He only started rapping two years ago,
but Lil Baby has already positioned himself
as hip hop's next trap superstar.
Here's what you need to know about him.
22-year-old Atlanta rapper Lil Baby
is a testament to how quickly talent
and being surrounded by the right people can birth a star.
Raised by a single mother, the artist born Dominique Jones
never seriously considered a career in music.
That is until 2017, when after serving a two year
prison sentence on drug charges,
Baby was convinced to try his hand at rapping by
Pierre 'Pee' Thomas and Kevin 'Coach K' Lee
of Quality Control.
After turning his attention and focus to music,
Lil Baby released his first mixtape, Perfect Timing.
As it turns out, the project's intro was the first track
he had ever recorded.
Perfect Timing featured ATL heavy hitters like
Young Thug, Lil Yachty, and Young Scooter,
but most notably, it contained two collaborations
with fellow rap newcomer, Gunner.
The first taste of what would become
a fruitful artistic relationship between the pairing.
Harder than Hard, Baby's DJ Drama hosted second project,
would follow just three months later.
The tapes second track
"My Dawg" was an instant standout
and Baby's first Billboard Hot 100 hit.
Baby would drop two additional mixtapes
before the end of 2017.
A joint project with fellow QC signee, Marlowe named
2 The Hard Way and another solo tape named
Too Hard, his first ever release to crack the Billboard 200.
And featured on four tracks
on the first QC compilation album
Control the Streets Volume I.
In 2018, though, Baby hit nationwide.
His debut album Harder than Ever,
featuring guest appearances by
Drake, Lil Uzi Vert, Offset, and Young Thug debuted
at number three, while the album's
Drake assisted second single "Yes Indeed"
became a Top-10 hit and gave
Baby his first platinum plaque.
Five months later,
Baby and Gunner teamed up for Drip Harder,
establishing themselves as rap's best new duo,
and scoring each a top five hit in "Drip Too Hard"
and another top 15 single in
"Never Recover," yet another collab with Drake.
Showing no signs of slowing up, Lil Baby
has just dropped his third project of 2018, Street Gossip.
Lil Baby is already a star as Pee and Coach K told
Noisey, "[He's] got that swag,
[he's] the definition of a real Atlanta dude."
It's that authenticity that has the industry
in the palm of his hands.
Baby has already scored multiple hits alongside
Drake performed at the 2018 BET Awards.
♪ Drip too hard, don't stand too close ♪
♪ You gon' (censored) around drown off this wave ♪
♪ Doing all of these shows, I've been on the road ♪
♪ I don't care where I go, long as I get paid ♪
Collaborated with the likes of Migos, Gucci Mane,
Kodak Black, Tory Lanez, YoungBoy Never Broke Again,
and more.
And collected a platinum plaque for "Yes Indeed".
♪ Brand new whip got no keys ♪
♪ Tailor my clothes no starch, please ♪
♪ Soon as I nut you can gon' leave ♪
♪ Got M's in the bank like "Yes, Indeed" ♪
♪ Whenever I tell her to come, she comin' ♪
♪ Whenever it's smoke, we ain't runnin' ♪
♪ Drip too hard, don’t stand too close ♪
♪ You gon' fuck around and drown off this wave ♪
♪ ...dawg for sure, That's my dawg ♪
♪ That's my dawg for sure, that's my dawg ♪
♪ Me and my dawg ♪
Lil Baby gives new meaning to overnight success,
and what he's done in just two years
is a credit to his pure talent, work ethic, and team.
Noisey deemed Lil Baby destined for rap greatness,
naming him one of Atlanta's greatest storytellers
while The Fader called him the 2018 rookie of the year.
In an interview with Vibe, Baby said he could see himself
transitioning from rap artist into label boss down the road,
but in the meantime he plans to stay busy
as one of the most prolific young stars
in hip hop, churning out hot 100 hits like it's nothing,
and rewriting the rules on how quickly a non rapper
can become a rap superstar.