Lil Baby

Review: Untrapped: The Story Of Lil Baby

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Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby is a documentary about how the Atlanta rapper built his rap career and the things he went through while building it. He went from being a prominent name in the Atlanta streets to the Atlanta music scene. For Lil Baby, his connections to the Atlanta figures like Young Thug, Gunna and Coach K of Quality Control all had a role in taking his name to where it is today. His documentary chronicles his journey through behind-the-scenes footage spanning from his childhood to visiting his neighborhood after making it to the night he performed at the GRAMMYs.

Lil Baby’s documentary is built around how other people supported him and their roles in his journey. Young Thug and Quality Control founders Coach K and P talk about how they believed in him as a rapper and as a person. Journalist Charles Holmes talked about how his background contrasted with Lil Baby in every way but they still had an excellent interview. Drake talked about how he is one of the biggest voices of the current generation of rap. Additionally, his Mom talked about how she always knew he was different from his peers. Everyone around him was rooting for him and that pushed him to bigger and bigger opportunities and experiences. 

Lil Baby’s Atlanta Connections Started His Rap Career

In Untrapped: The Lil Baby Story, we learn something surprising about the Atlanta rapper: he didn’t really want to be a rapper. He had an established name in the streets and with that came a reputation. Lil Baby was confident people already knew who he was and respected him. Also, He also knew the money he was making in the streets was quick and did not require the work that being a rapper did. Fellow Atlanta rapper Young Thug wanted him off the streets and would literally pay him to stay off of them. He saw Lil Baby’s talent and wanted to steer him towards that more. However, Lil Baby was more concerned with his reputation and thought it would be tarnished if he left the streets to pursue rap. 

Lil Baby regularly visited Quality Control, a prominent rap label in Atlanta. He enjoyed just hanging out there and knew the people there well. Founders Coach K and P saw something special in Lil Baby and wanted to give him a better path. They saw the fact he had a reputation in the streets was the reason he should pursue the rap career. People would already know his name and be interested and invested in the music he was making. Coach K and P told him once he got out of jail he could sign to Quality Control and that’s exactly what he did.

His Hits were Organic

Lil Baby’s song “My Dawgs” was the first one that really took him to the next level. In the documentary, there was footage of small but supportive crowds singing the song word-for-word. The song resonated with people because of the things he was talking about and the authenticity behind them. Furthermore, “Drip Too Hard” was an even bigger hit because it featured another Atlanta artist that was on the rise – Gunna. In the doc, there was footage of him and Lil Baby performing the song at different music festivals. These crowds were even bigger than the previous ones and were giving the same amount of energy. Seeing this amount of growth in such a short period of time was very motivational to see. Lil Baby committed to the rap life even though he was skeptical of it initially and it paid off.

 “The Bigger Picture” was one of the biggest songs in his career. In the documentary, there was social media footage and soundbites of people saying he was hard to understand. The CEO of Motown Records, Ethiopia Habtemariam, stated this is actually common with artists from Atlanta. This song forced these listeners to put this perspective to the side and truly focus on his words. During this portion of the documentary, footage of the pandemic was shown which included people marching/protesting while masked up. Lil Baby was amongst these people as he shot the music video for the song. He stated that he wanted to talk about what was currently happening across America. He also wanted to acknowledge black people dying from police violence is an ongoing issue. His own interactions with police played a role in the song’s formation too. 

Lil Baby Respects Where He Came From

In the beginning of the documentary there is footage of Lil Baby as a child with his siblings playing in his neighborhood. After that, it cuts to Lil Baby’s children and offers a shift in perspective. He states he wants to have a real relationship with his children since he didn’t have one with his father. Later, he discussed being able to help people he knows from his neighborhood and there was footage of this as well. Seeing him drive his sports car through his old neighborhood was inspiring because without it he wouldn’t be doing that in the first place. In the final moments of the documentary he says “I’m tryna show them youngins that it’s bigger. I’m living proof…I’ll never be trapped again” Lil Baby’s documentary is a testament to the payoff a change in lifestyle can bring. 

Untrapped: The Lil Baby Story is Streaming Now on Amazon Prime.

