DaBaby’s Most Essential Songs You Need to Hear

In the world of rap, you really never know when the next star will come along. Some artists tend to take off quickly while others take a bit more time to climb to the top. After putting in years and years on the mixtape grind in his hometown of Charlotte, N.C., DaBaby hit pay dirt when the video for his song “Walker Texas Ranger” went viral in 2018. From there, he dropped his Blank Blank mixtape in November of that year, and began his takeover, with his debut album, Baby on Baby, coming just a few months later in March of 2019. Now a Billboard Hot 100 regular with three platinum albums—Baby on Baby, Kirk and Blame It On Baby—a 2019 XXL Freshman honor and two Billboard Music Awards, DaBaby has arrived, and has released quite a few memorable songs along the way. To make navigating his catalog easier, XXL creates a listening guide of his most essential songs.

To put it lightly, DaBaby has hits. Whether it’s his four-times platinum debut single, “Suge,” or more recent mega-hits like the Hot 100 chart-topper “Rockstar” featuring Roddy Ricch, DaBaby has made his name off huge songs. It wouldn’t be right if these tracks weren’t highlighted here, as they helped solidify the 29-year-old rapper’s name, and in the case of “Rockstar,” propel him to another level of fame. The effort had him topping the Hot 100 for seven weeks last year.

This showcase of DaBaby’s most essential songs isn’t strictly about hits, to be fair. There are plenty of strong deep cuts like the short, catchy “Carpet Burn” and “Baby on Baby Out Now Freestyle,” which highlights his skill level when it comes to bars and flows. DaBaby got in the game by being extremely adept with a unique flow and also being lyrically sound; his less-heralded songs tend to illustrate that.

Check out DaBaby’s most essential songs you need to hear, and find your favorites below.