DaBaby (Photo by David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
It’s only been about 24 hours since DaBaby issued a second apology for his “hurtful and triggering comments” about the LGBTQ+ community and “misinformed comments” about HIV/AIDS. Yet, it hasn’t simmered the hot seat he’s in following his words during his Rolling Loud performance and his post-festival comments. On Tuesday, within hours of each other, three festivals dropped the rapper from their independent 2021 line ups. The list of cancellations include Atlanta’s Music Midtown, Austin City Limits (ACL) Music Festival and the iHeart Radio Music Festival.
Both Music Midtown and ACL kept their announcement brief saying “DaBaby will no longer be performing…” at their respective festivals. Music Midtown is a two-day event set in Piedmont Park this coming September. ACL boasts a longer schedule with performances scheduled for Friday through Sunday on two consecutive October weekends. According to Rolling Stone, iHeart Radio confirmed DaBaby also won’t be performing on their festival’s Daytime Stage in September.
“If you didn’t show up today with HIV, AIDS…any of them deadly sexually transmitted diseases that make you die in 2, 3 weeks, put your cell phone light in the air,” DaBaby said during his Rolling Loud set. “Fellas, if you ain’t sucking no d**k in the parking lot, put your cell phone light in the air.”
Within the same day, DaBaby began facing widespread criticism for his statements. Along with trending across social platforms, brands, fellow artists and music festivals began distancing themselves from the artist. Celebrities like Dua Lipa, Demi Lovato, Amber Rose, Madonna and Elton John all spoke out — condemning and correcting his comments. By Friday, he issued his first apology since Rolling Loud via Twitter.
“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,” DaBaby wrote. “So my apologies. But the LGBT community…I ain’t trippin on y’all, do you. y’all business is y’all business.”
Still, the criticism continued to pour in, including from The Roots frontman Quest Love. DaBaby fired back saying he doesn’t know him or care about loosing him as a fan. A series of posts resulted in DaBaby calling himself “the influence” and saying he has the “influence and the nuts.”
By Monday night, he had been bumped out of four music festivals including Chicago’s Lollopooloza, Machester’s Parklife Festival, Day N Vegas and NYC’s Governor’s Ball. Then, came his second apology. After today’s cancellations, the rapper has been cancelled as an act in seven festivals total.
Want updates directly in your text inbox? Hit us up at 917-722-8057 or click here to join!
