DaBaby’s ‘Levitating’ Remix Plummets on Radio After Homophobic Rant

Stations are pulling the rapper’s collab with Dua Lipa following his homophobic remarks

dababy dua lipa
Dua Lipa (YouTube)

DaBaby just keeps getting da-burned. In the two weeks since his homophobic rant onstage at Rolling Loud Miami, the rapper has been dropped from a number of music festivals — and now radio stations are following suit. 

According to Billboard, Dua Lipa’s “Levitating” remix featuring DaBaby has been nixed from many radio stations’ rotations, with airplay dropping by 20 percent. The track had been playing on 70.2 percent of stations, but now that number is down to 49.5 percent.

The outlet also noted that many stations only stopped playing the remix once Lipa publicly condemned the rapper’s comments last week. 

“I’m surprised and horrified at DaBaby’s comments. I really don’t recognize this as the person I worked with,” Lipa wrote on Instagram. “I know my fans know where my heart lies and that I 100% stand with the LGBTQ community. We need to come together to fight the stigma and ignorance around HIV/AIDS.”

The controversy began when DaBaby, born Jonathan Lyndale Kirk, paused his Rolling Loud set and told the crowd, “If you didn’t show up today with HIV, AIDS, any of them deadly sexually transmitted diseases that’ll make you die in two, three weeks, then put your cell phone light up.” He added, “Ladies, if your p—- smell like water, put a cellphone light up. Fellas, if you ain’t sucking d— in the parking lot, put your cell phone light up. Keep it real.”

DaBaby later attempted to clarify his statements via Instagram, explaining, “All the lights went up — gay or straight — you wanna know why? Because even my gay fans don’t got f—ing AIDS, stupid ass n—-. They don’t got AIDS. My gay fans, they take care of themselves. They ain’t no nasty gay n—-, see what I’m saying? They ain’t no junkies on the street.”

“Even my gay fans got standards,” he added. 

The strange attempt at defending himself by saying it’s not gay people he dislikes, just people suffering from AIDS, only made matters worse, with Elton John stepping in to scold the rapper for fueling stigma against those with HIV. DaBaby has since issued a more straightforward apology, but the damage has already been done.    

DaBaby has already been pulled from Lollapalooza, Governors Ball, Austin City Limits, iHeartRadio Music Festival and Music Midtown, with many looking to Hot 97’s Summer Jam to be the next event to drop the “BOP” rapper from its lineup.

In the meantime, if you miss hearing Lipa’s infectious, disco-inspired tune on the airwaves, don’t worry — in addition to the solo album version of “Levitating,” there’s also another remix featuring Madonna and Missy Elliot. However, the fallout from the hugely popular DaBaby incarnation of the track has spurred fan-led campaigns for Megan Thee Stallion or Lil Nas X to replace him. Your move, Dua.

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