A$AP Rocky just surprised social media by telling Questlove the best lyricist he knows is DaBaby. While promoting his long-awaited album Don’t Be Dumb, the Harlem rapper used his appearance on The Questlove Show to deliver a pointed endorsement of DaBaby that cut through years of surface-level narratives.
“Shoutouts to DaBaby man, he’s one of the illest MCs and lyricists I know,” he said.
The statement immediately reframed how he wants listeners to think about the North Carolina rapper. In a culture quick to flatten artists into headlines and controversy, Rocky focused on fundamentals.
Calling DaBaby an “MC” put emphasis on command, rhythm, breath control, and presence. Adding “lyricist” made it clear the respect runs deeper than performance alone.
A$AP Rocky Calls DaBaby “The Illest MC” He Knows On The Questlove Show
Rocky then pulled back the curtain on something rarely discussed. He revealed DaBaby was “one of the first” artists he ever collaborated with on actually writing bars. That detail matters.
Rocky has built a reputation as a guarded writer who treats his pen as sacred. Letting someone into that process speaks to trust, not convenience. It suggests DaBaby earned his spot through sharp instincts and shared discipline, long before either artist became a global fixture.
Even more revealing, Rocky said DaBaby was also “the last” artist he collaborated with at that level. The comment landed heavy.
It implied that as Rocky’s career expanded, he stopped co-writing bars entirely. That places DaBaby in a rare position, not just as an early peer, but as a closing chapter in Rocky’s collaborative writing era.
The moment aligned with the spirit of Don’t Be Dumb, an album Rocky has framed as a push against shallow judgments and lazy assumptions. His praise wasn’t about rankings or viral debate. It was about craftsmanship, memory, and respect.
By spotlighting DaBaby this way, Rocky reminded fans that some of hip-hop’s sharpest skills live far from the spotlight, forged in quiet rooms where bars are written, tested, and trusted before the world ever hears them.
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