Wikipedia

Baby Keem

American rapper and record producer (born 2000)

Hykeem Jamaal Carter Jr. (born October 22, 2000), his stage name being Baby Keem, is an American rapper and record producer. He was raised in Las Vegas, and was noticed in the late 2010s with his help to Black Panther: The Album, Redemption, Crash Talk, and The Lion King: The Gift. He was first noticed in 2019 through his sleeper hit single "Orange Soda".

Baby Keem
Born
Hykeem Jamaal Carter Jr.

(2000-10-22) October 22, 2000 (age 24)
Carson, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Years active2014–present
Relatives
Musical career
Also known as
  • 2 Phone Baby Keem
  • Booman
OriginLas Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Genres
Labels
Websitekeem.science

After he signed a deal with PGLang and Columbia Records in 2020, he released his first studio album The Melodic Blue (2021), which was very successful. It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and its final single, "Family Ties", won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance. His help with Kanye West on Donda (2021) and his cousin Kendrick Lamar on Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (2022) earned him two chances for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

Early life

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Hykeem Jamaal Carter Jr. was born on October 22, 2000, in Carson, California.[1] His mother had problems with drug abuse and alcoholism,[2] while his father, Hykeem Carter Sr., was not in his life.[3] Carter was raised in Las Vegas, Nevada by his grandmother until he was eight years old, and he thinks of her to be his second mother.[4] A lot of his childhood was spent in music studios as he watched his aunts and uncles put music onto CDs using LimeWire.[5] He also had problems with eviction and needed food stamps.[6]

Carter was raised around a musically skilled family, where all of his uncles and cousins were rappers.[7] His older cousins include rapper Kendrick Lamar and basketball player Nick Young.[8][9] He may also share some relatives with rapper Tanna Leone. He was always interested in rapping, but was not confident with his high-pitched voice and chose to wait until it was developed. When he was thirteen, Carter began producing music using Apple software on his computer.[10] At fifteen, he borrowed $300 from his grandmother and bought a small recording setup for his bedroom on Craigslist.[10] He soon moved to Los Angeles to go into a musical job. Carter disliked his "boring", "dry", and "small" hometown where "everybody knows everybody", and gave credit to its old music scene as a big factor in his decision to move. He used to post and livestream Minecraft and FIFA gameplay on YouTube and Twitch.[11]

Career

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2014–2018: Career beginnings

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Carter made his first song, "Come Thru", during his freshman year of high school. It was removed from the Internet and he hopes "nobody will ever find it."[12] His first extended play (EP), Oct, was independently released under his real name on November 7, 2017, but was removed from major streaming services a bit after its release.[13] RapTV said that the 9-track EP showed traces of Carter's future musical style by "featuring a mix of bouncy, hard beats and slower, emotional cuts."[13] He released his second EP, Midnight, on January 16, 2018. It showed the same production as Oct, but RapTV said that Carter's lines were "more confident and loud."[13] In an interview with Complex, he said that Midnight did not have any big artistic way, and described the project as "just nine songs in my stash that I liked and put out."[12]

After he emailed a sample of his production to an independent record label, called Top Dawg Entertainment, Carter helped the soundtrack album for the superhero film Black Panther (2018) as a producer.[14] During the summer, he released two EPs, No Name and Hearts and Darts, and produced two songs on Jay Rock's third album Redemption.[15] He considers Hearts and Darts, which was his first project under his stage name Baby Keem, to have the style that Midnight did not have.[14] In October 2018, he released his first mixtape, The Sound of Bad Habit, through the Orchard and Sony Music.[16] The mixtape was produced by Cardo.

2019–2020: Die for My Bitch and breakthrough

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Keem produced two songs on Schoolboy Q's fifth album, Crash Talk (2019).[17] On July 19, 2019, he produced a song for singer Beyoncé's soundtrack album The Lion King: The Gift and released his second mixtape, Die for My Bitch.[18][19] The alternative hip hop mixtape had strong pop-punk and alternative rock pieces,[20] and was given big news attention.[21] Its lead single, "Orange Soda", became a sleeper hit and helped Keem make his first songs on the Billboard 200, Billboard Hot 100 and Emerging Artists charts.[22] He helped the mixtape with his first concert tour, the Die for My Bitch Tour, which visited some places across the U.S. from November 12 to November 20, 2019.[23]

