Culture

Rapper DaBaby quietly dropped from Parklife Festival line-up after disgraceful HIV rant

DaBaby

DaBaby has faced criticism for his comments about gay people and HIV. (Rich Fury/Getty)

DaBaby has been removed from the line-up of Parklife Festival in Manchester following his incendiary comments about gay people and HIV.

The “Levitating” rapper has faced resounding backlash over comments he made on stage at the Rolling Loud Festival in Miami, Florida, last weekend.

Addressing the crowd, DaBaby wrongly suggested that people with HIV die “in two, three weeks” from the virus and made comments about gay and bisexual men who “suck d**k”.

DaBaby had been scheduled to perform at the Parklife Festival in Manchester in September, but his name was quietly removed from the line-up following his homophobic remarks.

The festival quietly posted a new version of its line-up on social media, with DaBaby’s name notably absent.

While DaBaby appears to no longer be playing at the Parklife Festival, he still has a number of high-profile performances scheduled, including the iHeartRadio festival.

PinkNews has contacted the Parklife Festival for comment.

DaBaby has tried – and failed – to apologise for his comments

The rapper has faced days of furious criticism from former collaborators, HIV charities and the LGBT+ community over his remarks about queer people on stage at the Rolling Loud Festival.

Dua Lipa, who recorded a remix of her hit song “Levitating” with the rapper, said she was “surprised and horrified” by his comments.

“I really don’t recognise this as the person I worked with,” Dua Lipa wrote on her Instagram Stories. “I know my fans know where my heart lies and I stand 100 per cent with the LGBTQ community. We need to come together to fight the stigma and ignorance around HIV/AIDS.”

Countless other high-profile figures have condemned his comments, including Laverne Cox, who drew parallels between his toxic views and misogyny. Elton John, meanwhile, hit out at DaBaby for spreading “misinformation” about HIV.

Thanks to medical advances, people who contract HIV can now live long, healthy lives with antiretroviral medication. A person with HIV who is receiving effective treatment cannot pass the virus on through condomless sex.

DaBaby has tried to apologise for his offensive remarks twice, but on both occasions, he only made it worse.

Speaking on his Instagram Stories on Monday (26 July), the rapper branded the backlash a “weak ass internet issue”. He later tried to apologise again on Twitter, acknowledging that people who had been affected by HIV and AIDS had “the right to be upset”.

“What I said was insensitive even though I have no intentions on offending anybody. So my apologies,” DaBaby wrote.

“But the LGBT community… I ain’t trippin on y’all, do you. y’all business is y’all business.”

He was subsequently dropped by BooHoo, which released a collection with the rapper in June.

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