He raps about problematically writing lyrics about violence and drugs because of the need to vent, whilst calling on his followers to vote for a different future: “ I can’t lie like I don’t rap about killing and dope, but I’m telling my youngins to vote/ I did what I did ’cause I didn’t have no choice or no hope, I was forced to just jump in and go/ This bullshit is all that we know, but it’s time for a change.” In the second verse, Baby becomes self-reflective while also developing a solution-based thinking process. He raps, “They supposed to protect us/ Throw us in handcuffs and arrest us/ While they go home at night, that shit messed up/ Knowing we needed help, they neglect us.” Lil Baby expresses his hurt and frustration at the failings of the police. Baby points out losing his sanity for the sake of preserving the lives of the people he loves. The feeling behind the raps taps into the emotional state of a constant discomfort for protection. Overprotective, go crazy for mine.” Interestingly, he describes his behavior and warnings as overprotective when, in fact, they are just reactive. He raps, “Crazy, I had to tell all of my loved ones to carry a gun when they going outside/ Stare in the mirror whenever you drive. Lil Baby also dives directly into the feeling of paranoia out of necessity. Baby describes a moment, one that is familiar to those who have seen videos of brutality or experienced it ourselves. His observation outlines the police’s lack of humanity and thought process that prioritizes protecting themselves rather than the communities they are paid to and have taken an oath to protect. He raps, “I find it crazy the police will shoot you and know that you dead but still tell you to freeze.” Baby, in potentially his most interesting rap line yet, dives into the absurdity of the police mind-state. Baby’s analysis of the situation begins straight from the top of the song. Cole, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, YG, Lil Yachty, Young Jeezy, and more. He became a part of a group of rappers seen standing alongside fellow citizens voicing their frustration, including J. On June 7th, Lil Baby was seen at the forefront of an Atlanta Black Lives Matter protest alongside local councilman Antonio Brown. He raps, “fuck around got my shot I won’t let up,” and attempts to dissect the complex state of affairs aligned with unrest from police violence as everyone is listening. On his new single “The Bigger Picture,” you can feel Baby’s sense of duty because of this. His album My Turn, which recently had a deluxe version re-release, has a chance to regain its status as the #1 album on the US Billboard chart. Last year, Lil Baby earned a Best Rap/Sung Performance Grammy nomination for “Drip Too Hard” with Gunna.A truthful perspective lined with vulnerability and motivation is the quality for which Lil Baby has come to be known and appreciated.Īs the rising leader of the new school, Baby has the ear of the world. “It was at a point where I felt I needed to say something.” “I just rap about my life - all my songs are basically about me,” Lil Baby told Rolling Stone last summer. My family, my fans and my city know who I do this for.” Just like with the song, this performance had to reflect the real. I paint pictures with my songs and wanted the performance to bring that picture to life. “Nominations aside, actually performing ‘The Bigger Picture’ means the most to me. “My performance is important to me and I had to make sure it was right,” the rapper told Rolling Stone on Sunday. On it, Lil Baby recounts the way law enforcement have targeted him and Black people all over America. “The Bigger Picture” was released in the midst of a summer of turmoil sparked by the killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd by police.
(He lost both to Megan Thee Stallion and Beyonce’s “Savage”.) The rapper earned two Grammy nominations for “The Bigger Picture” this year: Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance.