DaBaby Says Kendrick Lamar & J. Cole’s Music Sometimes Goes Over Rap Fans’ Heads
Written by SOURCE on September 28, 2019
While on the promotional run for his newly released album, Kirk, Charlotte rapper DaBaby appeared on Beats 1 radio to chop it up with Ebro Darden. A major point of discussion was DaBaby’s well-rounded skills, which gave him the ability to churn out both club bangers and lyrical cuts.
“When it comes to the music, the traits you got to have in order to make lit music, club music, to have the swag with it, to have the lingo—I got those traits, you know what I mean?” he said. “Just from my environment I came up…and I got the brains to be able to play around with what words.”
DaBaby went on to say that he also has an ear for deep and thoughtful lyricism.
“When I listen to Kendrick Lamar verse, J. Cole verse, I hear everything them mothafuckas saying,” he explained. “Like, the first time I listen to it, I understand it, I can digest it…. A lot of people can listen to shit like that and … it go over their head.”
He continued: “… A lot of people just want to hear the beat, [but] I can do both of them.”
The 27-year-old rapper then pointed to his hit single “Suge,” a catchy hit he wrote shortly after he made a stop at the ATM. Though the inspiration may seem trivial, DaBaby explained that this particular moment was very significant to him.
“I said, ‘Stop by this ATM real quick, I got to get some money,’ knowing god damn well I ain’t got to get no money out,” he recalled. “I’ve been broke my whole life, you get what I’m saying? I’m scared of the bank…. I checked the balance, printed the receipt out—I had to print the receipt out, I didn’t even want to see it on the screen.”
He said he didn’t look at his account balance until he got into the car. Once he realized his Interscope check had cleared, he was overcome with inspiration.
“[I] shined the light from my cellphone [on the receipt] and saw them motherfucking figures on there,” he recalled. “I didn’t even say nothing to nobody. I ain’t say shit. We went in [the studio] … I did that song in like 10 minutes.”
You can check out DaBaby’s full interview above.
