Lil Baby has wasted no time securing his legacy in the industry, going from convicted felon to formidable force in a four-year span.
The rising rap superstar—born Dominique Jones in Atlanta—celebrates the anniversary of his release from prison today while having the number one album in the country and a lucrative list of summer projects lined up. It’s obviously a festive occasion for the 26-year-old, who tends to commemorate the day on his social media—a few years ago he posted while popping a bottle of champagne “I came Home From Prison July 1,2016 …. The Rest Is History #730days”. Back in 2014, the rapper was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana with intent to sell and a year later went back to prison for parole violation.
Serving his two years, Lil Baby went “Harder Than Ever” after he got out, releasing his first project with the Drake cosigned platinum single, “Yes Indeed”. 2020 is Lil Baby’s superstar moment: the Quality Control hitmaker is in his element, has his pockets and work schedule full plus a string of glorious moments and milestones to look back on.
With his woozy spitfire flow and unmatched work ethic, the “Drip Too Hard” rapper has been working constantly to become a chart mainstay and has already seen major reward for his efforts. His mixtape “Drip Harder,” a joint compilation with friend and fellow trap star Gunna, received acclaim for its chemistry, versatility, and high-profile features including Drake, Nav, Lil Durk, and Young Thug. The latter entertainer has been credited as one of Baby’s earliest influences, mentors, and “close friends,” literally paying him to go to the studio to turn his life around fresh out of jail.
Lil Baby has come a far way since those uncertain days, receiving a Grammy nod and platinum certification for the collab mixtape, starring in the sequel to 2001’s quintessential stoner flick “How High,” winning Best New Artist at the 2019 BET Awards, as well as countless cameos such as “Baby” with hit-making namesake Da Baby and Netflix’s Rhythm and Flow.
The most major payoff has been the coveted, elusive feat of topping the Billboard charts for consecutive weeks. His second album, “My Turn,” has returned to dominate after debuting at number one back in May, now occupying the top spot for the fourth week in a row. As 12 songs off the album reached the Billboard Hot 100, Baby proved he’s “no s*cker” to the game, and is now tied with Prince and Paul McCartney for total career entries on the chart.
He also went “to the top” of the charts in June with the premiere of “The Bigger Picture,” a moving, introspective response to the George Floyd/ Black Lives Matter protests that debuted at number three and became his highest-charting song. It’s no wonder he’s now charging 100K per feature, after breaking down how the logic from a now-viral clip on how he was able to flip $60 into $100K. His gritty, global yet humble aesthetic has finally caught up with his extraordinary hustle and has him “heating up” the industry in such a short space of time.
