DaBaby faced a lot of criticism for a recent homophobic rant at Rolling Loud Miami, but T.I. doesn’t appear to agree with the backlash against the Charlotte rapper.
"If you didn’t show up today with HIV, AIDS, or any of them deadly sexually transmitted diseases, that’ll make you die in two to three weeks, then put your cellphone lighter up," said DaBaby during his performance. "Ladies, if your pussy smell like water, put your cellphone lighter up. Fellas, if you ain’t sucking dick in the parking lot, put your cellphone lighter up.”
After the clip of DaBaby went viral, T.I. decided to chime in.
“If Lil Nas X can kick his shit in peace… so should DaBaby [shrug emoji],” wrote T.I. in a comment on a video of DaBaby’s comments. “#Equality.” He did not explain his comparison, but has since shared a lengthy video addressing the response to his comment.
“Social media’s full of confusion,” said T.I. in a video that was filmed as he was driving. “Words are often misconstrued. And to be honest with you, if homosexuals have more rights than heterosexual people just say that. Let’s let that be the law, is that the law? I just feel like, I respect gays, especially the ones who have the courage and bravery to step out and live in their truth, I respect that. … But, I respect it the same way if you’re a heterosexual person, I respect it the same way. So I ain’t even seen all the hoopla about, some of you motherfuckers just be up in arms fake caring just cause you ain’t got shit going on in your life over here.”
He said that there “ain’t nothing in the world” that would make him hate someone “just because they do something different in the bedroom.” In the video, T.I. equates homophobia to a validly held stance rather than hate speech, carefully skirting around the controversy with DaBaby and simply criticizing those who criticized him.
He went on to say he has “a lot of respect” for “people like Lil Nas X, and Frank Ocean,” before suggesting that he was painted as homophobic because he’s “proud to be a heterosexual.” “Just because I am proud of what I am, don’t mean I hate what you are,” he said. “Ain’t no hate in that, bruh. If I’m proud to be Black that don’t make me hate you ‘cause you’re white.”
T.I. then, once again, turned the topic back to Lil Nas X. “For instance, the Lil Nas X shit. The performances and video, man I got a lot of respect for bruh because he had the courage to live his truth, but that shit ain’t for me. … Just can’t look at it. But I feel the same way, and I don’t want my children seeing it, either. … But I still feel the same way about the ‘WAP’ video, I actually enjoyed the ‘WAP’ video a little bit better, but I still feel the same way.”
Near the end of the clip, he expanded upon his initial comment further. “If you have a Lil Nas X video, and him living his truth, you gone damn sure have people like DaBaby who gone speak they truth,” he concluded. “There ain’t nothing wrong with none of that. It ain’t got to be no hate, it’s all honesty.”
Lil Nas X has not responded directly, but he did simply tweet “Lol” as both DaBaby and T.I.’s comments circulated online.
Watch the full clip above.
