Though DaBaby had an almost meteoric rise to fame in 2019, there's also been plenty of drama. The rapper has been spotted getting physical with a fan, though it apparently wasn't the first time he let his temper get away with him.
And DaBaby -- AKA Jonathan Kirk -- has also had a tough time personally during his rise to fame. His father passed away the same day DaBaby hit number one on Apple Music, and then the rapper's brother took his own life in late 2020.
It hasn't been an easy road by any means, but it's something that Kirk has been working toward for a long time -- and he chose his name with future success in mind.
NY Times explained that from his career beginnings, Jonathan wanted to be noticed. So he did crazy things like wearing an adult diaper and jewelry. At that point, though, DaBaby's presence wasn't about his music. Plus, he went by a different name at the time.
Kirk explained that he used to call himself Baby Jesus, but the name became a distraction after a while. Of course, his huge entourage and overall attitude were also detracting from his songs, but those acts did earn him the notoriety he was looking for.
At the same time, his first rap name -- Baby Jesus -- didn't turn out to be the best choice. While Kirk released some mixtapes and singles under the moniker, he opted to change it later, noted Cheat Sheet.
The reason? It was too "political." But also, it just didn't have a hip-hop vibe. So DaBaby went the way of Lil Baby (and maybe Lady Gaga?) and settled on DaBaby.
Originally, DaBaby chose Baby Jesus because he felt like it reflected his "purpose," he explained in a Fuse interview back in 2019. The rapper felt like the name helped celebrate his success and potential.
But then he realized that as his fame grew, the name would precede him. So DaBaby opted for a name change to smooth things over, but also because, he says, he's always been "the baby."
Kirk has two brothers, and he's the youngest, he explained on Fuse. Ironically, the interviewer asked DaBaby what he shaves with -- suggesting that the rapper had a youthful look. And DaBaby admitted that he doesn't shave (well, at least at the time). He was sporting only a mustache and joked that it took him long enough to grow that, and if he could actually shave, he'd be grateful.
So it sounds like his name came from the inspiration of having been the youngest child of the family, but also because he looks so young. And, since DaBaby had the presence of mind to swap his name before he really got famous, it went over just fine with fans.
