On Tuesday (Oct. 10), DaBaby set the 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards ablaze as the evening’s opening act. The musician’s setlist featured his viral hit “SHAKE SUMN.”
To kick it off, the rapper strutted through the aisles of Atlanta’s Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre while wearing the firefighter ensemble he sported in the music video for the track.
Upon reaching the stage, DaBaby was joined by Sexyy Red, who delivered her verse from the song’s official remix. The duo amped up the crowd and set the energy level for other entertainers that night.
Switching gears, the KIRK rapper later segued into a performance of “GHETTO GIRLS.” He then joined forces with New Orleans legends Mannie Fresh and Juvenile. Together, they launched into “Project B**ch,” a fitting choice given that the North Carolina artist’s aforementioned record sampled Big Tymers’ 2000 hit.
In 2022, DaBaby unloaded two major projects: BETTER THAN YOU, a collaboration with YoungBoy Never Broke Again, and Baby On Baby 2, a follow-up to his 2019 debut. Adding to the momentum, he released a three-pack in May titled CALL DA FIREMAN. It housed “SHAKE SUMN,” which climbed to No. 65 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The past few years have seen the Grammy-nominated act navigating himself back into the limelight following the homophobic comments he made in 2021. Earlier this year, he spoke about overcoming cancel culture with “THE SHOP.”
DaBaby explained, “That’s something that came out my own mouth and said, you know what I mean? Like as of late, not even as of late, like I would have apologized, like, I’m this type of person. Like, I’m going to fight tooth and nail about my character and my intentions. I’m not a bad person. I’m unfaltering on that.”
He continued, “You almost gotta make it your business to not let that s**t get to you. ‘Cause once it gets to you, it’s almost like, you know, it’s a nonstop game of figuring this s**t out. That’s what we have to do anyway to market ourselves, to make ourselves worth somethin’. And, if you look back on it, I was the most… and I hope this s**t don’t sound like I’m tootin’ my own horn, but I was the most marketable artist in the world.”