Rapper DaBaby Arrested in Beverly Hills on Concealed Weapons Charges
American rapper and hit singer/songwriter Jonathan Lyndale Kirk has been arrested again. Better known as DaBaby, the Grammy nominated musician
Ivy Griffith
American rapper and hit singer/songwriter Jonathan Lyndale Kirk has been arrested again. Better known as DaBaby, the Grammy nominated musician has had a brush with the law before. This time, Kirk was arrested on Beverly Hill’s famed Rodeo Drive, on concealed weapons charges.
DaBaby’s Career
Kirk was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on December 22, 1991. As a young child, Kirk’s parents moved the family to Charlotte, North Carolina. The aspiring musician attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro for two years, but dropped out before finishing school because he only attended to make his parents happy.
The rapper later known as DaBaby was heavily influenced by mega hit rappers from the 80s and 90s, including Eminem, 50 Cent, Lil Wayne, and others. In 2015, the 24-year-old released his debut mixtape, Nonfiction. Kirk showed promise from the beginning, when he was performing under the name Baby Jesus, which he later changed because he felt the name itself was distracting from his performances.
Kirk went from newcomer to star quickly, after catching the attention of South Coast Music Group. From his association with them, Kirk was able to sign a short deal with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, which led to a 7-figure recording deal with industry giant Interscope.
By 2019, Kirk’s name was already blowing up charts and his hit album Baby on Baby debuted at number 25 on the Billboard 200 album charts in the US. 2019 was a spectacular year for the new star who collaborated with big names like Megan Thee Stallion and Quality Control. By the end of the year, Kirk had an astonishing 22 appearances on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, more than anyone else for 2019.
2020 brought more albums and more accolades for the young songwriter, who would close the year with 6 Grammy nominations under his belt, including one for Best Album of 2020.
Former Brush With the Law
Despite his enormous successes, or maybe because of them, this week’s brush with the law is not Kirk’s first. In January of 2020, Kirk was arrested and spent one night in jail on one count of battery.
People reports, “An arrest report obtained by PEOPLE at the time said that DaBaby got into a ‘verbal altercation’ with a music promoter who had agreed to give him $30,000 for a performance but only gave him $20,000, and allegedly punched someone during the argument.”
The charge was later dropped, and Kirk addressed the incident on social media. “Please stop talking to me about that weak a– 48 hours I spent in jail and that failed attempt to break my spirits & interrupt the path. Don’t allow yourself to be used by janky promoters and lazy a– grown men itching for the opportunity to file a lawsuit that they won’t win.”
Kirk Arrested on Famed Rodeo Drive
And for Thursday’s incident, CNN shares, “On Thursday afternoon around 4:30, a security guard at the Gucci store called BHPD regarding ‘a group of males walking southbound with one male having a handgun in his waistband as seen inside the store,’ according to a police statement.
Police said they made contact with the group after they entered a vehicle and were preparing to leave the area. After an investigation, police said they found a 9mm firearm.
The six-time Grammy-nominated rapper, whose real name is Jonathan Kirk, was arrested on suspicion of possessing a loaded and concealed firearm.”
Kirk was released on $35,000 bond and is expected to appear in court on January 11th.