Weeks after making controversial and homophobic comments about HIV/AIDS, DaBaby met with several HIV organizations to become educated on the facts of the virus and the community it impacts. He also delivered an apology, the third one thus far.
Nine HIV awareness organizations in the country met with the rapper to share personal stories of those living with HIV/AIDS, TMZ reports. The organizations sent out a call to action via a letter sent out in August.
The letter was in response to DaBaby’s comments made at the Rolling Loud festival.
During the festival in July, he encouraged fans to put their phones up if “they didn’t show up today with HIV/AIDS or other STDs that’ll make you die in 2-3 weeks” and if they “didn’t suck a n— d—- in the parking lot,” theGrio reported.
An apology didn’t immediately follow. The media outlet reshared a video he shared online of him defending his comments, stating his friends who identify as LGBTQ+ do not have HIV/AIDS because they aren’t “nasty gay n—- or “junkies.”
Soon afterward, DaBaby, 29, born Jonathan Lyndale Kirk and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, released an apology on Twitter, writing in part: “Anybody who done ever been affected 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. So my apologies – But the LGBT community… I ain’t trippin on y’all, do you. y’all business is y’all business.”
DaBaby soon released another apology to his Instagram.
“As a man who has had to make his own way from very difficult circumstances, having people I know publicly working against me — knowing that what I needed was education on these topics and guidance — has been challenging,” he wrote in a post that has since been deleted.
The organization’s leaders say their meeting with DaBaby went well, noting he seemed “genuinely engaged.”
Marnina Miller of the Southern AIDS Coalition says the rapper’s eagerness to meet could set a positive example for others. They also say he gave another heartfelt apology, making it his third time apologizing for the incident.
Per an official press release from the organizations he met with, the goal of the initial open letter sent the rapper was to “call him out.” The press release states in part:
During our meeting, DaBaby was genuinely engaged, 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. We appreciate that he openly and eagerly participated in this forum of Black people living with HIV, which provided him an opportunity to learn and to receive accurate information.
DaBaby also met with leaders from the Black AIDS Institute, GLAAD, Positive Women’s Network, and Transinclusive Group.
After his comments, DaBaby was removed from several scheduled performances including headlining Lollapalooza, Governors Ball, and Day N Vegas. He did perform at Hot 97’s Summer Jam and made a surprise appearance at Kanye West‘s latest listening party for Donda on which he is featured on the song “Jail Pt. 2.”
Some of DaBaby’s peers expressed their support despite his comments including rapper, actor, and Power executive producer, 50 Cent.
“Yeah, he will,” 50 told E!’s Nightly Pop when asked if he thinks DaBaby will bounce back, as reported by theGrio. “As long as he keeps his consistency with the music. Remember they canceled Chris Brown like five, six times?”
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