Back in 2017, when everyone was calling themselves ‘Lil’ whatever, doing drugs, and sporting colourful dreads, it was refreshing to see an innocent ‘baby’ on the scene. But two years on, we’ve seen a glut of babies crawling all over rap playlists and Billboard charts, spelling the moniker in unique ways. After the recent BET Hip-Hop Awards saw the two hottest babies – Lil Baby and DaBaby – perform ‘Baby’ together, it had us all wondering… who’s the biggest baby on the block?
10. SahBabii
Rapper name: SahBabii
Real Name: Saaheem Valdery
Age: 22
From: Chicago-born, Atlanta-based
What’s their story: He grew up in Chicago before his whole family upped and moved to Atlanta to support his older brother’s rap career. Once in Atlanta, SahBabii followed in his brother’s footsteps and started to rap too. His brother helped produce his beats for his first two mixtapes, ‘Pimpin Ain’t Eazy’ and ‘Glocks & Thots’. But after a near-three year-long hiatus, his third mixtape ‘S.A.N.D.A.S’ was the one to blow.
Sounds like… A hypnotic shrink whose music makes you feel like you’re in the deep blue ocean, encased in a serene vibe.
Best track: SahBabii ft. 4orever – ‘Purple Ape’
Biggest tantrum: He isn’t very present on social media anymore. But that doesn’t stop his Twitter (which is complied of five tweets overall) from having whining undertones.
The older you get you find out how stupid mfs are.
— BARNACLES ? (@SahBabii) July 14, 2019
9. Bhad Bhabie
Rapper name: Bhad Bhabie
Real name: Danielle Bregoli
Age: 17
From: Boynton Beach, Florida
What’s their story: Bregoli rose to fame after appearing on US tabloid talk show Dr. Phil with her mother – an appearance that spawned her infamous catchphrase: “Cash me outside, how ’bout dat?” Soon after Bhad Bhabie was born – an unexpected rap star full of braggadocious attitude.
Sounds like… If you gave a child generic rap beats to lay rhymes over, then be surprised when the track is actually good.
Biggest tantrum: Bhabie is known for her short temper – especially with fellow social media star Malu Trevejo. Their most recent shouting match was broadcast on Instagram live where they fought (yet again) over boys.
Best track: Bhad Bhabie ft. Ty Dolla $ign – ‘Trust Issues’
8. Yung Baby Tate
Rapper name: Yung Baby Tate
Real name: Tate Farris
Age: 23
From: Decatur, Georgia
What’s their story: Born to musical parents, Farris was immersed in music from a young age. She began playing the piano at 10 and was performing in her church choir whilst attending a performing arts school. So she was always surrounded by music so it was natural for her to gravitate to it for her career.
Sounds like… a bubblegum-trap rapper who blends cutesy vocals with distorted bass-y productions.
Best track: Yung Baby Tate ft. BbyMutha – ‘Wild Girl’
Biggest tantrum: Maybe not the biggest tantrum in the world, but this baby can whine from time to time. She’s got a right to though! The single life is hard to live.
IM SICK OF THIS SHIT pic.twitter.com/3DeN7brkYi
— I’m ⓑⓐⓑⓨ (@yungbabytate) October 7, 2019
7. BbyMutha
Rapper name: Bbymutha
Real name: Brittnee Moore
Age: 30
From: Chattanooga, Tennessee
What’s their story: From high school, she was writing raps from herself and friends in their collective ‘Money Over N****s’ and thought nothing of it. But then she started dating a rapper and utilised rap as an outlet. But when with her second partner, he stopped her from rapping so she went to study fashion. Yet after the birth of her second set of twins and her being in demand, she reignited her career as a single mother.
Sounds like… A wacky mother with such self-assurance over dreamy trap beats.
Best track: Bbymutha – ‘Rules’
Biggest tantrum: Bbymutha doesn’t really have tantrums. She deals with them from her children. In an interview in 2018, she said “I’m grown as fuck. I’m almost 30. I ain’t got time to beef with no little ass girls”. So I guess this baby mother don’t fight.
6. Baby Keem
Rapper name: Baby Keem
Age: 18
From: Las Vegas, Nevada
What’s their story: He always wanted to rap but he was wanted to find his voice first. When he made his first song at 15, he thought he was “hard” and continued. He so far has produced tracks for TDE, including songs on Jay Rock’s ‘Redemption’ and ScHoolboy Q’s ‘CrasH Talk’. But now he puts his vocals over his acclaimed beats to create cool songs to turn up to.
Sounds like… His songs are dreamy, nursery rhymes with punchy 808s.
Best track: Baby Keem – ‘Invented It’
Biggest tantrum: Again. This baby doesn’t have any tantrums.
