# Lil Baby
**Lil Baby** (born Dominique Armani Jones, 1994) is an American rapper from Atlanta, Georgia, known for a commercially geared trap sound that has produced multiple number-one albums on the Billboard 200. Signed to [Quality Control Music](https://www.edgepedia.org/quality-control-music) with distribution through Motown Records and his own Wolfpack Global Music, he rose from a 2017 debut mixtape to become one of the most streamed artists in music, with more than 30 billion global streams reported by his label as of 2026.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/baby-mn0003353669) • [2](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2026/10/21/lil-baby-announces-highly-anticipated-new-album-fresh-set-for-release-november-6th/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | Dominique Armani Jones, 1994, Atlanta, Georgia; also called Dominique Jones[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/baby-mn0003353669) |
| Start | Released from a two-year prison term in 2017 and released the mixtape *Perfect Timing* in April of that year[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/baby-mn0003353669) |
| Breakout year | 2018: debut album *Harder Than Ever* and the Gunna collaboration *Drip Harder* both entered the Billboard 200 Top Ten[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/baby-mn0003353669) |
| No. 1 albums | *My Turn* (2020), *The Voice of the Heroes* (2021), *It's Only Me* (2022), and *WHAM* (2025), his fourth No. 1 debut[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/baby-mn0003353669) • [2](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2026/10/21/lil-baby-announces-highly-anticipated-new-album-fresh-set-for-release-november-6th/) |
| *My Turn* | Debuted at No. 1 and became the best-selling and most-streamed album of 2020 across all genres; upgraded to 7x multi-platinum by the RIAA in 2026[2](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2026/10/21/lil-baby-announces-highly-anticipated-new-album-fresh-set-for-release-november-6th/) • [3](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2026/03/11/lil-baby-releases-new-video-mrs-trendsetter/) |
| Awards | a Grammy nomination; Apple Music Artist of the Year (2020); multiple BET Awards, including Best New Artist of 2019[2](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2026/10/21/lil-baby-announces-highly-anticipated-new-album-fresh-set-for-release-november-6th/) • [4](https://qualitycontrolmusic.com/lil-baby) |
| Latest work | Single "Dead Fresh" (July 17, 2026, produced by Pharrell Williams) and the album *FRESH*, scheduled for November 6, 2026[2](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2026/10/21/lil-baby-announces-highly-anticipated-new-album-fresh-set-for-release-november-6th/) |
## Early life and start in rap
Lil Baby grew up in Atlanta with childhood acquaintances who later included [Young Thug](https://www.edgepedia.org/young-thug), Coach K ([Kevin Lee](https://www.edgepedia.org/kevin-lee)), and Pee (Pierre Thomas), leaning toward petty crime and street hustling while those friends entered the music industry.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/baby-mn0003353669) In 2015, at age 19, he went to prison for two years for a probation violation.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/baby-mn0003353669)
His entry into rap came through Quality Control Music, the Atlanta label co-founded in March 2013 by Kevin "Coach K" Lee and Pierre "P" Thomas, who had encouraged him since his teenage years.[5](https://qualitycontrolmusic.com/about-1) • [6](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/lil-baby/1276656483) After his release in 2017 he recorded the mixtape *Perfect Timing*, and Young Thug paid him to spend time in the studio rather than on the streets.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/baby-mn0003353669) • [6](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/lil-baby/1276656483) Within a year of starting to rap he had released six mixtapes and the album *Harder Than Ever*.[6](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/lil-baby/1276656483) A documentary of his early career, *Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby*, traces how he built a hyper-local fan base by rapping about his own life and street brand.[7](https://www.trapital.com/memos/how-lil-baby-found-artist-market-fit-and-took-off)
