DaBaby somewhat addressed the homophobic comments he made during his 2021 Rolling Loud Miami performance on Monday (Mar. 7), in an interview with SiriusXM’s Hip Hop Nation.
While he didn’t directly apologize for his misinformed comments about HIV/AIDS and the LGBTQ+ community, he noted that he is “more knowledgeable about tolerance in the business I’m in — for certain things. It’s a learning process.”
Adding that as “an artist at the highest level,” he learned that “there’s adjustments that you gotta make, just like becoming a grown a– man in life.”
When the interview noted that since his controversy, he has “definitely adjusted,” DaBaby replied that he “had no choice.”
“As a human, I got the urge to defend myself every single time,” he said. “When it leans towards personal s— — when it’s bulls— and s— that can’t get nowhere near close to affecting the food that’s put on my daughter’s table or the people around me, business that I’m affiliated to, I don’t give two f—s about it. But when it touches personal places, because that’s the s— I do care about, that’s when you’re going to see me hold my tongue. They’re going to come snatch that motherf—er out of my mouth, because I’m human. But it comes with the territory.”
During Rolling Loud Miami 2021’s final day on July 25, 2021, the “Rockstar” rapper made homophobic and misogynistic comments, as he told the crowd, “If you didn’t show up today with HIV, AIDS, or any of them deadly sexually transmitted diseases that’ll make you die in two to three weeks, then put your cellphone lighter up,” he told attendees. “Ladies, if your p—- smell like water, put your cellphone lighter up. Fellas, if you ain’t sucking d— in the parking lot, put your cellphone lighter up.”
After defending himself and doubling down, the star was removed from a number of festival lineups, including Governors Ball and Lollapalooza. Only then did DaBaby share a (since-deleted) apology to his Instagram page. “I want to apologize to the LGBTQ+ community for the hurtful and triggering comments I made,” he said. “Again, I apologize for my misinformed comments about HIV/AIDS and I know education on this is important. Love to all. God bless.”
GLAAD then announced on Aug. 31 that the rapper had sat down with the organization and nine other groups to learn more about HIV and AIDS. They said in a joint statement that DaBaby “apologized for the inaccurate and hurtful comments he made about people living with HIV, and received our personal stories and the truth about HIV and its impact on Black and LGBTQ communities with deep respect.”
DaBaby has since been invited back for the 2022 edition, with the festival announcing him as part of the lineup on March 2, 2022.
