After a summer in which he was removed from many major festivals, DaBaby finally hit the stage for the first time since his Rolling Loud set at New York’s Hot 97 Summer Jam. Among the many questions for fans watching the set, the foremost was whether or not he’d address the controversial comments that got him removed from so many other festivals’ lineups.
He did. While the Summer Jam set opened with a montage of video clips including the ones that offended so many, DaBaby also addressed his mistake and its backlash, thanking Hot 97 for being “willing to stick they neck out on the line” by keeping him on its lineup. He said that the station “allowed me 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. “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 utilize 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.”
Many questioned the sincerity of his apologies, as at least two were delivered in a defiant tone that some saw as doubling down on the comments, rather than backing away from them. He said his fans “don’t have HIV/AIDS” because they’re not “nasty” or “junkies,” and released the video for “Giving What It’s Supposed To Give,” noting the parallels between his awkward Rolling Loud speech and parts of the video, which he’d shot beforehand. Some listeners will probably still question his sincerity after Summer Jam as well, considering how he introduced the song “Cry Baby”:
“Other than the people that truly offended,” he said, “I feel like the rest of y’all motherf*ckers being cry babies.”
To see DaBaby’s original offending comments click here.