I definitely am the best rapper alive. Mark my words.
Adam 22 from the ‘No Jumper’ podcast called DaBaby the biggest star in hip hop in 2022.
That’s some acclaim from the man who interviewed every successful SoundCloud rapper and hip hop star on his influential broadcast. DaBaby is an American rapper and influencer with a net worth approaching $7 million.
His debut studio album, “Baby on Baby,” released in 2019, went platinum, reaching number seven on the Billboard 200 chart, number three on the Top R&B and Hip-Hop Albums chart, and number two on the Top Rap Albums chart. He followed up this success with two more platinum releases topping the charts.
Dababy: The Facts
| Net Worth: | $7 Million |
|---|---|
| 📆 DOB: | December 22, 1997 |
| 🌎Country of Origin: | United States of America |
| 💲 Source of Wealth: | Rapper |
| ✅ Updated: | 2023 |
DaBay’s biggest singles to date are the four-times platinum “Suge,” three-times platinum “Bop,” and five-times platinum “Rockstar.” DaBaby is also an accomplished video director, producing and directing “Red Light Green Light,” “Ball If I Want To,” and “Giving What It’s Supposed to Give” videos.
He’s also assisted with direction for Rich Dunk’s “Demon” and “Gas Gas” videos and “Play U Lay” for Stunna 4 Vegas. He launched the label ‘Billion Dollar Baby Entertainment’ in 2017.
Dababy – The Early Years
Born Jonathan Lyndale Kirk on December 22, 1991, in Cleveland, Ohio, to unknown parents. DaBaby’s father died in 2019, but his identity remains a mystery to the press and public. DaBaby also lost his older brother to suicide in 2020. He’s the youngest of three brothers, with the family moving to Charlotte from Ohio in 1999.
DaBaby attended Vance High School, graduating in 2010. He attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro for two years before dropping out to pursue a career in music. The rapper states he only went to college to please his parents, and he didn’t even choose a major before dropping out.
Dababy – Rap Career
DaBaby started his music career in 2015 with the release of the mixtape “Nonfiction.” However, he started his rap career using the stage name ‘Baby Jesus’ before changing it to DaBaby in 2016. He released “The 10 Minute Mixtape” and “So Disrespectful” in 2015, followed by “God’s Work” and “God’s Work Resurrected” in 2016.
DaBaby got busy in 2017, releasing six mixtapes. “Baby Talk,” “Baby Talk 2,” “Billion Dollar Baby,” “Baby Talk 3,” “Back On My Baby Jesus Shit,” and “Baby Talk 4” we all smash hits on the street, garnering the rapper plenty of acclaim from the market.
The rapper signed with South Coast Music Group after the company’s president Arnold Taylor saw DaBaby perform at a North Carolina nightclub. DaBaby went on to sign a distribution deal with Roc Nation, Jay-Z’s entertainment company, to release his 2018 mixtape “Blank Blank.”
The mixtape’s popularity on the streets enticed a bidding war between labels, with DaBaby signing a seven-figure deal with Interscope Records in the wake of the bidding battle for his work. The rapper released his first studio album, ‘Baby on Baby,’ in March 2019, featuring the hit singles “Baby Sitter” and “Suge.”
“Suge” surged to the number seven spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and took the number three spot on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart DaBaby received two nominations for his singles at the Grammy awards that year.
DaBaby followed up his commercial success with “Kirk,” released in September 2019. The album featured three hit singles, “Intro,” “Vibez,” and “Bop,” all reached platinum status, sending his career to the stars while bolstering his reputation as one of the hottest upcoming talents in the hip hop industry.
In 2019, DaBaby saw 22 singles make it to the Billboard Hot 100, more than any other hip hop artist that year. His third studio album, “Blame It on Baby,” debuted in April 2020. The single “Rockstar” topped charts in more than a dozen countries. It reached double platinum status in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
DaBaby released the “My Brother’s Keeper (Long Live G)” EP in 2020 as a tribute to his brother, Glenn, who committed suicide that year. DaBaby is one of the most sought-after talents in the rap game, featuring collaborations with top artists like Gucci Mane, Megan Thee Stallion’s, Lizzo, Chance the Rapper, Camila Cabello, and Kanye West.
DaBaby – Changing from Baby Jesus
In his early career, DaBaby went under the moniker “Jonathan Kirk” and then “Baby Jesus” before settling on his current stage name. The rapper named his second studio album ‘Kirk’ in honor of his early stage name and his father’s passing in 2019. Many people assume that “Johnathan Kirk’ is his father’s real name, but that’s not confirmed by any sources.
The tribute record features DaBaby as an infant, with the photo showing him in his father’s arms, sitting on his lap. The rapper changed his stage name from ‘Baby Jesus’ to DaBaby in 2016 after deciding it was too politically charged to make him a superstar.
The intro track of the mixtape “God’s Work: Resurrected” sees DaBaby explain his reasons for the change. He told XXL he wasn’t worried about walking away from his previous name, claiming that 2017 was to be the year of DaBaby. He was quoted as saying the following about the decision to drop ‘Baby Jesus.’
“The name change just shows me the amount of love and respect people have for me. To change the name and not lose any traction that’s something a lot of people have trouble doing. When it comes to 2017, we’re ready to work.”
