DaBaby continues to receive major backlash for comments he made at Rolling Loud this past weekend. During his set, he told the crowd, “If you didn’t show up today with HIV, AIDS, or any of them deadly sexually transmitted diseases, that’ll make you die in two to three weeks, then put your cellphone lighter up! Ladies, if your p—y smell like water, put your cellphone lighter up! Fellas, if you ain’t sucking di– in the parking lot, put your cellphone lighter up!”
DaShawn Usher, GLAAAD's associate director of communities of color, called the rapper's comments “inaccurate, hurtful, and harmful” to the LGBTQ community and those living with HIV.
Usher said in a statement to Billboard, “The rhetoric that DaBaby used is inaccurate, hurtful, and harmful to the LGBTQ community and the estimated 1.2 million Americans living with HIV. It is critical that DaBaby and his fans learn that people living with HIV today, when on effective treatment, lead long and healthy lives and cannot transmit HIV.
The statement continued, “While DaBaby has made haphazard attempts to ‘apologize,’ actions need to be taken for full accountability and changes to do better in the future. It further confirms what GLAAD reported last year in the State of HIV Stigma Study that stigma and misinformation around HIV is widespread, and there is much work to be done to educate the public, including entertainers.”
ELTON JOHN RELEASES A STATEMENT
Elton John also released a statement, saying, “HIV Misinformation and homophobia have no place in the music industry.We must break down the stigma around HIV and not spread it. As musicians, it’s our job to bring people together.”
He added, “We’ve been shocked to read about the HIV misinformation and homophobic statements made at a recent DaBaby show. This fuels the stigma and discrimination and is the opposite of what our world needs to fight the AIDS epidemic.”
DABABY RELEASES MUSIC VIDEO WITH AN APOLOGY
Meanwhile, DaBaby released the music video for his new single “Giving What It's Supposed To Give,” and at the end of the visual, he included a message. In rainbow-colored font, it read, “Don't Fight Hate With Hate,” adding, “My apologies for being me the same way you want the freedom to be you.”
BOOHOOMAN DROPS DABABY
In other news, BoohooMA announced that they will no longer be working with DaBaby following his Rolling Loud comments. They said in a statement via Instagram, “boohooMan condemn the use of homophobic language and confirm we will no longer be working with DaBaby.”
The rapper was set to create a clothing line with the brand.