Inside the Rise of Lil Baby

Atlanta rapper Lil Baby appeared on our August cover, his first for Rolling Stone, pictured in his hometown, standing outside the Wendy’s where Rayshard Brooks was killed by two police officers on June 12th. Rolling Stone staff writer Charles Holmes spent two days with Baby (whose real name is Dominique Jones), playing dice, visiting Baby’s old West End neighborhood, and sharing wide-ranging conversations on everything from Scooby-Doo quips to conflicting views on what it means to be racist [“Lil Baby’s Uprising,” RS

1342]. Holmes’ candid and at times very personal piece about rap’s biggest new star inspired many comments from our readers. “It isn’t every day you see a profile where the author criticizes/disagrees with their subject and/or their art. [It’s a] gutsy inclusion,” wrote Dylan “CineMasai” Green. “Congrats to [Charles Holmes] on perfecting the art of the celebrity profile. Felt like I was right in he and Baby’s shoes.” Patrick Hayes wrote, “The back-and-forths between Lil Baby and Charles Holmes in this piece range from hilarious to sad to super-insightful. Amazing writing and interviewing. Go read it all, now.” For some, this profile allowed them to see Baby in a new light. “Honestly, I originally wrote him off as a Young Thug copy cat,” wrote Ethan Garry. “But he’s moving away stylistically and building his own identity. He’s starting to win me over.” Sherri Greene wrote,

“It’s [his] time now. Keep shining.”

@mehan_j: Bold, nuanced, hilarious and critical: You’re not gonna read a better profile of a rapper this year. “Lil Baby is a lyrical genius. His music is relevant and thoughtprovoking. It’s nice to see a rapper promote positive change from a nonconfrontational standpoint.”

—Nick Graham, via letter