The apology DaBaby issued for homophobic comments he made at Rolling Loud Miami is no longer on his Instagram page. It was first posted by the rapper on his Instagram on Aug 2.
In it, DaBaby wrote that his comments were both “hurtful” and “triggering.”
“Social media moves so fast that people want to demolish you before you even have the opportunity to grow, educate, and learn from your mistakes,” the Blame It On Baby artist said. “As a man who has had to make his own way from very difficult circumstances, having people I now publicly working against me—knowing that what I needed education on these topics and guidance—has been challenging. I appreciate the many people who came to me with kindness, who reached out to me privately to offer wisdom, education, and resources. That’s what I needed and it was received.”
The apology came amidst huge backlash for DaBaby, as well as very serious implications for his career. In the days following, DaBy was pulled from several summer and fall festival lineups, his comments were condemned by Elton John, Dua Lipa, and more, and the remix of Dua Lipa’s “Levitating” featuring the rapper was removed from radio stations.
Also, a group of 11 organizations, including GLAAD and the Black AIDS Institute, requested a private meeting with DaBaby via an open letter.
“We heard your inaccurate and harmful comments at Rolling Loud and have read your Instagram apology,” the letter read. “However, at a time when HIV continues to disproportionately impact Black Americans and queer and transgender people of color, a dialogue is critical. We must address the miseducation about HIV, expressed in your comments, and the impact it has on various communities.”
The letter argued that DaBaby “can be a powerful and influential voice, especially across your home base in the South, where the Black community’s needs are notoriously under-represented across every public spectrum.”