Keem's partnership with creative services company pgLang, founded by Kendrick Lamar and filmmaker Dave Free, was announced through his appearance in the company's visual mission statement on March 5, 2020.[24] He was included on XXL's yearly Freshman Class list in August.[25] After signing a recording contract with Columbia Records, Keem released the single album "Hooligan / Sons & Critics" on September 18, 2020;[26] with Sons & Critics confirming his relation to Lamar after rumors began to emerge.[27]

2021–present: The Melodic Blue

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Keem was put on Kanye West's song "Praise God" with Travis Scott for Kanye's tenth album, Donda (2021).[28] The Melodic Blue, his first studio album, was released on September 10, 2021.[29] He co-produced 14 of the album's 16 standard songs.[30] It was given positive reviews from music critics, with praise towards its bold nature and Keem's growing potential,[31] but criticism towards its "half-baked" production.[32] The album started at number five on the Billboard 200, becoming Keem's first top-10 album in the U.S.[33] Two of the album's four singles, "Durag Activity" with Travis Scott and "Family Ties" with Kendrick Lamar,[34] had good success.[35] Keem went on the Melodic Blue Tour, which visited cities in North America and Europe from November 2021 to July 2022, and appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to help sell The Melodic Blue.[36] A B-side to the album was released on September 22, 2021,[37] while the deluxe edition was released on October 28, 2022.[38]

Inspirations

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One of Keem's favorite artists and big musical inspirations is Kid Cudi.[4] He was very inspired by his changes of his voice and emotional connection, mostly on the single "Immortal" (2013).[4][39] As a child, Keem remembered listening to Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreak (2008) during a snow day in Las Vegas and being inspired by the album's cinematic quality.[5] He has said that he will "never say anything ill (bad)" about West, and gives him credit for consistently changing music genre boundaries.[40] Keem self-identifies as part of the Mike Will Made It and Metro Boomin generation of record producers, and has inspiration from both artists.[40]

Discography

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Filmography

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Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2022 Kendrick Lamar Live: The Big Steppers Tour Himself [41]
2023 The Melodic Blue Short film; also executive producer [42]

Tours

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Headlining

  • Die For My Bitch Tour (2019)
  • The Melodic Blue Tour (2021–2022)

Supporting

Awards and nominations

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Award Year Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
BET Awards 2022 Best New Artist Himself Nominated [43]
Video of the Year "Family Ties" (with Kendrick Lamar) Won
Best Collaboration Nominated
Billboard Music Awards 2022 Top Gospel Song "Praise God" (Kanye West featuring Travis Scott and Baby Keem) Nominated [44]
Top Christian Song Nominated
Grammy Awards 2022 Best New Artist Himself Nominated [45]
Album of the Year Donda (given credit as featured artist and songwriter) Nominated
Best Rap Performance "Family Ties" (with Kendrick Lamar) Won
Best Rap Song Nominated
2023 Album of the Year Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (given credit as featured artist, songwriter and producer) Nominated [46]
2024 Best Rap Performance "The Hillbillies" (with Kendrick Lamar) Pending [47]
NME Awards 2022 Best Collaboration "Family Ties" (with Kendrick Lamar) Nominated [48]
XXL Awards 2022 Song of the Year Nominated [49]
Video of the Year Nominated

