Lil Baby: I've always been a fan of music, you feel me?
So it’s like, music always been my thing, but I always looked up to the hustlers in
my neighborhood, not really like the rappers.
The rappers, the music went with it, but I always looked up to the hustlers.
Rob Markman: What's up geniuses, welcome back to For the Record, and as always, I am your
host Rob Markman.
Now today's guest I'm really excited about.
I met this brother, he came to Genius to break down the lyrics for our Verified series for
his single “My Dawg.”
That was a huge record then, and it feels like it got a whole lot bigger.
His new album just dropped on Friday, Street Gossip.
He's here straight from the ATL, I know it's a little cold, but Lil Baby.
Lil Baby: Yeah, what's up, what's up my man, how you doing?
Rob Markman: Hey man, how you man?
I'm good.
Lil Baby: Hey man, thank you for having me again, man, I appreciate you being here.
Rob Markman: Nah man, I appreciate you.
And really ... I was telling you off camera that seeing the way that you've risen in rap
in such a short time, I think it's a testament to your talent, and a testament to your hard work.
You know we did a shoot on “My Dawg”-
Lil Baby: Thank you.
Rob Markman: ... maybe a little over a year ago, and I feel like in that time ... I feel
like there's been about five projects, in that time.
Lil Baby: It really was some old crazy stuff.
Yeah, about four, five projects in the midst of that.
Rob Markman: With Street Gossip here now, can you talk about the work ethic and the
quality that you've been able to maintain over the past year and a half?
Lil Baby: Well, the work ethic been crazy, like I haven't had no time for myself, you
know what I'm saying.
I've been grinding, grinding, grinding, grinding.
But, at the same time, that's what I signed up for.
To grind hard.
So in this process, I kinda try to make it look easy as possible, but it ain't been that easy
Rob Markman: Right, it's a lot of work.
Lil Baby: A lot of work, a lot of work, the grind real.
Like a lot of stuff what people don't see, but like I go hard.
I’m not gonna go to the studio every day, but if I go for three days, I might stay for
three days straight, and knock out a whole mixtape in three days.
But it be the quality though.
Like a term people might understand, in my bag.
I'm kinda in my bag, so when I go, I just, I go in, get done what I need to get done.
Rob Markman: Nah man, and I think really looking back at it, and this ain't no gas because
you're here, I was really thinking about it, this is not like the NBA, we don't necessarily
give out awards in hip hop.
But if we did, I think you'd be up for the rookie of the year award, with just-
Lil Baby: That's what everybody be saying, like off top, like I came in the game like
something different.
I'm trying to go harder and harder next year.
Rob Markman: Have you adjusted ... let's talk about it, because you were reluctant to rap,
you never saw yourself ... it's not like you came up wanting to rap, you ain't had these
aspirations as a youngin.
Lil Baby: What I will say is, I'm a rapper.
Rob Markman: Right, it's apparent.
We know that.
Lil Baby: You be like at first, "I ain't a rapper. I don’t rap.”
But like, now even I grew a passion for it, like I'm into certain lil stuff now.
I research certain stuff, I'm a whole rapper.
They be like “Oh yeah, you're a rapper.”
But over the time, and just doing it, and getting the feedback, and getting ... and
creating a family in it, I done started being really into it, giving it my all.
Rob Markman: When you say that you research stuff like that, what's some of the stuff?
because here at Genius, we all about research and-
Lil Baby: I research numbers, statistics, history, what he did wrong or he did right,
I just ... whatever.
Like how this company doing, when this company ... whatever you ... I'm just into research,
I be Googling everything.
Words I don't know when I hear certain stuff, meetings, stuff like that.
I try to inform myself as much as possible.
Rob Markman: That's dope.
Who do you look at, like growing up, before even standing in the studio, were there rappers
that you were passionate about as a fan, who was it that you were coming up with?
Lil Baby: I've been a fan of music, you feel me?
So it’s like, music always been my thing, but I always looked up to the hustlers in
my neighborhood, not really like the rappers.
The rappers, the music went with it, but I always looked up to the hustlers.
Rob Markman: Right, and it's amazing that ... and I like that you're honest with it,
and you've always been honest with it, from day one, like yo, I didn't really try to be
a rapper, but I got in the studio and ... the dope shit, again, to watch you, is to see
... because you can tell you got a passion for it, to see that passion growing, to see
the career growing
Lil Baby: Exactly.
Rob Markman: is amazing.
Rob Markman: ‘Street Gossip’ is the new joint.
One, I want to know just where the title ... where does the title come from, and I'm wondering-
Lil Baby: It came from ... I didn't mean to cut you off.
It came from ... I got the ‘Street Gossip’ from, everything that was going on in the streets.
More like talking, hear that street talk, but then it's gossip, because it be little
whispers, and it ain't really out loud, and it's ... some of it's false, some of it's
real, so it's like gossip.
Rob Markman: So that begs me the question, makes me think, so what's the craziest piece
of gossip you heard about yourself in the past year, that you was like I can't
believe people are even talking this.
Lil Baby: I heard everything, like I'm broke, I wrote a check that bounced or something
... I heard everything you can think of ... not even just on no money like you broke, but
I'm saying like the craziest scenarios ... boy I can't even ... I told on somebody.
