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DaBaby performs at New York’s Rolling Loud festival, three months after homophobic rant in Miami

The rapper was invited as a special guest for 50 Cent’s performance at Citi Field in Queens

Peony Hirwani
Friday 29 October 2021 01:59 EDT
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DaBaby has returned to the Rolling Loud stage months after he was condemned for his homophobic rant at the Miami edition of the festival.

The controversial rapper performed on day one of New York City’s edition of Rolling Loud.

According to reports, the 29-year-old rapper was invited as a special guest for 50 Cent’s performance at Citi Field in Queens.

According to TMZ, sources confirmed that organisers of the festival approved DaBaby’s involvement in the show, despite his past remarks.

Earlier this year, DaBaby, whose real name is Jonathan Lyndale Kirk, was appearing at Miami’s Rolling Loud festival when he was filmed making disparaging comments about those living with HIV.

A video showing the rapper making homophobic remarks about gay men was also widely circulated on the internet.

He said to the audience: “If you didn’t show up today with HIV, AIDS, any of them deadly sexually transmitted diseases that’ll make you die in two, three weeks, then put your cellphone light up.”

He continued: “Fellas, if you ain’t sucking d*** in the parking lot, put your cellphone lighter up.”

At the same event, DaBaby caused additional controversy by bringing out fellow rapper Tory Lanez for his performance, immediately following Megan Thee Stallion’s appearance onstage.

Megan Thee Stallion, real name Megan Pete, alleges that Lanez shot her in the foot in an incident last year. Lanez has disputed her accounts online and in his album, released last year.

Lanez was charged with assault on an unnamed female and weapons charges in October; he pleaded not guilty on both counts. The case is ongoing.

Ever since DaBaby’s comments, 50 Cent has shown continuous support for the controversial rapper.

“Remember they canceled Chris Brown, five, six times?” 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis James Jackson III, told E! News.“He just transitioned from being in that pool that everyone’s in, as a rap artist. They didn’t notify him that he’s turning into a superstar.”

“There’s nobody that tells you, ‘Now you’re being held to these standards that are mainstream standards that you can’t say things, you can’t do these different things.’ He’s just two years into his career, there’s no artist development, no A&R … and he’s definitely had no media training,” 50 Cent added.

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