DaBaby jokes about being “cancelled” in video for new freestyle
DaBaby has joked about receiving negative backlash over homophobic comments he made last month, sharing a new freestyle titled ‘Whole Lotta Money’ in which he labels himself “cancelled”.
Sampling BIA’s single of the same name, the freestyle arrives alongside a music video which opens with a shot of DaBaby crying, holding up tissues to his eyes. “Starring DaBaby Cancelled Ass,” a title card reads.
DaBaby appears to obliquely reference the fallout from his Rolling Loud remarks on the track’s opening verse. “N****s think I’m somewhere cryin’ with tissues / Certified, internet or not, I’ll get with you,” he raps.
Watch the video for ‘Whole Lotta Money’ below:
In July, DaBaby faced heavy backlash after telling his crowd at Rolling Loud: “If you didn’t show up today with HIV, AIDS, any of them deadly sexually transmitted diseases that’ll make you die in two or three weeks, put your cellphone light up… Fellas, if you ain’t sucking dick in the parking lot, put your cellphone light up.”
Several festivals dropped the rapper from their lineups in the wake of his remarks, including Lollapalooza, Governors Ball, Austin City Limits, Music Midtown, iHeartRADIO and Manchester’s Parklife.
Multiple artists and organisations criticised DaBaby for his comments after they were first made. Elton John – who founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation charity in 1992 – took to Instagram to condemn his statements, saying they “fuel stigma and discrimination.”
Dua Lipa, who collaborated with DaBaby on a remix of her song ‘Levitating’, said she was “surprised and horrified” by the rapper’s comments. “I really don’t recognise this as the person I worked with,” she said.
The ‘Whole Lotta Money’ freestyle marks the second time the rapper has addressed the criticism to his comments in a music video, following the self-directed clip for single ‘Giving What It’s Supposed to Give’ in late July.
That video ended with the message “Don’t Fight Hate With Hate” in rainbow lettering. “My apologies for being me, the same way you want the freedom to be you,” it concluded.
Earlier this month, DaBaby apologised to the LGBTQ+ community for his “hurtful and triggering” comments in an Instagram post. “I apologise for my misinformed comments about HIV/AIDS and I know education on this is important,” he added.
However, later that week, his apology was removed from his Instagram page with no explanation.
Over the weekend, the rapper addressed the backlash in his first performance since the controversy emerged. During his set at Hot 97’s Summer Jam, he took a moment to address his critics once again.
“I never in my life meant to offend anybody, you know, and I apologise… that ain’t even how I rock… But check this out, other than the people that was truly offended, I feel like the rest of y’all motherfuckers are being cry babies,” he said, before breaking out into his latest collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion, ‘Cry Baby’.
DaBaby is set to perform again at Boosie Badazz’s Boosie Bash this weekend. Last month, Boosie defended DaBaby’s comments in a video posted on social media, while also targeting Lil Nas X, referring to him with multiple homophobic slurs and threatening to “beat his ass”.