DaBaby has seen a huge downturn in sales and popularity since his 2021 homophobic controversy, but his new single “Shake Sumn” may be finally turning that around.
According to a report from That Grape Juice on Wednesday (May 24), the Charlie Heat-produced song premiered on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 92 in its first week last week, and this week has jumped a full 18 spots to No. 74. This makes for the North Carolina rapper’s highest chart position since he peaked at No. 50 with “Red Light Green Light” in summer 2021.
The track was released on May 5 as part of DaBaby’s Call Da Fireman EP. The track has been picking up steam on TikTok, likely leading to its current chart success.
Check out the video to the song below:
DaBaby made headlines left and right with his polarizing decision-making on the Rolling Loud Miami stage in July 2021. In the midst of his set, Baby went on a rant prompting the raucous crowd to put their lighters in the sky, but many fans took offense to the homophobic tangent.
“If you didn’t show up today with HIV, AIDS, or any of them deadly sexually transmitted diseases, that’ll make you die in two to three weeks, then put your cellphone lighter up,” he said.
“Ladies, if your pussy smell like water, put your cellphone light in the air. Fellas, if you ain’t sucking dick in the parking lot, put your cellphone lighter up.”
He doubled down on his comments amid opportunities to walk them back in moments following the show, which only further created an issue. During an appearance on LeBron James’ series The Shopearlier this month, however, the multi-platinum rapper said he would have dealt with the situation differently if he had a chance to do it over again.
“Absolutely, absolutely,” the “Ball If I Want To” rapper said when asked by host Maverick Carter if he’d change his response to what occurred. “That’s something that came out my own mouth and said, you know what I mean? Like as of late, not even as of late, like I would have apologized, like, I’m this type of person. Like, I’m going to fight tooth and nail about my character and my intentions. I’m not a bad person. I’m unfaltering on that.
“You almost gotta make it your business to not let that shit get to you. ‘Cause once it gets to you, it’s almost like, you know, it’s a nonstop game of figuring this shit out. That’s what we have to do anyway. To market ourselves. To make ourselves worth somethin’. And, if you look back on it, like I was the most…. and I hope this shit don’t sound like I’m tootin’ my own horn, but I was the most marketable artist in the world.”
He continued: “Like when that shit happened bro, I had my own meal with Burger King. Like, a lot of the things I see my peers doin’ now, which I love to see it. I love to see that shit. These are things that I was blessed and fortunate enough to be able to accomplish in my first year as a mainstream artist.
“I had a meal at Burger King. I shot the commercial, I still got the behind-the-scenes, like I had so much goin on, bro. Like, you have no idea. Like, I had so much goin’ on, you know what I’m sayin’? But, at the end of the day, if you become wrapped up in the negative shit, we’re so conditioned to rollin’ with the punches with social media, with whatever it is, whatever room we come into, okay we know we gotta adapt. Whatever space we in, we know we gotta adapt, whatever business it is, whatever game we’re playing, we gotta adapt, you know. And that’s who’s gonna excel.”
[via]
