DaBaby returns to Rolling Loud stage after homophobic remarks
The rapper's return to the festival comes three months after his homophobic remarks.
DaBaby made a surprise return to the Rolling Loud stage Thursday night when 50 Cent brought him out as a special guest.
Rolling Loud organizers approved the rapper’s appearance during 50’s headlining set at Citi Field in Queens, New York, TMZ reports. DaBaby’s return to the festival comes three months after his homophobic remarks during the Miami tour stop in July.
“If you didn’t show up today with HIV/AIDS, or any of them deadly sexually transmitted diseases that’ll make you die in two to three weeks, then put your cellphone lighter up,” DaBaby, real name Jonathan Lyndale Kirk, announced during his performance. “Ladies, if your p***y smell like water, put your cellphone lighter up. Fellas, if you ain’t sucking d**k in the parking lot, put your cellphone lighter up.”
He later added that he was just “keeping it real” and that his comments weren’t directed at his fans because they aren’t “nasty gay n****s” or “junkies.”
Amid the backlash and the cancellation of several shows, the rapper posted an apology to his Instagram account after being dropped from the line-up of the 2021 Governor’s Ball, Lollapalooza and the Day N Vegas festival.
“Social media moves so fast that people want to demolish you before you even have the opportunity to grow, educate, and learn from your mistakes. 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,” the message read.
DaBaby also thanked the people who have reached out to him “with kindness”, sharing, “I appreciate the many people who came to me with kindness, who reached out to me privately to offer wisdom, education, and resources. That’s what I needed and it was received.”
The rapper also officially apologized to the LGBTQ+ community. “I want to apologize to the LGBTQ+ community for the hurtful and triggering comments I made. Again, I apologize for my misinformed comments about HIV/AIDS and I know education on this is important. Love to all. God bless,” he wrote.
Several of DaBaby’s fellow artists condemned him for offending the LGBTQ+ community, including Dua Lipa, who collaborated with him on a remix of her song “Levitating.” Elton John and Madonna also clapped back at his remarks.
“I’m surprised and horrified at DaBaby’s comments,” Lipa said in a statement. “I really don’t recognize this as the person I worked with. I know my fans know where my heart lies and that I stand 100% with the LGBTQ community. We need to come together to fight the stigma and ignorance around HIV/AIDS.”
Rapper T.I. and comedian Dave Chappelle were among the handful of celebs to come DaBaby’s defense.
In his new Netflix special The Closer, Chappelle explored DaBaby’s rant during a bit. While the scandal had many thinking about “cancel culture”, Chappelle joked that he was willing to “negotiate the release of DaBaby,” while also expressing his jealousy of the progression of the LGBTQ community when compared to the Black community.
Chappelle also caped for Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling in the special, who many trans activists have referred to as a TERF (trans-exclusionary radical feminist), which she has taken offense to and written about at length.
While defending her, Chappelle says, “I’m team TERF!” He adds, “Gender is a fact. Every human being in this room, every human being on earth, had to pass through the legs of a woman to be on earth. That is a fact. Now, I am not saying that to say trans women aren’t women, I am just saying that those p—ies that they got… you know what I mean? I’m not saying it’s not p—y, but it’s ‘Beyond P—y’ or ‘Impossible P—y’. It tastes like p—y, but that’s not quite what it is, is it? That’s not blood. That’s beet juice.”
This article contains additional reporting from theGRIO’s Jared Alexander.
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