• 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.

Comments

More Songfacts:

Blaze Of GloryJon Bon Jovi

Jon Bon Jovi earned his first movie credit - Young Guns II - by writing "Blaze Of Glory" for the film.

Heartache TonightEagles

Bob Seger co-wrote the Eagles #1 hit "Heartache Tonight."

Auld Lang SyneTraditional

The New Year's Eve favorite "Auld Lang Syne" is a Scottish song that roughly translates to "Days Of Long Ago."

DowntownPetula Clark

When Petula Clark reached #1 in the US with "Downtown" in 1965, she became the first female singer from England to hit #1 in the US during the Rock Era (after 1955).

SailAwolnation

"Sail" by Awolnation was the first hit to mention ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) in the chorus ("Blame it on my ADD"). Lead singer Aaron Bruno put that line in because his parents and teachers often told him he had that condition, which explained his poor grades.

One WeekBarenaked Ladies

The closing lyrics in "One Week" by Barenaked Ladies are "Birchmount Stadium, home of the Robbie," which refers to a soccer tournament in Ontario.

Editor's Picks

Charlie Benante of AnthraxSongwriter Interviews

The drummer for Anthrax is also a key songwriter. He explains how the group puts their songs together and tells the stories behind some of their classics.

La La Brooks of The CrystalsSong Writing

The lead singer on "Da Doo Ron Ron" and "Then He Kissed Me," La La explains how and why Phil Spector replaced The Crystals with Darlene Love on "He's A Rebel."

Dave Pirner of Soul AsylumSongwriter Interviews

Dave explains how the video appropriated the meaning of "Runaway Train," and what he thought of getting parodied by Weird Al.

Desmond ChildSongwriter Interviews

One of the most successful songwriters in the business, Desmond co-wrote "Livin' La Vida Loca," "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)" and "Livin' On A Prayer."

Richard Butler of The Psychedelic FursSongwriter Interviews

Psychedelic Furs lead singer Richard Butler talks about their first album since 1991 and explains what's really going on in "Pretty In Pink."

John Doe of XSongwriter Interviews

With his X-wife Exene, John fronts the band X and writes their songs.