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Lil Uzi Vert: “I Never Heard A Bad Song From Lil Baby”

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Lil Baby and Lil Uzi Vert are leaders of their generation. We’ve witnessed both artists get it out of both and transform into the biggest stars of today. Baby became an inescapable force in the music industry. Records like “My Dawg” took over the streets while songs like politically-conscious “The Bigger Picture” showcased his range. On the other hand, Lil Uzi Vert has undoubtedly pushed the boundaries when it comes to his sound and style, especially in recent times. Though “Just Wanna Rock” didn’t top the Billboard Hot 100, it’s yet another anthem that proves Lil Uzi hardly misses.

Though both rappers don’t necessarily work together often, they certainly frequent the same spaces. This weekend, both rappers hit the stage for Rolling Loud where they delivered memorable moments. Baby proved that “Freestyle” always hits while Uzi got fans excited for his forthcoming Pink Tape as he showed love to Playboi Carti and claimed he has JT believing in the devil. However, fans still hope that we’ll hear more music from them in the near future if possible.

Lil Uzi Vert Praises Lil Baby

Lil Uzi Vert and Lil Baby both held it down at Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards, where the former actually got slimed. However, on the red carpet before the award show, the rapper caught up with Young Hollywood who asked him who he was most excited to see. “I heard Lil Baby’s going to be here,” he said. Then, the reporter asked what song he’d want to perform with Lil Baby if he had the chance. “He has a lot of great songs, like, I never heard a bad song from Lil Baby in my life ever,” he added. “But we have a song and I would love to perform it with him.”

Lil Uzi Vert and Lil Baby have worked together on a few records in the past. The two linked up on My Turn highlight, “Commercial.” Prior to that, Lil Uzi Vert appeared on Lil Baby’s Harder Than Ever project on the Gunna-assisted, “Life Goes On.” Perhaps, we’ll get to hear more from Lil Baby and Lil Uzi Vert. Though Pink Tape is rumored to be featureless, maybe Uzi will make an exception for Lil Baby since he’s such a fan. Check out the clip above and sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below. 

Lil Baby Received Blowback From His ‘California Breeze’ Performance At The 2023 Kids’ Choice Awards

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The 2023 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards were staged at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 4. Lil Baby avoided getting slimed, unlike fellow performer Bebe Rexha, but a select few viewers were a little green about his performance.

Apparently, Baby’s top-10 Billboard Hot 100 hit “California Breeze” didn’t belong on Nickelodeon because of its explicit and suggestive lyrics, which were censored for the young audience. (How dare Baby perform under inflatable palm trees and bring his two young sons on the stage with him?)

The squealing kids in attendance couldn’t get enough of Baby, but reviews on the internet were mixed. Some people didn’t understand the backlash given The Weeknd’s past controversial nomination for “Can’t Feel My Face,” very obviously about cocaine, at the Kids’ Choice Awards; others didn’t understand how Nickelodeon allowed Baby on its airwaves.

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Baby didn’t have time to pay attention to the criticism, as if he’d care anyway, because he also performed across town at Rolling Loud California on Saturday night.

Before this weekend, Lil Baby performed “California Breeze” and “Forever” featuring Fridayy on the January 28 episode of Saturday Night Live hosted by Michael B. Jordan.

Baby dropped his “Forever” video on February 27, squeezing as much juice as possible from last October’s It’s Only Me. His third studio album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, making it his third career No. 1 album.

Bebe Rexha is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

DDG Gets Mistaken For Lil Baby While In Milan

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He was flexing with his Little Mermaid girlfriend for Milan Fashion Week, but not everyone was familiar with DDG. The rapper is enjoying the lull away from viral mania after trending due to his interactions with ex-girlfriend Rubi Rose. It unraveled in real-time on social media, even prompting DDG’s current leading lady, Halle Bailey, to step in with a tweet to keep the peace. That didn’t do much good, however, because DDG insisted on getting the last word against Rose. So, he wrote and released a song about her.

As people took to the internet to troll DDG, he and Bailey were posing on the streets of Italy. A group of women stopped to take photos of the rapper and kept saying the word “baby” while attempting to communicate in another language. The barrier was evident as DDG and Halle tried to understand what was being said. Then, they realized one of the women was asking if the rapper was Lil Baby.

DDG Has Fun With Lil Baby’s Fans

The interaction was only a tad awkward, but Halle got a kick out of seeing the exchange. When the woman asked if DDG was Lil Baby, he simply replied, “Yup.” The group went on their way, amazed that they saw the My Turn star, except they didn’t. No word on if they know they’ve gone viral. Despite being called the wrong person, DDG seems happy to escape the social media storm he helped create within the last few weeks.

