The man, Jaylin Domonique Craig died soon after.[65] Kirk confirmed his involvement in the shooting and said that he acted in self-defense.[66] The most serious charges were dropped in March 2019,[65] and he pleaded guilty tocarrying a concealed weapon, a misdemeanor.[67]
In April 2022,Rolling Stone released the surveillance tape of the incident, sparking renewed scrutiny in the incident after Kirk shot a trespasser at hisTroutman, North Carolina estate earlier that month.[68] No one was charged for the incident in Troutman.[69]
In January 2020, Kirk was detained and questioned inMiami in connection with a robbery investigation. He was later arrested after authorities found he had anarrest warrant out inTexas stemming from abattery charge.[70] According toTMZ and other outlets, members of his crew allegedly assaulted and robbed a music promoter who only paid Kirk $20,000 of the $30,000 he was owed for a performance in Miami.[71][72] Reports state that he and his associates allegedly took $80 cash, an iPhone 7, and a credit card from the promoter. Kirk was charged with battery and released from Miami-Dade County jail 48 hours later.[73]
During Kirk's 2020 "Up Close N Personal" tour, he slapped a female fan on his way to the stage for a performance inTampa, Florida. The crowd responded by booing, and he left the venue without performing any songs. He said that he struck her because she placed her phone too close to his face while taking a video with the flash on. In a video posted onInstagram, Kirk said, "I do apologize that there was a female on the other end. I think by this time, you know it's a well known fact that male or female, I would've responded the same exact way."[74]
In February 2022, Kirk and his crew assaultedDaniLeigh's brother Brandon Bills at a bowling alley in the Los Angeles area.[75] Later that year, Kirk was charged withfelony battery for an alleged assault against a rental property owner inLos Angeles.[76] In 2024, he pled guilty to misdemeanor simple battery for the incident.[77]
Studio albums
| Award | Year | Recipient(s) and nominee(s) | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards | 2020 | "Baby Sitter" | Winning R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | Won | [83] |
| "Cash Shit"(with Megan Thee Stallion) | Won | ||||
| "Suge" | Top R&B/Hip-Hop Song | Won | |||
| BET Awards | 2020 | Kirk | Album of the Year | Nominated | [84] |
| "Bop" | Video of the Year | Nominated | |||
| Viewers' Choice Award | Nominated | ||||
| Himself | Best Male Hip Hop Artist | Won | |||
| 2021 | Blame It on Baby | Album of the Year | Nominated | [85] | |
| "Rockstar"(feat. Roddy Ricch) | Viewers' Choice Award | Nominated | |||
| Best Collaboration | Nominated | ||||
| "Whats Poppin (Remix)"(with Jack Harlow, Tory Lanez, and Lil Wayne) | Nominated | ||||
| "Cry Baby"(with Megan Thee Stallion) | Nominated | ||||
| "For the Night"(with Pop Smoke and Lil Baby) | Nominated | ||||
| Himself | Best Male Hip Hop Artist | Nominated | |||
| BET Hip Hop Awards | 2019 | "Suge" | Best Hip Hop Video | Nominated | [86] |
| Himself | Hot Ticket Performer | Nominated | |||
| Best New Hip Hop Artist | Won | ||||
| 2022 | DaBaby &YoungBoy Never Broke Again | Best Duo/Group | Nominated | [87] | |
| 2023 | "Shake Sumn" | Best Hip-hop Video | Nominated | [88] | |
| Himself | Best Live Performer | Nominated | |||
| DaBaby & Reel Goats | Video Director of the Year | Nominated | |||
| Billboard Music Awards | 2021 | Himself | Top Hot 100 Artist | Nominated | [89] |
| Top Streaming Songs Artist | Nominated | ||||
| Top Rap Artist | Nominated | ||||
| Blame It on Baby | Top Rap Album | Nominated | |||
| "Rockstar"(feat. Roddy Ricch) | Top Hot 100 Song | Nominated | |||
| Top Streaming Song | Won | ||||
| Top Collaboration | Nominated | ||||
| Top Rap Song | Won | ||||
| Grammy Award | 2020 | "Suge" | Best Rap Performance | Nominated | [26] |
| Best Rap Song | Nominated | ||||
| 2021 | "Rockstar"(feat. Roddy Ricch) | Record of the Year | Nominated | [90] | |
| Best Melodic Rap Performance | Nominated | ||||
| Best Rap Song | Nominated | ||||
| "Bop" | Best Rap Performance | Nominated | |||
| 2022 | Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe)(Justin Bieber) | Album of the Year | Nominated | [91] | |
| Donda(Kanye West) | Nominated | ||||
| iHeartRadio Music Awards | 2020 | Himself | Best New Hip-Hop Artist | Won | [92] |
| "Suge" | Hip-Hop Song of the Year | Won | |||
| 2021 | Himself | Hip-Hop Artist of the Year | Nominated | [93] | |
| "Rockstar"(featuring Roddy Ricch) | Song of the Year | Nominated | |||
| Hip-Hop Song of the Year | Nominated | ||||
| iHeartRadio Titanium Awards | 2021 | "Rockstar"(featuring Roddy Ricch) | 1 Billion Total Audience Spins on iHeartRadio Stations | Won | [94] |
| MTV Video Music Awards | 2019 | "Suge" | Song of Summer | Nominated | [95] |
Media related toDaBaby at Wikimedia Commons
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