In the past few days, both Lollapalooza and Governors Ball announced that previously scheduled performer DaBaby would no longer play at the festivals, suggesting homophobic comments during his set at Rolling Loud Miami. In addition, the rapper will no longer appear at Day N Vegas in November. DaBaby has now published a new statement in which he apologizes for his statements. “I would like to apologize to the LGBTQ + community for the hurtful and offensive comments I made,” wrote DaBaby. “I apologize again for my misinformed comments about HIV / AIDS, and I know it is important to be educated about it.”
On Rolling Loud, DaBaby said to the audience, “If you haven’t shown up today with HIV, AIDS, or one of those deadly sexually transmitted diseases that will kill you in two to three weeks, turn on your cell phone.” Guys, if you’re not sucking cock in the parking lot, light up your cell phone! “
Following DaBaby’s comments, Dua Lipa, who worked with DaBaby on her remix version of “Levitating”, addressed the issue in an Instagram story. “I am surprised and appalled by DaBaby’s comments,” she wrote. “I really don’t acknowledge this as the person I’ve worked with. I know that my fans know where my heart is and that I am 100% with the LGBTQ community. We need to come together to combat the stigma and ignorance surrounding HIV / AIDS. ”
Elton John called DaBaby’s comments “HIV misery” and added in a tweet: “This fuels stigma and discrimination and is the opposite of what our world needs to fight the AIDS epidemic.” Madonna and Demi Lovato condemned among other things the statements of DaBaby.
DaBaby eventually said that his gay fans weren’t “bad gays” or “junkies”. He also released a song and video titled “Giving What It’s Supposed to Give,” which apparently references his Rolling Loud remarks. (At one point in the video, the rapper holds up a sign that reads “AIDS”.) The visual ends with “Don’t Fight Hate With Hate,” written in rainbow script. It continues: “I apologize that I am who you want the freedom to be you.”