If you missed it, Rubi Rose ignited a war of words after suggesting that DDG gave Halle her old clothes. He fiercely denied the allegations, and the pair seemed to indirectly beef for a brief time. Then, Rubi shared screenshots of alleged DMs between her and her ex, but he responded quickly.

No Love Lost Between DDG & Rubi Rose

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 27: DDGand Halle Bailey attend the after party for the Los Angeles Premiere of “Creed III” on February 27, 2023 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Alberto Rodriguez/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images)

Unsurprisingly, DDG was trolled over his latest single, “Way Too Petty.” It directly answered Rubi Rose’s antics, and he berated her on the track. The public suggested DDG wasn’t over the romance, but he retorted that he has no feelings for Rose.

Lil Baby Recounts A Toxic Relationship In His ‘Forever’ Video With Fridayy

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Lil Baby is going harder than ever in the wake of his undisputed star run over the past couple of years. Picking up where he left off last year with his third studio album It’s Only Me, the Atlanta native dropped the video for the album’s standout track “Forever” with Fridayy today.

The video, shot on location in the tropics, finds Baby recounting a toxic relationship with a woman he only manages to see sporadically thanks to his jet-setting lifestyle. “You be on some toxic shit but I cannot get off this bitch,” he worries. While he wonders if the couple should keep going or call it quits, Fridayy’s crooned chorus illustrates the issue in plain terms: “I know you miss me,” he sings. “Who it’s gon’ be if it ain’t me, lil’ baby?”

Upon its release in October, It’s Only Me became Lil Baby’s third No. 1 album, receiving favorable reviews for Baby’s polished technique, although some reviews were critical of its formulaic nature. Baby performed “Forever” on Saturday Night Live earlier this year, continuing his momentum and showing that he intends to continue supporting his latest album, even four months later.

Watch Lil Baby’s “Forever” video with Fridayy above.

Lil Durk’s DJ Wants Lil Baby On King Von’s Next Album: “It’s Mandatory”

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King Von’s death came just a week after he released his debut album, Welcome To O’Block. The album was a  promising body of work that provided fans with a better glimpse into Von’s world as he navigates with one foot in the streets and the other in the music industry. Although he passed away just a week after it dropped, his fans continue to carry his legacy and keep his name alive nearly two and a half years later.

However, it appears that he had an abundance of music in the stash prior to his passing. Though we got our first glimpse at the vault with What It Means To Be King, fans haven’t been entirely sure of what his estate will do with unreleased material. Fortunately, it seems as though they’re gearing up to deliver a new posthumous album in the near future. There isn’t much information surrounding the project. However, one of the most trusted voices in the OTF camp appears to be trying to secure a number of features.

DJ Bandz Calls On Lil Baby To Deliver A Verse For King Von

Lil Durk’s official DJ chimed in this week with an update of sorts surrounding the follow-up to What It Means To Be King. DJ Bandz hit up Instagram to get fans to call on Lil Baby to deliver a verse for Von’s next project. “Tag Lil Baby. Tell him we need him on the album, man. I know folks be real busy, like one of the biggest in the world, but we need him on this album,” he said. “It’s mandatory. We gotta have him on here. Tell Wham we need him on this album. 

It didn’t take long for fans to remind Bandz about Baby and Lil Durk’s friendship. Instead of a public call-out, he could’ve got Durk to put in phone call for the verse. Though Von clocked in many collaborations during his short career, he surprisingly never worked alongside Lil Baby. Hopefully, we get more information on the upcoming posthumous project from King Von soon. Check out DJ Bandz’s video for Lil Baby above and sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below.

Ja Morant Reveals Who He Listens To Before Games

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The press conferences held during NBA All-Star weekend led to LeBron James, Jayson Tatum, Ja Morant and more being asked some intriguing questions. First, LeBron James was asked about being able to play with his old Cavaliers teammate Kyrie Irving in the All-Star game. “It’s always good to see him. I’m very proud of him. Very proud of the man that he has become in his life right now,” Bron said gracefully. However, if you remember correctly, LeBron appeared to be hugely disappointed recently that his Lakers did not acquire Irving when he was on the trade block, instead letting the Dallas Mavericks snag him. Additionally, Jaylen Brown was in a more sour mood when speaking on how the All-Star game is no longer competitive. “It was just a glorified layup line,” Brown called the game.

