DaBaby hasn’t been on the scene very long, but it’s difficult to put a playlist on shuffle without one of his songs playing in 2019. Even when his own solo songs aren’t spinning, Baby has kept his voice in our ears with a string of guest verses on some of the most memorable tracks of the year.
He recently revealed that he charges six figures for each guest verse, and it appears to be money well spent for his collaborators. DaBaby has worked with everyone from YG to Chance the Rapper, to Lil Nas X and Post Malone this year, and he’s made every song better. In just a few months, DaBaby has gone from a local star to a force in hip-hop, and he’s just getting started. Before his new album, Kirk, arrives on September 27, we ranked his features. These are DaBaby’s 10 best guest verses.
10. Lil Nas X f/ DaBaby, “Panini”
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At first glance, sex and grilled sandwiches might not sound like they go together, but in DaBaby’s mind, there are no limitations to what you can pair with intercourse. He shows just how big his imagination can get on Lil Nas X’s “Panini Remix.” In a little under a minute, Baby took Nas X’s PG-rated track and muddies it up a bit with a few lines that probably wouldn’t go over well in elementary schools. “I be like, ‘Girl, hush your mouth, you know I ain’t got time for nothin’ but sex’/She know I injured my right hand so when I get behind I use my left.” Listening to Baby’s verse may get the kids in trouble, but it’s worth breaking the rules for. —Jessica McKinney
9. Gucci Mane f/ DaBaby & YoungBoy Never Broke Again, “Richer Than Errybody”
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Since the top of the year, it has felt like DaBaby is getting hotter by the hour, and his confidence ballooning with each subsequent guest spot. On “Richer Than Errybody,” one of his newest guest spots, his verse doubles as a shot of adrenaline. As soon as Gucci passes him the mic at the 2:40 mark, DaBaby slides over the Lex Luger-produced trap beat with sheer magnetism, relegating Gucci and Young Boy NBA to wallpaper status in the process. —Brad Callas
8. YK Osiris f/ DaBaby, “Freaky Dancer”
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“Freaky Dancer” is the kind of song you’d expect to hear on the soundtrack of a movie like Hustlers, thanks to its seductive beat and DaBaby’s smooth verse. This song lives up to DaBaby’s standards for freakiness, and because of that, he doesn’t hold anything back, getting straight to the point with aggressive and confident bars about exotic dancers. “If she ain’t a freak, I’m straight/I ain’t tryna fuck right now, bitch, wait,” he raps. The song itself isn’t the most memorable of 2019, but even so, Baby manages to stand out. —Jessica McKinney
7. Quality Control f/ DaBaby & Lil Baby, “Baby”
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Going toe-to-toe with his biggest competition among “baby” rappers, DaBaby outraps the reigning Rap Rookie of the Year, Lil Baby, on “Baby,” the Wheezy-produced first single from Quality Control’s 2019 compilation album, Control the Streets Vol. 2. After Lil Baby goes through the motions on the track’s opening verse and hook, DaBaby swipes the song out from under his counterpart with lewd punchlines and a bold delivery, comparing his Billion Dollar Entertainment label to the Bad Boy Records empire in the ’90s. “I tell my bitch I’m faithful, but I still got the hoes/Baby gettin’ jiggy, on stage with the Glizzy/Baby CEO, he shake the game like he Diddy/You would think it's Mardi Gras, I got these bitches showin’ titties.” —Brad Callas
6. Post Malone f/ DaBaby, “Enemies”
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The first minute of “Enemies” sounds like ten other Post Malone songs, before DaBaby shows up and steals the show with his charismatic personality, cocksure delivery, and sense of humor. He doesn’t just hijack “Enemies” with his guest appearance, he relegates Posty to the sidelines by spitting over the hip-pop beat more comfortably than his pop-star counterpart. DaBaby’s scene-stealing feature on this one informed the mainstream pop world of his crossover potential (if they weren’t aware of it already). Welcome to the party. —Brad Callas
5. YG f/ DaBaby, “Stop Snitchin (Remix)”
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YG’s original “Stop Snitchin” track takes aim at 6ix9ine, who has been labeled a snitch for his cooperation in an ongoing federal case, but he broadened the target to all phony people on the remix. DaBaby only appears on the track for a hot minute, but he leaves a lasting impression nonetheless. It should be common knowledge by now that snitches get stitches, but to add insult to injury, Baby will not only knock you out, he’ll steal your girl in the process. It doesn't get worse than that. —Brad Callas
4. Jamz f/ DaBaby & Lil Baby, “Baby Shower”
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DaBaby’s verse on this slept-on summer banger serves as a reminder—to his enemies, peers, fans, and critics—that, beyond the silliness he’s displayed on some songs, he’s truly an intimidating figure. On Jamz’s “Baby Shower,” DaBaby fires off one boast after another, rapping about his newfound fame and fortune. “I just grab what I want, and I buy what I buy now/When they put on my motherfucking song, everyone get along, make ’em all get in line now/I just went and did XXL, I pulled up late as hell, no, I'm never on time now/That lil' n***a hot, he on fire now.” As Drake once said, “Being humble don’t work as well as being aware.” Thankfully, it sounds like DaBaby is already living his life by this notion. We wouldn’t want it any other way. —Brad Callas
3. Chance the Rapper f/ DaBaby & MadeinTYO, “Hot Shower”
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“Hot Shower” is an upbeat song from Chance the Rapper’s The Big Day with a trunk-rattling beat and retro rhyme schemes, but it’s DaBaby who steals the show. From the moment he says, “Goddamn,” the song is his. And he keeps things lighthearted and comedic with lines about stealing a Republican’s daughter, as well as pop culture references (“I get in, fake ID, I’m McLovin’ it). Maybe it’s DaBaby’s lower register voice that makes this work so well. Or maybe it’s his undeniable charisma from start to finish. Whatever it is, it’s hypnotizing. If you weren’t convinced by now, coming through with a verse this good on an album like The Big Day is proof that Baby is going to have a long and successful career. —Jessica McKinney
2. Megan Thee Stallion f/ DaBaby, “Cash Shit”
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When two Southerners hop on the same track, you’re bound to get a banger. “Cash Shit” marks the first collaboration between Megan Thee Stallion and DaBaby, and they nailed it straight out of the gate. The XXL Freshman classmates complement each other with equally raunchy and bouncy verses. We’d love to hear a full collaborative project from these two. But Baby, in particular, delivers a memorable verse full of braggadocious one-liners and Instagram quotables like, “You know why these bitches love me?/‘Cause Baby don’t give a fuck.” That’s a mantra to live by. This one is bound to get both the hot girls and hot boys out of their seats. —Jessica McKinney
1. Dreamville w/ DaBaby, J. Cole & Lute, “Under the Sun”
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Who knows? Five years from now, we might look back at this verse as the first moment DaBaby threw his hat in the ring to challenge J. Cole as Carolina’s finest. But before we get ahead of ourselves, “Under the Sun” represents the shining moment in an impressive feature run that has positioned DaBaby as rap’s Rookie of the Year in 2019. On a song that features a gorgeous soul sample and stellar opening verse from Cole, surprise uncredited vocals from Kendrick Lamar, and a well-crafted appearance by Dreamville mainstay Lute, DaBaby delivers one of the best verses of his career. By the time he signs off, rapping, “I’m from Charlotte, you know how these n****s do, Baby,” you’ve witnessed a defining breakout moment for a new rap superstar. —Brad Callas
