On Lil Baby’s latest project, My Turn, the Atlanta rapper shares recollections of his background and how it shaped him before his come up.
Lil Baby had an impressive collection of featured artists on his album, including Future, Lil Wayne, Young Thug and frequent collaborator Gunna.
Growing up, Lil Baby, born Dominique Armani Jones, was making his money solely by hustling while living the street lifestyle. Jones dropped out of high school in 10th grade and resorted to street life. Much of this can be accredited to his father leaving his family when he was only 2 years old. Lil Baby has told outlets such as XXL that Young Thug saw his potential before he blew up as a rapper, and Thug would give Lil Baby money to stay in the studio and out of the streets, knowing he came from a rough upbringing.
“Heatin Up (feat. Gunna)”
The music video for “Heatin Up (feat. Gunna)” dropped along with the album. It begins with the rappers reciting Gucci Mane’s “Big Boss Meech Speaks (Intro)” from his 2012 mixtape, Trap Back. The video includes several shots of the rapper’s rise in fame and his expensive taste in cars that came with it, but the artist sticks to his Southern roots and includes scenic shots from where he grew up. The song itself has a violin melody by Quay Global that sounds like it is straight out of an NBA 2K video game while the Georgia rappers flex on their competition.
“Emotionally Scarred”
“Emotionally Scarred” starts off with an addictive flute instrumental by Twysted Genius before Lil Baby begins talking about how his come up led him to cut off people from his past. He raps about the scar that his old neighborhood left on his mindset. He mentions how far he has come from “Section 8,“ and how money is no longer an issue for him and his family.
He admits to someone close to him that his background has shaped him into being heartless, rapping: “I know I wasn't there for you; at least I said ‘I'm sorry’ / You know what it was; I told you that I was heartless / I'm emotionally scarred; that ain't even your fault / But don't listen to them haters tryna fill your ears with salt.”
“Commercial (feat. Lil Uzi Vert)”
“Commercial (feat. Lil Uzi Vert)” is more lyrically emotional than any other song on the album. The rapper goes back and forth describing scenes from his past and comparing them to where he is now. Uzi’s verse is different from Baby’s in that he does not mention his background and only highlights the present. The song is ironically titled “Commercial” because Lil Baby is obviously rapping about the reality of his life and mentions: “They say I went commercial; I ain’t know it.” He is highlighting his authenticity and is staying true to his background.
Although he is living his dream lavishly, Lil Baby is unashamed of where he came from, rapping “I come from the gutter; I spent me a hundred on Chevys / You can take me out the hood, but you can't take the hood out of me.”
“We Should (feat. Young Thug)”
Lil Baby’s mentor Young Thug hops on the track “We Should (feat. Young Thug),” where the duo teams up to tackle the fact that fake love surrounds them because of their fame. Renowned producer Wheezy effortlessly blends piano with trap percussion to perfectly set the mood.
Lil Baby calls out the fakes who want to use him for his prestige and money and shares his opinion on the rap game: “No more fake text messages, leave 'em all on read (Yeah) / And this game some b-------, but they payin', so I play it (I play it) / Cartier earrings, act like I don't hear what they be sayin' (Yeah) / Keep that s--- too solid; I spent millions on my family (Woo).”
Overall, My Turn is packed with great producers that create beats to help highlight Lil Baby’s graceful flow. Lil Baby might be glad he is at the top, but he is never going to throw away his past. His experiences growing up in Atlanta shaped him into the man and prominent rapper he is today.
Rate: 4.8/5