In contrast, though, both Pau Gasol and Brown’s Boston teammate Jayson Tatum found ways to honor the late Kobe Bryant. After coaching up his Rising Stars team to a win on Friday (Feb. 17), Paul Gasol talked about his consideration for the Basketball Hall of Fame. He gave all the credit to Kobe. “My name, my number don’t go into those rafters without those championships,” he said. “And we don’t win those championships without Kobe Bryant.” Similarly, Tatum honored Bryant after winning the Kobe Bryant All-Star Game MVP. “Everybody knows how much [Kobe] meant to me,” he said. “My favorite player, my idol. So it’s an honor to take this home.” With all these heavy quotes, though, other players like Ja Morant mostly were only asked softball questions.

Ja Morant’s Tunes

When asked by a reporter what his three favorite artists to listen to before games are, Morant gave an exciting reply. “(NBA) Youngboy, (Lil) Baby, Moneybagg (Yo). And a little bit of that (Pooh) Shiesty brrrrr brrr brrrr.” Mimicking Pooh Shiesty’s famed ad-libs, it’s clear that Morant had to throw in that fourth option in his response. Morant was raised in South Carolina and now lives in Memphis, TN. So, it’s no surprise that every artist he named is from the South. Pooh Shiesty and Moneybagg Yo are both from Memphis, and Youngboy and Baby are from Louisiana and Georgia respectively. It’s easy to see where Ja’s heart lies.

Aside from light-hearted conversations with NBA reporters, Morant has had an otherwise bizarre and eventful start to 2023. January saw a bit of turbulence with him being hit with a lawsuit for fighting a minor in a pickup basketball game. Additionally, his father Tee Morant, and FOX Sports commentator Shannon Sharpe got into a scuffle at a Grizzles-Lakers basketball game. Then in February, Ja was implicated in a situation where his friends were accused of stalking and intimidating employees for the Indiana Pacers. However, this year has still seen him get a new Nike shoe deal and become an NBA All-Star for the second time. So, it seems that Ja is taking the good with the bad.

These Documentary Filmmakers Are on a Mission To Elevate Hip-Hop Storytelling

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Image via MGX

On ‘City Girls: The Series’

Image via MGX

In 2019, JT of the City Girls was released from prison after serving over a year of time for credit card fraud charges. They went back to work immediately, releasing “First Day Out” that day. Here’s how the MGX guys would describe their project, which documented that time:

Gill: Unapologetic creative expression. That project is saying that [even when] in the face of people criticizing and trying to take you [down], when people are unapologetically creative and not contrived, that’s something that truly inspires people. When you’re unapologetically you in doing you and people are uncomfortable—that’s the sh*t moves the needle for a lot of people, in this case, a lot of women, a lot of men too. And I think it’s important.

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Image via MGX

Malikyar: One other thing to add to that too would be friendship and loyalty. It was cool to see the relationship between the two of them and how genuinely loyal they were and looked out for each other in the different roles they play in that friendship. Because I would hope everybody has a best friend or that figure in their life. I feel like they’re representative of that relationship for other people in their own way, of course. But that bond is still the same.

On Marshmello’s Projects

Image via Publicist

For the first few years of their career, while still in college, they worked to help further define Marshmello’s brand and tackle the question of ‘why is this silent sensation dominating our culture?’ Here’s how they would define what he illuminates:

Malikyar: I think humanity would be one and connectivity would be the other. And the reason why is the ethos behind the idea of Marshmallo is that we are all Marshmallo. He’s a character. It’s open for interpretation. It’s so global, everybody sees themself in Marshmalloe and you can beat anything. And it’s supposed to shed light on the fact that this character is a little piece of all of us. And it serves as a medium to express that idea. It’s almost like the superhero, the Batman, the whatever, you put on that helmet and you can be whoever you want to be type of thing. I don’t know if you have anything to add to that.

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Image via MGX

Gill: His character doesn’t speak yet for some reason it’s cut through in all these different communities around the world, which all that says is that we’re a lot more connected as people than we all think. And I think what our music video series did was the goal of it was to create, and if you get time to watch any of them, one of them is about bullying, one about first love, one about your friends moving, one’s about problems you go through at home. These things that humans—whether you’re in India, the Philippines, Kentucky or Los Angeles—are experiencing. The connected aspect of the brand was really what we tried to do with these music videos. And what we tried to [have] people understand [is] that we’re all connected.

