Not only is DaBaby not apologizing for homophobic remarks he made at Rolling Loud Miami, he is now defending his “freedom” to mock gay people. In the new self-directed music video for “Giving What It’s Supposed to Give,” the rapper makes two references to the controversy, holding up a sign that says “AIDS,” and spelling out a message in rainbow lettering directed at the LGBTQ community: “My apologies for being me the same way you want the freedom to be you.”
In this case, “being me,” includes mocking people with AIDS and telling queer festival-goers they’re not welcome. During his July 25th performance, DaBaby invited only some parts of the audience to get hyped. “You didn’t show up today with HIV, AIDS, any of those deadly sexually transmitted diseases that’ll make you die [in] two, three weeks, put your cellphone light in the air,” he said. “Fellas, if you ain’t sucking n**** dick in the parking lot, put your cellphone lights in the air.”
Afterwards, he defended himself. “All the lights went up… ’cause even my gay fans don’t got fucking AIDS,” he said. Then, on July 27th, he backtracked — but only some of his remarks. “Anybody who done ever been effected by AIDS/HIV y’all got the right to be upset, what I said was insensitive even though I have no intentions on offending anybody,” he tweeted. “So my apologies. But the LGBT community… I ain’t trippin on y’all, do you. y’all business is y’all business.”
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The “Giving What It’s Supposed to Give” music video is his latest statement on the subject. Most of the visuals concern DaBaby’s fictional feud with a deceased police office and sketches in jail. At one point, as two large men poke him in the forehead, he raps, “Bitch, we like AIDS, I’m on your ass, we on your ass, bitch, we won’t go ‘way,” and holds up a sign that reads “AIDS.”
Any of this could have been filmed before his Rolling Loud set, but the rainbow lettering at the end seems to have been written afterward: “Don’t fight hate with hate,” DaBaby tells his critics. “My apologies for being me the same way you want the freedom to be you.” Check out the video below.
Since his Rolling Loud Miami set on Sunday, DaBaby has been roundly booed by some of his collaborators and peers. Dua Lipa said, “I’m surprised and horrified at DaBaby’s comments,” Elton John ” tweeted, We’ve been shocked to read about the HIV misinformation and homophobic statements made at a recent DaBaby show. This fuels stigma and discrimination and is the opposite of what our world needs to fight the AIDS epidemic,” and the rapper lost a deal with the clothing brand boohooMAN.