5. Bali Baby
Rapper name: Bali Baby
Real name: Kaitlin Fletcher
Age: 22
From: Atlanta, Georgia
What’s their story: She was always interested in music from a young age, but never thought about being a rapper. She didn’t grow up listening to rap and was had football dreams. But when she freestyled for fun, she started to fall in love with making music. At first, she wanted to prove a point by mocking the viral rappers she saw on Instagram, and now her success is due to her cult following on the very app. She, and her label ‘Play Girls’ are trying to put all females on the map.
Sounds like… Well she’s a super eclectic musician as she has multiple personas that reflect different genres. A significant persona is ‘Baylor Swift’, a pop/rock-inspired character where she lived her rockstar fantasies.
Best track: Bali Baby – ‘Backseat’
Biggest tantrum: She is known for her big scrap-ups with other females. Her biggest scrap being with rapper Asian Doll at SXSW 2017, resulting in her wig getting snatched.
4. Lil Baby
Rapper name: Lil Baby
Real name: Dominique Jones
Age: 24
From: Atlanta, Georgia
What’s their story: After his father leaving his family when he was two, his mother and siblings got by. Although not academically challenged, Lil Baby was dropped out of high school in tenth grade since he was always getting into trouble. After many run-ins with the law, Lil Baby was eventually jailed for two years. But that didn’t stop his craft. With friends like Young Thug becoming successful rappers, he followed suit and once released, he dropped his debut mixtape, ‘Perfect Timing’. Now he is one of the most famous babies ever.
Sounds like… A trappy baby. His auto-tuned vocals make him sound like he’s the whiney baby we would expect from someone with the moniker.
Best track: Lil Baby – ‘Southside’
Biggest tantrum: Well, when charged with possession of drugs and intent to sell charges he was originally offered ten years. So many believe that the ‘Drip Too Hard’ rapper did a 6ix9ine and snitched his way out the years. So this tantrum is in self-defence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYBNVYMbiPA&feature=youtu.be&t=72
3. Sada Baby
Rapper name: Sada Baby
Real name: Casada Aaron Sorrell
Age: 26
From: Detroit, Michigan
What’s their story: From the age of nine he found his love for music in church where he sang for the congregation. Then after his move to DC, he started his career and was releasing songs from 2013 that didn’t really go anywhere. On the brink of quitting, his faith in music was restored after winning a competition and his views went up. From hundreds to thousands to now millions.
Sounds like… Chief Keef if he came straight out of Detroit.
Best track: Sada Baby – Pimp Named Drip Dat
Biggest tantrum: This baby doesn’t know how to behave, getting into beefs left right and centre. However, his biggest recorded tantrum has to be when he gruesomely argued with an underground Detroit artist called God’s Gift Tatts. Even though you may not know who he is, this argument is hilarious.
2. DaBaby
Rapper name: DaBaby
Real name: Jonathan Lyndale Kirk
Age: 27
From: Charlotte, North Carolina
What’s their story: Being the youngest of all his siblings, he always was seen as the baby of the family. With a mother who worked three jobs, DaBaby and his brothers and sisters would have to fend for themselves most of the time. He screated a buzz with his debut project back in 2015 under the name BabyJesus. Fast-forward four years and he would have a platinum single (‘Suge’) and a gold debut studio album (‘Baby On Baby’).
Sounds like… A grown man who races over trap beats with witty lyrics.
Best track: DaBaby – Goin Baby
Biggest tantrum: This may not be a tantrum as such, but for months he and internet rapper CamColdHeart went back and forth. This resulted in an altercation in a Louis Vutton store back in the summer where this baby slumped Heart with his pants down. Then DaBaby capitalised from it by making the situation into a T-shirt and a skit at the end of ‘Carpet Burn’ music video.
1. Birdman
Rapper name: Birdman
Real name: Bryan “Baby” Williams
Age: 50
From: New Orleans, Louisiana
What’s their story: Starting off nameless, his mother always told everyone that her newborn was called “baby” and his infamous nickname was born. Later given the name Bryan, he moved around after his mother’s death when he was five and went to Canada to live with his uncle, spent some time in care and then ended up living with his dad. He had some run-ins with the law but when he started his career, him and his brother ‘Slim’ started their own label, Cash Money Records. As the founder of Cash Money Records, he helped change the face of hip-hop with his discovery of the rap legend, Lil Wayne, who also goes by Wheezy F. Baby sometimes.
Sounds like… if to come back, he would be the frontman for the resurgence of ‘bounce’ hip-hop: jumpy and fun hard-hitting production.
Best track: Birdman ft. Lil Wayne – Pop Bottles
Biggest tantrum: Well, amongst all his beefs, Charlamagne got the brunt of Baby’s wrath, resulting in the five most iconic words in hip-hop: “Put some respek on my name”.