As he’s been doing lately, DaBaby has just dropped a freestyle to the beat of another popular track, this time adopting what many are calling the song of the summer with Wizkid’s “Essence.” The freestyle also comes with a music video of DaBaby in different locations, from Stadium Goods to a private plane to shots of him performing at this year's Hot 97 Summer Jam concert.
Rather than honor the smooth nature of the original, DaBaby injects his own rap style here for an arguably overbearing and awkward take on Wizkid’s song. He also uses the freestyle as a vehicle to talk more about the events of the last two months and how he feels people tried to assassinate his character.
DaBaby speaks between verses, saying, “I just feel like, you know, when situations like this present themselves, man, and people try to, you know, assassinate your character, man, assassinate who you are, man, and everything you put that hard work in for, man—sometimes you gotta demonstrate, you know, that’s how I came in. I don’t mind demonstratin’. I don’t mind exercisin’, you dig what I’m sayin’?”
Some Wizkid fans aren’t happy with how DaBaby seemingly hijacked one of the artist’s most successful songs for the freestyle, sharing their thoughts on Twitter:
To atone for the homophobic rant he went on during Rolling Loud Miami in July, DaBaby recently met with nine HIV Awareness organizations to engage in “meaningful dialogue” and educate himself about the disease.
“The open letter to DaBaby was our way to extend him the same grace each of us would hope for,” the organizations shared. “Our goal was to ‘call him in instead of calling him out.’ We believed that if he connected with Black leaders living with HIV that a space for community building and healing could be created. We are encouraged he swiftly answered our call and joined us in a meaningful dialogue and a thoughtful, educational meeting.”
