Lil Baby was once hailed as one of the brightest stars in rap music, gaining recognition with his unique flow, street authenticity, and powerful storytelling. His breakthrough in 2017, with projects like Harder Than Ever, and his subsequent rise to superstardom with albums like My Turn (2020), made him a fixture on the Billboard charts and a voice for a generation. However, in recent months, there has been an increasing discussion about whether Lil Baby’s star is beginning to fade. As new artists rise and the rap game evolves, questions are being raised about whether the Atlanta rapper is “falling off” or if he is merely going through a temporary slump.
One of the defining characteristics of Lil Baby’s early success was his ability to stay fresh and innovative within the trap genre. His flow, versatility, and ability to connect with his audience made him a standout. However, in recent years, some critics and fans have noted a lack of growth or evolution in his sound. While his work has remained consistent in quality, it has also felt somewhat repetitive.
Unlike contemporaries like Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, or Travis Scott, who constantly push boundaries and explore new sonic landscapes, Lil Baby’s recent projects have failed to introduce a noticeable shift in direction. His albums, while solid, have not matched the genre-defining shifts seen from other artists in my opinion. For example, his latest album, It’s Only Me (2022), while commercially successful, didn’t introduce much in terms of artistic progression, which may have led some fans to lose interest or seek out more experimental sounds.
On the album, Baby sounded stale, and didn’t seem like he was as motivated to advance his lyrical progression, or who he was as an artist, and wanted to mess with the same sounds fans got bored with. In my opinion, Baby is content with where he is at in the rap game, and not hungry to find something new to have the fans want to listen to him. When Baby first came out, he was hailed as the future of rap, and the next one to capture the hearts of the fans, but he has remained with the same sound and not expanded the type of music he is doing, which has led fans to become extremely bored with him.
The evolution of hip-hop over the last few years has brought with it a shift in what listeners are looking for. Audiences have begun embracing more experimental, melodic, and genre-blurring styles, with artists like Playboi Carti, Lil Uzi Vert, and Future pushing rap in new directions. Drill music has also gained significant momentum, especially in cities like New York and the UK. Lil Baby’s trap style, once fresh and innovative, has become more familiar, and his formula of melodic rapping and street narratives is no longer as groundbreaking as it once was.
I believe Baby can still revive his career, but needs to evolve into becoming one of the most lyrical, and advanced artists in the game, while also updating his production in the rap game to something that doesn’t sound like his old music. Baby needs to be more advanced with the type of music he puts out, and become an advanced storyteller with better production. Baby is still one of the best talents in rap, but has gotten extremely lazy with his craft which has made his music completely stale and no one want to check it out at all. He needs to become a Lil Wayne level artist, and the fans will get behind him and he will be back I believe.
Lil Baby’s music may not have captured the same cultural significance as it once did, and he’s facing increased competition from both established artists and rising stars. Whether he can reclaim his position as one of the game’s top-tier acts will depend on his ability to evolve, stay relevant, and tap into the cultural moment in a way that resonates with listeners.
