DaBaby came out of the gates swinging in 2019 with his breakout hit “Suge.” But two years into his ascent to stardom, he hit a rough patch in his career, suffering personal losses and facing backlash for controversial public remarks.
In 2020, he opened up about the sudden and tragic passing of his brother, Glen Johnson. On Twitter, he made a plea for those suffering from mental health issues to seek help in their darkest hour. “I’m bout to get a therapist my damn self,” he wrote following his brother’s suicide. In the past, he has also spoken about the trauma of losing his father unexpectedly in 2019. And by 2021, he was on the receiving end of backlash for offensive remarks he made toward the LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS communities during his set at Rolling Loud.
Now, having clawed his way back onto the charts with his EP CALL DA FIREMAN and single “Shake Sumn,” he is certain that things are looking up for him again. “I pretty much started a film production company the entire time while I was running the label — while I was one of the biggest stars at the label that I was signed to,” he told HipHopDX in a recent conversation about the way he spent his first large lump sum of money.
The rapper, who has since found mentorship in the likes of 50 Cent, continued, “So I had a lot of things going on all at the same time, [and] while I was dealing with all my personal issues, a lot of people ain’t know what I had going on. So it’s just a blessing to come out on the other side of all the bulls**t, all the negativity, and still have all that other s**t that I established and worked toward right there eye to eye with me.”
Elsewhere in the interview, DaBaby explained that as he experienced early success and big payouts, he remained clear that setting up his and his family’s future was always his top priority. His first seven-figure payout could have scored him a number of luxury items or even afforded him countless fleeting but lavish moments of happiness. But instead of overindulging in all of the finer things that millions in the back could buy him, he took care of home — literally.
“The first thing I did was buy my estate. I got something there for my daughters that can’t nobody take away from them. And it’s just like Wonderland. It’s my version of Neverland,” he added. “Actually, I got my mama a crib first, then I did that.” The Ohio native has called North Carolina home since early in his childhood. He is the father of four children, including a daughter he and singer DaniLeigh welcomed in 2021.