DaBaby Reacts to Character Assassination in Wizkid “Essence” Freestyle Video

Despite the fact that he’s looking to put his controversial Rolling Loud Miami speech behind him, DaBaby wants to return to music. On Wednesday (September 1), the Charlotte native returned with his own spin on Wizkid’s popular “Essence” for a rap-heavy remix.

He transforms the track’s texture and tempo with his compact spit-fire rhymes, breaking down the Nigerian singer’s fan-favorite, which has recently become the most Shazamed song in the United States.

He even addresses the criticism he’s received for his homophobic remarks and how he plans to restore himself.

“I just feel like, you know, when situations like this present themselves, man/And people try to, you know, assassinate your character, man/And assassinate who you are, man/And everything you put that hard work in for, man/Sometimes you gotta demonstrate, you know, that’s how I came here,” he says.

DaBaby met with a group of nine HIV organizations from the United States who organized an open letter in order to meet and discuss HIV and hear personal experiences of people living with it. Over 125 organizations joined together to support the statement.

During the meeting, DaBaby apologized for his remarks while organization executives praised him for being willing to listen.

“DaBaby’s willingness to listen, learn, and grow can open the door to an entirely new generation of people to do the same,” said Marnina Miller of the Southern AIDS Coalition.