DaBaby makes stage return with yet another limp apology: ‘The rest of y’all are cry babies’
DaBaby at the BET Awards 2021 on 27 June 2021 in Los Angeles. (Rich Fury/Getty)
DaBaby once again fell short of an apology as he returned to the stage for the first time since his appalling homophobic comments at Rolling Loud festival.
The rapper appeared at Hot97’s Summer Jam 2021 in New Jersey on Sunday (22 August), nearly a month since his offensive rant about gay people and those with HIV which led to several sponsors and festivals dropping him.
DaBaby opened his set by addressing the backlash with a pre-taped video message shown on the stadium’s screen.
He thanked Hot97 for allowing him “to share my gift, share my blessing with y’all out here live on this stage amongst all the chaos and all the backlash. So hats off to y’all for that”.
“They accepted my sincerity and all my apologies when I said I never, ever meant to offend anybody or say anything to make anybody feel any type of way live on that stage a few weeks ago,” he continued.
“And Hot 97 was also willing to stick they neck out on the line, willing to go against all odds with everything going on out here in the world – they still allowed me to come right here on this stage and utilise their platform.
“They helped the world move forward and become a better place and not dismiss people off mistakes made like we ain’t human.”
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But then DaBaby addressed the crowd live, and that’s when his words suddenly seemed a little less sincere.
“Check this out,” he said, according to Complex. “Other than the people that, you know, was truly offended, I feel like the rest of y’all motherf**kers being cry babies.”
The rapper then launched into “Cry Baby,” his hit with Megan Thee Stallion, in what seemed like a clear move directed at his critics.
DaBaby’s limp apologies are impressing no one
The double-edged message is hardly surprising from DaBaby, who previously skirted an apology by insisting that his gay fans “don’t have HIV/AIDS” because they’re not “nasty” or “junkies”.
He later admitted that his comments about people living with HIV were “insensitive”, but also suggested his words had just been “digested wrong”.
After his half-hearted apology he released a new song and music video that reference AIDS, which was filmed hours before he performed at Rolling Loud. The video also ended with the message “Don’t fight hate with hate” in rainbow letters.
The statement also included a message: “My apologies for being me, the same way you want the freedom to be you.”
He later claimed on Instagram that he tried to “apologise” and actually “meant no harm” by his remarks because he was “only entertaining as you are paid to do” at such events. DaBaby added that people who were critical of his comments were tagging “along with a trending topic”.
Numerous events, sponsors and artists quickly moved to distance themselves from DaBaby, but at least one performer is standing by him: the equally offensive rapper Boosie Badazz. The problematic pair are expected to perform together at the Boosie Bash on 28 August.
