Lil Baby dropped his highly anticipated My Turn album on Friday (Feb. 28), and with his sophomore effort, the MC has taken the next step in his ascent as one of the pillars in the new school of Atlanta rap.
Often grouped with his Drip Harder collaborator Gunna, or placed a notch below Migos on the Quality Control totem pole, Baby has shown the ability to stand on his own two feet and power mainstream records by himself. The 25-year-old owns a pair of solo top 50 records on this week’s Hot 100, thanks to album singles “Woah” and “Sum 2 Prove.”
After his release from jail on gun charges in 2016, Baby fell into hip-hop under the shrewd tutelage of Gunna and Young Thug. He rapidly accumulated a growing buzz around the ATL thanks to the many projects he dropped in the following years.
Baby’s rise reached a crescendo when he teamed up with Gunna for their acclaimed Drip Harder joint project in late 2018. Just over a year later, Baby’s solidified himself as a star.
After sifting through his three-year run, here are our choices for Lil Baby’s best 10 songs to date.
10. “Woah”
With his second My Turn single, Baby lets everyone know he isn’t playing games on this album. The 25-year-old rides the icy Quay Global keys and thumping 808s with a more uptempo flow than usual. The braggadocious Baby rhymes about his passion for posting his daily designer fit pics and best new artist win at the BET Awards, all while incorporating the viral “Woah” dance into the tune’s chorus.
9. “Southside”
The track’s title is a double entendre, as Baby hails from Southern ATL, but the song finds 808 Mafia’s Southside behind its abstract production. Lil Baby hits the ground running, reminiscing on his drug-dealing days and love for designer, as he teeters between rapping and more of a half-singing flow.
8. “Pure Cocaine”
The 25-year-old glides over a melody that sounds as if it would be better suited for How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Baby peppers the Mattazik Muzik beat with whispers about his newfound life of luxury and the icy jewelry he’s acquired, which is enough to build an igloo. The visual is also fitting, as Baby throws an all-white house party in his winter wonderland of a mansion.
7. “Life Goes On” feat. Gunna & Lil Uzi Vert
Baby bats leadoff on the Harder Than Ever standout, as he forms a lethal trio alongside Gunna and Lil Uzi Vert. The cinematic production could’ve easily soundtracked an action blockbuster. Even though the track reached the Hot 100 to peak at No. 74, “Life Goes On” should have been a top 40 staple during summer 2018.
6. “Baby” feat. DaBaby
There are a lot of Babies crawling around hip-hop these days, but the two hottest in the game right now have to be Lil Baby and Charlotte’s DaBaby. The juvenile duo connected for their first collaboration over the summer on Quality Control’s Control The Streets, Vol. 2 compilation album. The 4 Pockets Full boss puts his rags-to-riches life story in perspective from the third-person with an infectious hook. Between the two, they utter the word “Baby” a grand total of 37 times throughout the track.
5. “Freestyle”
“Freestyle” played an integral role in fueling Baby’s meteoric rise in late 2017. The ATL native blankets Taz Taylor’s hypnotic production and touches on sipping lean and popping Percs. In a recent New York Times interview, Baby said he plans to stay away from incorporating drug use into his raps, because they’re not a major part of his current lifestyle.
4. “Yes Indeed” feat. Drake
When Drake notices another wave in rap bubbling, he has no problem opening the doors to his fan base and putting a new artist on display for his mainstream audience. The 6 God threw Baby an alley-oop for their first collaboration in 2018 with “Yes Indeed,” which notched the 25-year-old his first top 10 hit, while proving he could hang with one of rap’s titans.
3. “Close Friends” with Gunna
Who said Lil Baby doesn’t have range? Baby showed off his versatility by crafting a vulnerable anthem for the ladies. He painfully rhymes about destroying a relationship thanks to his infidelity snooping around with other women over the somber Turbo instrumental. Baby prays she accepts his Hail Mary plea to win her back.
2. “My Dawg”
Baby’s first Hot 100 hit, with a simple concept of hanging with his homies that quickly manifested itself into a triumphant anthem. The University of Georgia Bulldogs’ football team even adopted the inspirational “My Dawg” as their official theme music for the 2017-2018 season.
1. “Drip Too Hard” with Gunna
The burgeoning ATL superstars’ momentum reached a crescendo with the slimy “Drip Too Hard” in 2018, solidifying their place in the rap landscape as a force to be reckoned with. If you weren’t familiar with the QC x YSL duo just yet, Baby let the casual fans know they’re “gon’ f–k around and drown off this wave.” When we look back on both of their careers years down the line, “Drip Too Hard” will most definitely serve as a jumping-off point for the pair of ATLiens.
