For many rappers, negative press and the outrage of “cancel culture” are often avoidable. Perhaps one day, everyone will realize the everlasting effect of the Internet, in particular Twitter. However, today we can add Sada Baby to a growing list of rappers with resurfaced questionable tweets joining Cardi, Megan, JT, and more.
Sada Baby recently had his profile elevated by the queen of Rap, Nicki Minaj, when she hopped on a remix of “Whole Lotta Choppas“. Leave it to the Barbs, and a good thing can go bad. In a heated exchange with a Lil Nas X fan on Instagram, Sada managed to put both feet in his mouth. Admittedly, the comment from the fan was made to elicit a response, but Sada’s reaction shows a rash thinker.
From my perspective, the fan was inciting Sada to promote his Minaj collaboration, therefore condescendingly offering encouragement. For Sada to respond not only by attacking the fan but also including a homophobic slur shows his level of familiarity with the rhetoric.
Most outlets are reporting that Sada Baby refuses to back down, offering half-assed attempts to dignify his comments, past and present. It’s worth looking at the most recent occurrence first, to see not much has changed in nearly ten years.
Sada Baby Speaks Out to Defend Himself
Sada Baby caught wind of the outrage and responded via Instagram Stories, dismissing the entire event.
However, his attempted dismissing must have lead to increased pressure. Sada Baby was seemingly forced to release a follow-up statement via video on Instagram in which he defended his comments.
“My first initial response to the tweets on my story may give people the idea that I don’t sympathize with females that have been raped or situations. I’m almost 30 years old and I don’t fu**in’ tweet, don’t got the password to my Twitter, none of that,” he said before comparing his “old views” to that of Justin Bieber telling a racist joke when he was 15.
“That’s old shit that you can’t judge me on. As far as the homophobic tweets, I got goddamn homosexuals that work at my label, you feel me, that’s personally working with me. I deal with him twice, two, three times out the month in person, in real life.”
“My baby brother Chico is blacker than Lil Yachty, so you can’t think I’m a colorist. All that shit was just some old shit from when a ni**a was young and just wildin’ out.”
“I don’t stand on none of them views. Them views is not the Sada today. I’m a grown different whole type of man and understand that shit like that is not acceptable.”
Sada Baby
Same Old Shit, Just a Different Day
In every line of defending himself, Sada makes a poor case and uses common bigoted tropes. He excuses his past comments about sexual assault as a joke. Sada negatively mentions co-workers while attempting to defend himself calling them “goddamn homosexuals” that work at his record label. He notes his little brother is comparatively darker than Lil Yachty. Sada never takes accountability for his actions, attempts to excuse himself, or apologize for any offense offered by his actions.
Occasionally being in the company of exceptional individuals from populations outside of your comfort zone does not mean you do not share negative views about them as a whole. What it means is you are tolerant and capable of conducting yourself appropriately to reap the benefits of what the other party has to offer.
While growth is something that often comes with age, it is totally plausible to believe little growth has happened. On the front of his easily displayed homophobia, this is nothing new in hip-hop. Hating queer people didn’t go away with DaBaby collaborated with Lil Nas X. Just as bringing attention to the complexion of someone, namely your race, is still colorism whether it’s a brother or a famous rapper.
Sada Baby is not the first and will not be the first to be caught up with questionable posts from years past. However, this could have been avoided if one thing was considered: mindfulness. Call me crazy, but the words we speak and the thoughts we think influence our daily life. Imagine if Sada Baby had not responded to that fan. Would this post even exist?
