DaBaby

Jonathan Lyndale Kirk, known professionally as DaBaby and formerly as Baby Jesus, is an American rapper. He gained broad public recognition after releasing several mixtapes between 2014 and 2018, leading to a recording deal with Interscope Records in January 2019. He is also the founder of the record label Billion Dollar Baby Entertainment, which is based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Kirk was born on December 22, 1991, in Cleveland, Ohio, and relocated to Charlotte at six years old. He graduated from Zebulon B. Vance High School in 2010 and subsequently attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro for two years before leaving without completing his studies. Growing up, he listened to artists such as Eminem, 50 Cent, and Lil Wayne alongside his two older brothers.

Kirk began pursuing music seriously between 2014 and 2015, releasing his debut mixtape, Nonfiction, in 2015 under his former pseudonym. He followed this with mixtape projects including the God's Work and Baby Talk series before changing his name out of concern that it had become a distraction. After signing with South Coast Music Group president Arnold Taylor, he built regional visibility through club shows and mixtapes. A distribution deal with Roc Nation for his 2018 mixtape Blank Blank facilitated his breakout, leading to a recording deal with Interscope.

In March 2019, Kirk released his debut studio album, Baby on Baby, which produced the top-ten Billboard Hot 100 single "Suge". Later that year, he released his second album, Kirk, which debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart and featured the singles "Intro" and "Bop". In 2020, he released his third album, Blame It on Baby, which also topped the Billboard 200. The album's single "Rockstar", featuring Roddy Ricch, spent seven weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. During this period, he contributed guest features to tracks such as Post Malone's "Enemies", Megan Thee Stallion's "Cash Shit", Jack Harlow's "Whats Poppin" remix, and Dua Lipa's "Levitating" remix.

Kirk received two Grammy Award nominations at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards for "Suge", competing for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song. Following backlash over remarks made at a festival performance in July 2021, he was removed from multiple music festival lineups and corporate partnerships. He subsequently released the collaborative mixtape Better than You with YoungBoy Never Broke Again in 2022, his fourth album Baby on Baby 2 in 2022, and his fifth studio album Be More Grateful in 2026, which featured the single "Pop Dat Thang".