I had 20 years in jail and I did four years, and I told on somebody to get out.
I done heard so much stuff, like what?
Rob Markman: But that's dope, you took that and you just took it to the studio with you.
Lil Baby: Yeah, not like try to prove myself or nothing, I just okay, okay.
I'm making fun out of everything and trying to put it into my craft.
Rob Markman: The project just dropped, and people day one streaming, and I'm sure people
are hearing it for the first time.
What is it that they can expect from “Street Gossip?”
If somebody hasn't heard it just yet, it just came out a few days ago, what are they in for?
Lil Baby: They just in for a good Lil Baby tape, a good 13 songs.
And I've got a couple other songs on there with a couple other people.
But just something to hold them off until I come back with a bop, but I've been going
so hard, just something to finish the year off.
They can just expect something good to finish the year off, Christmas, holidays.
That good spirit vibe.
Rob Markman: Yeah mean, you know listening to a track, even the one that set it off,
like “Global,” we was just listening to that and it's a dope way to kinda set it off,
because it really show how far you came.
Lil Baby: How far I come, exactly.
And then when I rap, I kinda speak reality.
So all my shit kinda like a story, so it's going to lead up to this, and this, it
all makes sense.
Rob Markman: Man, Gunna man, I just wanna talk about, you and Gunna man been killing it.
Rob Markman: “Drip Too Hard,” bruh, the tape that you all dropped, I know I ain't expect it.
I just ain't see that kinda chemistry.
Obviously y'all have a relationship from way back.
What that's kinda like, man?
Because he was rapping before you, he inspired you, in a way.
Lil Baby: Exactly, exactly, that's my brother, and you know I'm actually gonna meet him when
I leave here.
I mean, we've been really had crazy feedback ever since we first started and we made a
song together.
The fans have always liked us together.
I've been on every one of his tapes, he's been on every one of my tapes, so it's kinda
like we already had songs out on the low where people just didn't pay attention, like they've
really got a chemistry.
But we already had that we had a little chemistry, and we went with it.
Rob Markman: You and Gunna are featured on “Chanel,” that video just recently dropped,
Young Thug joint.
I can't imagine that ... I mean because you came up with Thug as well, y'all really kinda
just the new generation, and y'all all came up together, and-
Lil Baby: It's crazy, but it's true.
Rob Markman: So how does that feel to be able to rep for your city in that way?
Because ATL has a great history, if we go down from Jermaine Dupri to Outkast.
Lil Baby: It's unbearable, it's an unbearable feeling.
And we really, really, really from Atlanta.
Not like we moved there, ... and then it's our family there, our people there, we there.
So it's different for us, most definitely.
Rob Markman: Another joint I want to talk about, “Yes Indeed” with Drake, that song
obviously just came and hit like a bomb.
Lil Baby: Shout out to Drizzy.
Rob Markman: One of the most enjoyable things ... because we all about lyrics here at Genius
... I love to see lyrics come to life, right.
So I was at the Scorpion tour, and Drake was performing his part.
It was the New York City date, you weren't with him.
And all of a sudden, “Yes Indeed” starts.
Yellow Ferrari like Pikachu.
You wasn't there, but I felt like you was there because this yellow Ferrari just start floating.
Lil Baby: That was major, major, they put that song on his set because they still put
me down there on tour with him, because I'm there every night too.
That was one of the ... I can't thank him enough for that.
And he brought me out like three times on tour with them, like definitely.
Rob Markman: Yeah, I'm mad I missed them cities, New York ain't get blessed with it.
But it was dope because you seeing ... and we was like "yo, is that a Ferrari?
Why is there a car floating through ..." And it's yellow.
And it took a minute to click.
Lil Baby: Yellow Ferrari like Pikachu.
That was one of them hard lines, it just ... we went with it, that shit dope as fuck, whole car flying.
Rob Markman: Where'd that line come from?
What were you seeing? because I know you rap about shit you see.
Lil Baby: I got it from him, he got a yellow LaFerrari, a Ferrari.
So I was like "yellow Ferrari like Pikachu."
But I was talking about his car.
And we went on with it.
Rob Markman: And all of a sudden man, big yellow Ferrari balloon just floating through
MSG and every arena.
Lil Baby: Hard.
Rob Markman: One thing I gotta ask you about too, coming up in New York, just being a real
rap fan, I like real complex kinda lyrics, just really excite me as a fan.
But when I thought about it man, probably my favorite lyric this year is one of yours.
And my friends put me onto it.
They were like man, we just be talking sometimes, and I just bust outta nowhere, wah, wah, wah,
bitch I'm the baby.
Lil Baby: Now, I still don't what the catchy part about that is, but that's one of them
key words ... I mean I get it, wah, wah, bitch I'm the baby.
But the way people have caught it, I never would have thought.
They was like wah, wah, wah.
That shit lit though now, that's the thing to say.
Rob Markman: You know what it is, because it's so simple, it's not much too it, but
just with your name being Lil Baby-
Lil Baby: Go with it, yes.
Rob Markman: ... it was just a no-brainer.
