DaBaby's meteoric rise has been undoubtedly refreshing, especially when compared with rapid come-ups of years past. Boasting skill, charisma, and a respectable ear for beats, DaBaby is the type of sensation that appeals to a wide variety of demographics. Now, in the wake of his number one album Kirk, DaBaby hit up The Breakfast Club for his second interview, holding it down alongside Stunna 4 Vegas. Off the bat, his composure is evident, a surprising contrast to some of his more uproarious antics. Clearly, DaBaby is poised to go places, having been instilled with wisdom from his late father.
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"If I go through our text messages, I could write a book with what he text me," reflects DaBaby. "It would help somebody be great." Sadly, DaBaby's dad's passing came at a bittersweet time, in the midst of his whirlwind first headlining tour. As he tells it, experiencing such a wide gamut of emotions ultimately led to the creation of "Intro," his most personal song thus far. DaBaby also opens up about his influences, revealing that he used to listen to Bone Thugs N-Harmony as a child. "I started Bone Thugs to 2Pac, all the way down to when Nelly had his wave," he explains. "Eminem, 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks."
Naturally, Envy inquires about DaBaby's habits of wading into a crowd, which seems to evoke clockwork violence from at least one unruly type. "As soon as I go back in, fans want to punch me in the back of the head," marvels DaBaby. "Come on, bruh." When Charlamagne asks if he knew the latest beatdown victim was a woman, DaBaby stands his ground. "Come on Charlamagne," he states. "Buddy was [extremely tall]. Buddy was like Waka Flocka." He explains the person punched three people, himself included, prompting his security to react accordingly. "At the end of the day, what are you supposed to do? Let her knock me out?"
He confirms that he only found out it was a woman the following day, but he stands by how it played out. "What are you hitting me for?" explains DaBaby. "I told you. Flocka! Buddy wanted to knock my ass out." He also states that had he indeed be felled by a woman, his album would suffer as a result. "Ya'll wouldn't even let me come up here," he jokes. "I'd have made Donkey of the Day!"