## Chart-topping run, 2018 to 2022
**2018 brought two chart successes at once.** *Harder Than Ever*, which included the Drake-featuring hit "Yes Indeed," and *Drip Harder*, a collaborative mixtape with Gunna, both entered the Billboard 200 Top Ten.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/baby-mn0003353669) He closed 2018 with *Street Gossip*, released less than two months after *Drip Harder*, with guest appearances from [Meek Mill](https://www.edgepedia.org/meek-mill), Gucci Mane, and Offset and the hit "Pure Cocaine."[4](https://qualitycontrolmusic.com/lil-baby) In 2019 alone he placed three albums in the Top 100, was named Best New Artist of 2019 at the [BET Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/bet-awards), and saw his songs pass 11 billion streams.[4](https://qualitycontrolmusic.com/lil-baby)
My Turn made him a mainstream fixture. The 2020 album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and became the best-selling and most-streamed album of that year across all genres.[2](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2026/10/21/lil-baby-announces-highly-anticipated-new-album-fresh-set-for-release-november-6th/) By the end of 2020 he had received a Grammy nomination, and Apple Music named him Artist of the Year at its 2020 awards.[6](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/lil-baby/1276656483) He followed with *The Voice of the Heroes* (2021), a chart-topping collaborative album with Chicago's Lil Durk, and the solo *It's Only Me* (2022), which debuted at No. 1 as well.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/baby-mn0003353669)
## WHAM, The Leaks, and FRESH
The album *[WHAM](https://www.edgepedia.org/wham-album)* (short for "Who Hard as Me"), released January 3, 2025 on Quality Control/Motown, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and marked his fourth No. 1 debut on the chart.[2](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2026/10/21/lil-baby-announces-highly-anticipated-new-album-fresh-set-for-release-november-6th/) Its features included [Travis Scott](https://www.edgepedia.org/travis-scott), 21 Savage, Future, Young Thug, and GloRilla; Young Thug's verse on "Dum, Dumb, and Dumber" was his first since being released from jail in the YSL RICO case.[8](https://au.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/lil-baby-new-album-wham-five-takeaways-70726/) Critical reception was mixed: the album scored 55 on Metacritic from four reviews, with Clash giving 80 and AllMusic 40.[9](https://www.metacritic.com/music/wham/lil-baby/critic-reviews) Rap-Up placed it fourth among the year's rap albums.[10](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2026/07/17/lil-baby-joins-forces-with-pharrell-williams-for-new-single-dead-fresh/)
Later in 2025 he released the mixtape *The Leaks*, which reached No. 1 on the rap chart, and he has described a planned self-titled album, *Dominique*, as the final project of his record deal.[3](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2026/03/11/lil-baby-releases-new-video-mrs-trendsetter/) • [11](https://www.iheart.com/content/2026-10-19-lil-baby-teases-star-studded-tracklist-for-upcoming-fresh-album/) On October 21, 2026 he announced the album *FRESH* for November 6, 2026, a 17-track release on Quality Control and Motown featuring Future, Young Thug, and Rylo Rodriguez, with "Dead Fresh" and "Coast 2 Coast" as released singles.[2](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2026/10/21/lil-baby-announces-highly-anticipated-new-album-fresh-set-for-release-november-6th/) • [12](https://pitchfork.com/story/lil-baby-recruits-future-young-thug-for-new-album-fresh/)
## "Dead Fresh" and fashion
"Dead Fresh," produced by [Pharrell Williams](https://www.edgepedia.org/pharrell-williams) and released July 17, 2026, is the pair's first collaboration and spent 12 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 18, and reached No. 1 at Urban and Rhythmic Radio.[10](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2026/07/17/lil-baby-joins-forces-with-pharrell-williams-for-new-single-dead-fresh/) • [2](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2026/10/21/lil-baby-announces-highly-anticipated-new-album-fresh-set-for-release-november-6th/) Lil Baby first performed the song at [Louis Vuitton](https://www.edgepedia.org/louis-vuitton)'s Menswear Spring-Summer 2027 show in Paris in June 2026, and the music video, directed by Kid Art, showcased looks from Victor Victor x Eric Emanuel, Prada, Jacquemus, Bottega Veneta, Louis Vuitton x Nike, Gucci, Balenciaga, and [Miu Miu](https://www.edgepedia.org/miu-miu) alongside streetwear accents from Diesel, Kenzo, Supreme, and Mattias Gollin.[2](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2026/10/21/lil-baby-announces-highly-anticipated-new-album-fresh-set-for-release-november-6th/) • [13](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2026/07/21/lil-baby-flexes-his-fashion-evolution-in-cinematic-dead-fresh-music-video/) This marked a public return to high-fashion spaces after an early-career posture that avoided fashion shows and tattoos.[6](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/lil-baby/1276656483)