It was like, of course.
Lil Baby: Yeah it was one of those simple go with ... I don't know.
It's crazy, but it's true.
Rob Markman: So you wasn't sitting there coming up with that, like yo, I'm gonna kill them
with this line.
It just kinda came out and took on a life of its own.
Lil Baby: Not with this one, with wah, wah.
Nah, nah it was ... I was like, I'll put this line in here, with some rapping.
But not like boy, this that line boy, watch when I do this, they gonna ... hell nah, I
ain't know it was gonna do that, hell nah.
Rob Markman: Right.
I seen a billboard ... was it in Atlanta that they put the billboard up-
Lil Baby: Yeah, yeah, wah, wah, wah, bitch I'm the baby, aight on a billboard.
Rob Markman: That's cool.
Where do you go from here?
What do you do next?
You got billboards up with your lyrics up man, where do you go from here.
Lil Baby: I done did so much so quick.
I gotta go harder.
I'm trying to be big dog, big dog, status for real.
Rob Markman: How long do you see yourself in the game?
Do you see yourself 10 years in?
You look at a guy like Tip, just dropped the “Dime Trap,” which kinda celebrates his
longevity in the game.
Do you see yourself really going for that long in music?
Lil Baby: For sure, for sure.
And it ain't even just gotta be the music.
Like Tip, he's just in the music, but he's just in the game, period.
From movies to politics to whatever, he's T.I., in the game for 10 years.
I'm trying to be like that, definitely.
Like, oh Lil Baby, he been in this, he did this ... 10 years, keeping going in the flow,
from a TV show to a ... that's in the game.
I definitely ...
Rob Markman: Nah, that's dope, man.
Lil Baby: He's one of the people I kinda look at for advice as far as like how he came in,
how he still in.
And he from my city, so definitely look up to T.I.
Rob Markman: So y'all get to talking, y'all get to building a relationship already, you and Tip?
Lil Baby: Yeah definitely, I see him on the regular, just on that real Atlanta, just breeze
through places.
He still hang in them little here-and-theres.
Rob Markman: That's dope man, he's one of my favorite people to interview because he'll
tell you like it is.
He'll tell you when you're fucking up, he'll tell you when you're doing good.
Lil Baby: Exactly, he's a real one.
Rob Markman: He really care about his people.
Who are some of the other rappers that you're into, man?
Lil Baby: I'm into everybody, I love music.
If it's hot, I'm on it.
Even if it's not hot, if it's good music, I'll listen to it.
I love listening to music.
When I'm riding, when I'm getting my money together, when I'm getting my thoughts together.
Music is my go-to.
It's been my go-to forever, even in jail.
That's how I got through it.
I'd sit in there ... I could listen to music for like a month straight if I had to, just
sit in a room.
I done did it.
Rob Markman: You had this quote that said something like, listening to music and creating
music are kinda two different things for you.
Lil Baby: Definitely, definitely two different things.
because when I'm listening to it I'm getting the feel, and when I'm creating it I'm trying
to create the feel.
So when I create it and then I play it back, I get a different feel.
Lil Baby: That shit's crazy.
Rob Markman: I want to try something out with you man, I'm gonna put you on the spot, don't be scared.
It's something that we do that we ask guests here, just being fans I think we all fans
of music, I want to know from you, what's an artist that you can just take a verse and
rap it like if it was yours?
Lil Baby: Like that Old Jeezy for sure.
Rob Markman: So I could give you anything Old Jeezy, and you could just rap it?
Lil Baby: Hell yeah.
Hell yeah, most definitely, that Old Jeezy.
Rob Markman: Alright, I happen to think Thug Motivation 101 is a classic.
Lil Baby: Definitely a classic.
Rob Markman: I love the way that album starts off, just with the intro track.
Let's go Young Jeezy, let's go Thug Motivation 101, man.
First track, man, what you got?
Lil Baby: You gotta start it off, what's the first...
Rob Markman: Oh, amazing line too, so I used to hit the kitchen light, cockroaches-
Lil Baby: I used to hit the kitchen lights, cockroaches everywhere.
Now I hit the kitchen lights, it's marbles floors everywhere.
Call the carpenter, the roof on the Coup gone.
Give a damn what they sold, I'm the truth holm.
Kitchen fumed up, niggas jamming Tupac.
Get my Benihanas on working two pots.
Baby needs shoes, partner needs bail money.
Blood hound for the dough, I just smell money.
You niggas just talk, I recollect.
Hands on Jeezy, really counting them checks.
I'm Donald Trump in the white tee and white 1's.
The conversation is money, nigga you want some?
Rob Markman: Hey, Lil Baby out here with the Jeezy, man, look man, that was fly.
He really said it, he said throw me any Jeezy song, I got you.
Lil Baby: I fuck with that Jeezy though.
Rob Markman: That was dope man.
But yo, I wanna thank you man for coming on For the Record.
Lil Baby: I appreciate y'all for having me, most definitely, Genius, For the Record.
You too, man, for the support from day one.
Rob Markman: Nah, you got it man.
Street Gossip out now, man, go check that out.
Lil Baby: Go get that.
Yeah!