How has DaBaby responded to the backlash?
At first, DaBaby kept to his guns and remained firmly on the defensive.
He took to his Instagram stories to push back on supposed โhypocrisyโ of those who are outraged about his comments but disregard issues of race.
These arguments donโt hold up particularly well, though, as one ignorant take doesnโt necessarily equate to another, and DaBaby made no acknowledgment of the huge waves of protests and activism in support of BLM that took over mainstream press only last summer.
Heโs since done a U-turn. His first apology was via Twitter, in which he said he was sorry to those affected by HIV and AIDS but seemed unfussed by his comments on the LGBTQ+ community.
Since then, more brands and events have pulled him from their line ups and merchandise, which will no doubt affect his estateโs bottom line. In an unsurprising move, another apology has since been issued, this time seemingly more professional but unconvincingly insincere.
DaBabyโs acknowledgement of wrongdoing is at least a step in the right direction, even if it has obviously come straight from his PR team and not from his own mouth.
This is largely a moment for re-education and re-assessment from DaBaby, but heโll need to do more to show heโs genuinely prepared to learn and change. Brands have made clear that theyโre not willing to work with him if he pushes this type of homophobic rhetoric and it is in everyoneโs interest that he become more informed and progressive.
Weโll have to see what his next move will be – and this will no doubt serve as a warning for other artists that harbour these types of prejudices.
Why is this an important moment for the industry?
DaBabyโs comments are strange, given they were completely unprovoked and seemingly unrelated to anything happening on stage or at the show.
Perhaps what is more important here is the subsequent response and outrage, not just from music goers, but commercial properties too.
Franchises recognise that itโs not okay to perpetuate ignorance in such a haphazard and absurd manner and were very quick to distance themselves as soon as possible.
This is a huge shift in standards since hip-hopโs bling era of the mid noughties, when it was controversial to not be homophobic on public platforms. We wrote recently about Kanyeโs influence in this space at the time, where standing up for the LGBTQ+ community was out of pocket and unexpected. Much has changed since then.
Just listen to any Eminem or 50 Cent album from this era – two artists that DaBaby has cited as major influences – and they will be riddled with homophobic slang and uber-macho lyricism that emphasises ego above all else.
If there is a positive to take from DaBabyโs situation, itโs that this shows Gen Z listeners are not tolerant to casual abuse and bigotry, regardless of the context.
Weโre now living in an age where it is unacceptable to be homophobic from a personal and corporate perspective, which is evidence of genuine progress.
Weโll have to see if DaBaby can turn things around soon. It will take more than a half-hearted PR statement to undo the damage done, but hopefully this will be an opportunity to learn and encourage open conversation around acceptance.
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