On Takeoff

Image via MGX

On Nov. 1, 2022, Takeoff was killed at the age of 28. The guys process, and reflect on their time with the Migos, then Unc & Phew, member:

Gill: It’s just really heartbreaking from the times that we worked with Takeoff, he was genuinely the nicest, most kind, thoughtful would stay after the shoot for hours to talk. I remember after one of the shoots, he stayed after an hour just to play [Culture II] for Daniel and I. And we were just like, “Wow, what a nice human being.” So through the documentary medium, you get to really connect with some of these artists in a vulnerable kind of human way that you can’t really if you’re shooting their music video or they’re in a commercial per se. We were able to get a lens into these artists’ world, and by no means did we have a 20-year relationship with them, but through these projects, we got to know them in a certain way and I guess the simplest way to put it is it’s just heartbreaking.

Malikyar: One other note, too, just reflecting on it, it just also shines a light on the fragility of everything.

On ‘Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby’

Image via Publicist

Over the course of 12 months, MGX Creative shadowed Lil Baby and told his story and those of many in his city. They process on what the project brought to light:

Gill: Socioeconomics and growth. Baby’s story illuminates a lot of the larger socioeconomic issues that our country is facing now and has been facing and the communities that exist because of that, that don’t ever get talked about. And people don’t ever take the time to actually understand, not from a baseline level, from a deeper mental, psychological level. The fact that doc about being mentally trapped because of where you’re from, have not seen that presented that way. The socioeconomic trap is not just a physical, monetary, literal trap; it’s also the mental world that America creates for certain communities. That’s the first part.

The second is growth; being able to see the power of growth in an artist in a person of color is so important to highlight because it’s going to allow other people of color and other individuals that may feel trapped to say, well if they can do it. Maybe I can do that. Maybe I won’t be the biggest rapper. Maybe I’ll be able to put myself through college. Or maybe I won’t be the biggest rapper. Maybe I’ll be able to go get a job at an insurance company. Whatever you’re thinking.

Fun Fact On ‘Ice Cold: A Hip-Hop Jewelry Story’

The artist who turned rappers into Renaissance paintings for the trailer of Ice Cold: A Hip-Hop Jewelry Story was an 18-year-old in Florence, Italy, with under 200 followers at the time.

Blueface & Akademiks Reignite Beef Over Lil Baby & Chrisean Rock

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At this point, Blueface is making sure he’s in your face—or at least on social media—every single day. It seems as if the rapper has been steadily involved in some sort of news cycle drama from one week to the next. Usually, it pertains to his tumultuous relationship with Chrisean Rock, and today’s unraveling wasn’t any different. This morning, Blueface was accused of clout chasing after he called out Lil Baby for reaching out to Rock.

There were rumors about Baby and Rock having some sort of sexual encounter. However, the Atlanta hitmaker seemingly contacted Blueface’s girlfriend to tell her that he only wanted to be like a brother. He laid gossip to rest, but Blueface used it to shine a light on himself once again. As the drama unfolded, DJ Akademiks jumped in with a few hot takes of his own.

Akademiks Refreshes Beef With Blueface

There is no love lost between Akademiks and Blue, as they have often attacked one another on social media. “Blueface claiming the sh*t outta his girl these days once he see other lit n*ggas in her inbox,” tweeted Ak. “And the fact that she’s more lit than him. Remember at first this n*gga was acting like she was dirt. Yall see how when n*ggas down bad they come back around? Take note ladies.”

He then went through a scenario of Blueface “stealing” Rock’s phone and going through it just to see who was messaging her. “N*gga, instead of worrying bout him saved as ‘Big Brother’ in her phone.. ask for a verse n*gga.. u need it.” Blueface seeming reacted by saying he supports his girl with whatever she does. Yet, he claimed that people are pretending to be a “big brother” without making business moves.

Blueface Claims Akademiks Didn’t Support Chrisean Rock

The California rapper also called out Akademiks for only recently supporting Rock. “Been did music with rock put money up an budgets for videos an promo for rock for 3 years now,” said Blueface. “Win lose or draw you really think I’m not finna keep it going.” He added, “Ak hated on rock the whole time now he all of a sudden a advocate for her when he mad cuz she lit an I got some to do wit it.”

It doesn’t look like these two will be making nice anytime soon. Blueface and Rock continue to hop on Instagram Live to comment on almost everything. If there is one thing they’re learning to master, is that controversy sells. Check out more from this chaos above and below.