DaBaby Artistfacts

December 22, 1991
Born Jonathan Lyndale Kirk in Cleveland, Ohio, DaBaby moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, at age 6. The city became central to his identity, and he frequently references its 704 area code in his music.
He didn't start rapping until his early 20s. Before that, he spent several years hustling on the streets of Charlotte from age 17. He says the hardships and losses during that period "built character and made a man out of me."
He began his music career in 2015 under the name Baby Jesus, releasing his debut mixtape, Nonfiction. He dropped the controversial moniker in 2017, rebranding as DaBaby; the same year he pulled a now-infamous publicity stunt by wearing a diaper at SXSW.

DaBaby described the stunt to The Breakfast Club as "premeditated," comparing it to Tekashi 6ix9ine's rainbow-colored hair as a way to stand out. The tactic worked, drawing widespread attention and helping establish his early buzz.
DaBaby built momentum through a run of independent mixtapes before signing with Interscope Records in January 2019. His breakthrough came soon after with "Suge," which reached the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 within a month of release.
DaBaby followed that success with "Rockstar," his 2020 collaboration with Roddy Ricch. The track spent seven non-consecutive weeks at #1 in the US and also topped the UK chart.
Away from music, DaBaby is a devoted father and has often included his children in public appearances. His 2026 album Be More Grateful includes a guest appearance from his daughter, Twin.
His older brother, Glen Johnson, died of a gunshot wound in 2020. The loss hugely impacted DaBaby and influenced the more introspective tone of his later work.
In July 2021, DaBaby faced backlash after making homophobic remarks during a performance at the Rolling Loud festival. The controversy led to criticism, including from Dua Lipa (who partnered with him on a remix of her song "Levitating"), and resulted in multiple festival cancellations. He later described the fallout as feeling like "somebody pressed a button."
DaBaby was involved in a fatal shooting at a Walmart in Shelby, North Carolina in 2017, after a man allegedly attacked him and his family. Authorities ruled the incident self-defense, and no charges were filed.
In November 2021, a domestic dispute with his then-girlfriend, DaniLeigh, was inadvertently streamed live on Instagram. She was later charged with two counts of assault.