DaBaby received a nomination for Artist of the Year at the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards. He appeared on the show alongside industry stars like Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Post Malone, and Megan Thee Stallion.
DaBaby – Spending Cash on Music Videos
DaBaby sees his commitment to his music as the reason behind his success. The rapper states he’s willing to do whatever it takes to succeed and become the best rapper alive. In an interview with Rolling Stone, the rapper admitted he’s spent thousands of his personal fortune to pay for his videos. However, the artist sees it as an investment in his career.
He foots the bill for every video he shoots, with budgets for past videos ranging from $60,000 to $100,000. DaBaby claims he’s spent approximately $500,000 on video production. When asked why he would fund it solo, he preplaced, stating he wanted full creative control.
His decisions paid off, with his music videos receiving hundreds of millions of views on YouTube. His most successful video is ‘BOP,’ garnering 468 million views over two years. We assume the return on that video alone covers DaBaby’s past production expenses.
Other notable videos on YouTube are ‘Suge,’ receiving 332 million views in three years, and ‘Rockstar,’ receiving 156 million views in two years since release.
DaBaby – Career Controversy
Like many other hip-hop stars, DaBaby’s career is not without controversy. DaBaby was involved in a fatal shooting at a North Carolina Walmart in 2018. The rapper claimed he acted in self-defense and beat the charges, despite many people alleging he was liable for the shooting.
DaBaby was convicted of carrying a concealed firearm, and the rapper received a sentence of a year’s probation for the crime. An investigation into a robbery in 2020 led to his arrest on a battery charge. Members of his team allegedly beat up a
In early 2020, he was questioned during a robbery investigation involving a promotor that supposedly owed DaBaby $10,000 for past performances. During the altercation, DaBabys crew allegedly stole a credit card, $80 in cash, and an iPhone 7.
After the incident, Miami police arrested DaBaby after discovering the rapper had an arrest warrant out for him in Texas on a battery charge. He was charged with battery but released from jail just two days later.
DaBaby assaulted a female fan in 2020, slapping her while making his way to the stage in Tampa, Florida. The incident was viewed by many of his fans close to the stage, with the audience booing him as he took to the mic. Due to the crowd’s reaction, DaBaby left the scene without performing.
In an interview regarding the incident, the rapper stated the woman was holding the phone too close to his face, with the flashlight on. He claims he thought it was a man holding the phone and was shocked to discover he had hit a woman.
“I’m very sorry that there was a female on the other end of that flashlight on their phone. But you know, keep in mind, I couldn’t see you because you got the flash this close to me.”
DaBaby again made headlines for his antics at the Rolling Loud Festival in Miami in July 2021. The rapper allegedly made homophobic slurs, resulting in the cancellation of his live appearances at forthcoming venues like Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits Festival, the Governors Ball Music Festival, Parklife Festival, Day N Vegas, iHeartRadio Music Festival, and Music Midtown.
The incident also caused him to lose his endorsement deal with fashion brand ‘BoohooMAN.’ His most recent arrest was on a cannabis possession charge. However, like his previous legal woes, DaBaby beat the ‘rap,’ and he’s a free man. Despite his alleged criminal activities, he continues to make music, and it seems he’s changed his attitude to keep him out of run-ins with the law.
DaBaby – Personal Life
DaBaby is the father to two daughters, both with different mothers. DaBaby claims he’s religious, despite allegedly being involved in shootings and batteries. In an interview, he states, “I’m blessed. I’m covered by the blood of Christ.”
His 2018 shooting incident at Walmart shows him allegedly shooting Jalyn Craig in the abdomen. Craig would later die from his wounds. DaBaby acknowledged it was him in the CCTV footage of the incident, claiming he acted in self-defense.
DaBaby – Real Estate Investments
DaBaby paid $2.3 million for an 11,300 square-foot home in Troutman, North Carolina, in 2019. The impressive mansion features five bedrooms, 8.5 bathrooms, a wine cellar, and a home theater situated on a nine-acre property with stadium lighting, concrete walls, and guard towers.
DaBaby Quotes
I was all about touching people and influencing people. I always been that type of person. I was the one teaching people things, I just always had a way with my words and I always spoke with substance.
You can’t cheat the game. You can’t cheat the grind. You get out what you put in at the end of the day.
I used to think I was ugly because I was the baby.
When I get bored with something, I’m done with it.
I am the type where I don’t worry about anything else but how to top what I did yesterday. My main goal is to top what I did before.
He’s from Fayetteville. I’m from Charlotte. We got two different upbringings. All in all, though, I love J. Cole’s perspective, and I love his music. I love his approach. It’s just two different things.
When I started coming on my music the way I was coming on freestyles – just relentless, at your neck, as soon as the beat starts, that’s when everything really clicked.
My name was originally Jesus, but I changed it like two years into my career because I didn’t want to offend anyone; although I feel like my purpose in the game is related and still is, I didn’t want my name to be a distraction from the music.
I like to have fun with my videos and performances. That’s the most fun part when it comes to the music. I get to show off my character.
The music I make, it’s so hard. I listen to it 100,000 times before it even drops. DaBaby There was so much music growing up. But definitely, Lil Wayne was a big influence because I had more of an understanding of what I was listening to when I was getting older.