## Atlanta and legacy
Lil Baby is part of the Atlanta hip-hop wave associated with Quality Control, a label home to Migos, Lil Yachty, and [City Girls](https://www.edgepedia.org/city-girls); Quality Control was acquired by [Scooter Braun](https://www.edgepedia.org/scooter-braun) for $300 million in 2023.[14](https://knowledge.uchicago.edu/nanna/record/16941/files/The%20South%20Got%20Something%20to%20Say_The%20Cultural%20and%20Economic%20Impact%20of%20Atlanta%27s%20Hip-Hop%20Industry.pdf?registerDownload=1&version=1&withMetadata=0&withWatermark=0) In 2020, following protests over racial injustice, he released the protest song "The Bigger Picture" and marched in his hometown of Atlanta.[15](https://files.eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/8014/2023/12/Evolution-of-Hip-Hop-1.pdf) He was the most Shazamed artist in Atlanta in 2022, ahead of Future, 21 Savage, and Gunna.[16](https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2023/03/06/study-finds-atlanta-native-lil-baby-was-1-artist-shazamed-last-year)
His reach extends to other artists through his own imprint: Rylo Rodriguez records for his Glass Window Entertainment label, whose release *S.K.A.T.E.* debuted in the top three of the Top Rap Albums chart in 2026.[13](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2026/07/21/lil-baby-flexes-his-fashion-evolution-in-cinematic-dead-fresh-music-video/)
## References
1. [Lil Baby Biography by Fred Thomas, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/baby-mn0003353669)
2. [Lil Baby Announces New Album FRESH, Universal Music Canada, October 21, 2026](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2026/10/21/lil-baby-announces-highly-anticipated-new-album-fresh-set-for-release-november-6th/)
3. [Lil Baby Releases New Video "Mrs. Trendsetter," Universal Music Canada, March 11, 2026](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2026/03/11/lil-baby-releases-new-video-mrs-trendsetter/)
4. [Lil Baby, Quality Control Music artist page](https://qualitycontrolmusic.com/lil-baby)
5. [About, Quality Control Music](https://qualitycontrolmusic.com/about-1)
6. [Lil Baby, Apple Music artist page](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/lil-baby/1276656483)
7. [How Lil Baby Found Artist-Market Fit and Took Off, Trapital](https://www.trapital.com/memos/how-lil-baby-found-artist-market-fit-and-took-off)
8. [Young Thug Delivers His First Verse Out of Jail & Four Other Takeaways From Lil Baby's 'WHAM', Rolling Stone](https://au.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/lil-baby-new-album-wham-five-takeaways-70726/)
9. [Critic Reviews for WHAM, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/music/wham/lil-baby/critic-reviews)
10. [Lil Baby Joins Forces with Pharrell Williams for New Single "Dead Fresh," Universal Music Canada, July 17, 2026](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2026/07/17/lil-baby-joins-forces-with-pharrell-williams-for-new-single-dead-fresh/)
11. [Lil Baby Teases Star-Studded Tracklist For Upcoming 'Fresh' Album, iHeart, October 19, 2026](https://www.iheart.com/content/2026-10-19-lil-baby-teases-star-studded-tracklist-for-upcoming-fresh-album/)
12. [Lil Baby Recruits Future, Young Thug for New Album Fresh, Pitchfork, October 20, 2026](https://pitchfork.com/story/lil-baby-recruits-future-young-thug-for-new-album-fresh/)
13. [Lil Baby Flexes His Fashion Evolution in Cinematic "Dead Fresh" Music Video, Universal Music Canada, July 21, 2026](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2026/07/21/lil-baby-flexes-his-fashion-evolution-in-cinematic-dead-fresh-music-video/)
14. [The South Got Something to Say: The Cultural and Economic Impact of Atlanta's Hip-Hop Industry, University of Chicago](https://knowledge.uchicago.edu/nanna/record/16941/files/The%20South%20Got%20Something%20to%20Say_The%20Cultural%20and%20Economic%20Impact%20of%20Atlanta%27s%20Hip-Hop%20Industry.pdf?registerDownload=1&version=1&withMetadata=0&withWatermark=0)
15. [Evolution of Hip-Hop, Macaulay Honors College ePortfolio](https://files.eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/8014/2023/12/Evolution-of-Hip-Hop-1.pdf)
16. [Study Finds Atlanta-Native Lil Baby Was #1 Artist Shazamed Last Year, Axios, March 6, 2023](https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2023/03/06/study-finds-atlanta-native-lil-baby-was-1-artist-shazamed-last-year)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musical works and recordings › Discographies and musical catalogues › Artist and group discographies › Hip-hop and rap artist discographies*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license