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DaBaby’s fallout continues as music fest scrubs him from lineup after homophobic rant

A man posing with his hands clasped in a green hat and patterned suit, surrounded by pictures of Grammy Awards.
Rapper DaBaby arrives at the 2021 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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The United Kingdom’s Parklife music festival appears to have quietly pulled the plug on DaBaby after the scorned rapper unleashed a homophobic rant on concertgoers at another fest over the weekend.

As of Thursday, DaBaby’s name is no longer listed on the vibrant poster for the upcoming event, which is displayed on the Parklife website.

An earlier version of the promotional artwork, still visible on the festival’s social media, featured the “Rockstar” hitmaker prominently among the many artists set to perform in September in Manchester’s Heaton Park.

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Other acts expected to participate include Megan Thee Stallion, Disclosure, Young Thug, Princess Nokia and Kaytranada. Organizers for Parklife did not immediately respond Thursday to The Times’ request for comment.

Shortly after Megan Thee Stallion’s set at Rolling Loud, fellow rapper DaBaby brought Tory Lanez onstage and went on a homophobic and sexist rant.

The sudden set change comes days after DaBaby made a series of crass, homophobic remarks about gay people and HIV/AIDS onstage Sunday at Miami’s Rolling Loud music festival. After initially doubling down and insisting his words had been “twisted,” the Grammy nominee later apologized for his behavior amid mounting public outrage.

“Anybody who done ever been effected by AIDS/HIV y’all got the right to be upset, what I said was insensitive even though I have no intentions on offending anybody,” DaBaby tweeted Tuesday. “So my apologies. But the LGBT community... I ain’t trippin on y’all, do you. y’all business is y’all business.”

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The fallout from DaBaby’s offensive outburst has been swift. Powerful music industry figures, such as Elton John and Dua Lipa, have denounced the rising rap star’s statements.

Lipa, who featured DaBaby on her chart-topping hit single “Levitating,” said she was “surprised and horrified” by his hateful speech, while John declared that “homophobic and HIV mistruths have no place in our society.”

‘Y’all business is y’all business,’ DaBaby told the LGBTQ community after his recent homophobic remarks, which Elton John slammed for promoting ‘HIV mistruths.’

In the wake of the Miami festival, DaBaby also has come under fire for welcoming Tory Lanez — who was charged last year with shooting Megan Thee Stallion with a semiautomatic firearm — to the stage shortly after the reigning best new artist Grammy winner performed.

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In support of the “Savage” artist and in lieu of Lipa’s collaboration with DaBaby, music lovers on social media have recently been widely sharing a fan-made remix of “Levitating” featuring Megan Thee Stallion, who previously collaborated with DaBaby on multiple tracks.

Radio stations and streaming platforms also reportedly have been skirting DaBaby’s “Levitating” verse by playing the solo rendition of the song instead. According to Pop Crave, the DaBaby version of “Levitating” has been removed from multiple Apple Music playlists, including its “Essentials” collection by Lipa.

Representatives for Apple Music did not respond Thursday to The Times’ request for comment.

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