(ThyBlackMan.com) This past Friday, rising hip hop star Lil’ Baby released the deluxe edition to his No. 1 album My Turn. Lil’ Baby has come a long way since his breakout hit “My Dawg,” but his hit song “Yes Indeed” with Drake in the spring of 2018 set the course.
However, these drastic times may come with the consequence of extreme measures. And with COVID-19 changing life as we know it, Lil’ Baby may have decided to take matters in his own hands.
In late April, Lil Baby took to Instagram live to give his label, Quality Control, an ultimatum. They needed to provide him with 5 million dollars, or back to the street life he goes.
“I told my label they need to give me $5 million or I’m going to hustle, f*ck it. Give me $5 million or I’m doing what I do.”
While Baby would clarify that he made the statement in jest, did he really with how the music industry is changing?
And if he did mean it, would he be worth the cash?
Let us look at what we know about Lil’ Baby. His story is a traditional former hustler-turned-rapper who decides to turn his life around to get away from crime. Pee from Quality Control convinced him to rap and viola; he became a star. So far, Lil’ Baby has been a high return on investment.
But in my opinion, Lil’ Baby seems like he is more of an image of a rapper who happens to rap than a rapper who can parlay his image into great marketing. He admitted that he just started rapping when he first came out and frequent collaborator Gunna helped him pen verses. While there is nothing wrong with coming into the game with no polish, could he last with wordsmiths who have been in this game for years without Quality Control’s grooming? Not sure, because some of them are animals.
This scenario goes back to whether Baby is worth the five million upfront. Yes, Lil’ Baby is a star and provides depth to his music. He has built a nice following in today’s music landscape. But can we see Lil’ Baby transforming into a Tier 1 star? For me, that is a no. Remember, Lil’ Baby needed a lot of assistance to get to where he is today. He had to get groomed, learn how to not only rap but to write and structure songs. So, if you give him five million to prolong his career, you are expecting to see 10 million in profit from him. For someone who, for lack of a better word, was babysat, that’s a lot of money to give up when there are artist out there who come in the rap game polished that you can give that money to.
In the bitter end, if Baby was serious, it is best to count his blessings and remember the opportunity presented to him. It was a lot of spoon-to-mouth action to get him to this point, and I do not think I could bet on Baby cutting his teeth as a serious songwriter to be around as a star for the next five-to-ten years. He has done well to this point, but not enough to fork over five million.
If this ultimatum were presented to me if I were Pee, I guess Baby would be back on the streets. Jay-Z heard people saying they made him and challenged them to make another one. In Lil’ Baby’s case, I think it’s a strong case I could.
Music Editor; Brad Washington
Also connect with this brother through Twitter; http://twitter.com/theGURO15.