References

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  1. ↑ Thomas, Fred. "Baby Keem Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  2. ↑ Rosenberger, Ryan (September 20, 2021). "Baby Keem flashes serious potential on The Melodic Blue". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  3. ↑ Levy, Piet (April 2, 2022). "Baby Keem proved at sold-out Milwaukee show he'll be a huge star, just like his cousin Kendrick Lamar". Journal Sentinel. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Setaro, Shawn (July 31, 2019). "Baby Keem Has Arrived". Complex. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Pack, The Rap. "Baby Keem On His Journey, His Relationship W/ Kendrick Lamar, Working W/ Drake + More | The Rap Pack". YouTube. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  6. ↑ Kelly, Chris (November 28, 2021). "Resonating with his crowd, Baby Keem seems ready to reach for something more". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  7. ↑ Isom, Eric (July 14, 2018). "Meet Hykeem Carter, The Mysterious Artist Who Has Credits on Multiple TDE Projects". Complex. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  8. ↑ Tucker, Tristan (September 13, 2021). "Baby Keem pops off, delivers big in debut album". Technician. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  9. ↑ Palladino, Paul (October 31, 2012). "Interview: Nick Young Talks Style, His Cousin Kendrick Lamar and His Experience With a Fire Extinguisher". Complex. Retrieved May 11, 2018.[permanent dead link]
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lamar, Kendrick (October 19, 2020). "Kendrick Lamar in conversation with Baby Keem". i-D. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  11. ↑ "First Appearances - BET Hip Hop Awards 2022". BET. October 3, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Isom, Eric (July 14, 2018). "Meet Hykeem Carter, The Mysterious Artist Who Has Credits on Multiple TDE Projects". Complex. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 "Baby Keem: The Full Profile". RapTV. 2021-02-04. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Isom, Eric (July 14, 2018). "Meet Hykeem Carter, The Mysterious Artist Who Has Credits on Multiple TDE Projects". Complex. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  15. ↑ Draughorne, Kenan (June 18, 2018). "Review: Jay Rock's "Redemption" Quietly Unlocks A Career Milestone". HipHopDX. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  16. ↑ Setaro, Shawn (July 31, 2019). "Baby Keem Has Arrived". Complex. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  17. ↑ Williams, Kyann-Sian (April 26, 2019). "ScHoolboy Q – 'CrasH Talk' review". NME. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  18. ↑ Petridis, Alexis (July 19, 2019). "Beyoncé: The Lion King: The Gift review – superstar shows impeccable taste". the Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  19. ↑ Ivey, Justin (July 18, 2019). "Baby Keem Delivers "DIE FOR MY BITCH" Project". HipHopDX. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  20. ↑ Galil, Leor (November 1, 2019). "Rapper-producer Baby Keem has fun switching up his styles on his latest mixtape". Chicago Reader. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  21. ↑ Pierre, Alphonso (2020-09-25). "Baby Keem Has a Lot of Hype—But Is He Any Good?". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
  22. ↑ Zellner, Xander (December 17, 2019). "Beyonce & Kendrick Lamar Collaborator Baby Keem Debuts on Emerging Artists Chart". Billboard. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  23. ↑ Jefferson, Devon (November 13, 2019). "Baby Keem Drops Wild "Orange Soda" Video". HipHopDX. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  24. ↑ Strauss, Matthew (March 5, 2020). "Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free Launch New Company pgLang". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  25. ↑ Cline, Georgette (August 11, 2020). "XXL 2020 FRESHMAN CLASS REVEALED". XXL. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  26. ↑ "hooligan / sons & critics - Single by Baby Keem on Apple Music". September 17, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2020 – via Apple Music.
  27. ↑ Skelton, Eric (September 23, 2020). "It's Baby Keem Season. Pay Attention". Complex. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  28. ↑ Bloom, Madison; Strauss, Matthew; Yoo, Noah (August 29, 2021). "Kanye West Finally Releases New Album Donda". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  29. ↑ Triscari, Caleb (September 7, 2021). "Baby Keem to release new album 'The Melodic Blue' this week". NME. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  30. ↑ Minsket, Evan; Monroe, Jazz (September 6, 2021). "Baby Keem Releasing New Album The Melodic Blue This Week". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  31. ↑ Skelton, Eric (December 1, 2021). "The Best Albums of 2021". Complex. Archived from the original on May 25, 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  32. ↑ Svetz, Josh (October 5, 2021). "Baby Keem Shows Potential But Delivers Half-Baked Songs On PgLang Debut 'The Melodic Blue'". HipHopDX. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  33. ↑ Caulfield, Keith (September 19, 2021). "Drake's 'Certified Lover Boy' Spends Second Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart". Billboard. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  34. ↑ Renshaw, David (August 27, 2021). "Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar team up on "family ties"". The Fader. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  35. ↑ Okon, Wongo (April 30, 2021). "Travis Scott And Baby Keem's 'Durag Activity' Is A Clouded Banger". Uproxx. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  36. ↑ Powell, Jon (September 9, 2021). "Baby Keem debuts new single during "Fallon" performance". Revolt. Archived from the original on September 9, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  37. ↑ Shifferaw, Abel (2021-09-21). "Baby Keem Updates 'The Melodic Blue' Album With Brent Faiyaz Feature". Complex. Archived from the original on May 25, 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  38. ↑ Feldstein, Josh (2 November 2022). "Baby Keem's deluxe edition of 'The Melodic Blue' leaves fans eager for more". The Daily Orange. Archived from the original on November 17, 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  39. ↑ Saponara, Michael (October 24, 2022). "Kid Cudi & Baby Keem Link Up At Kendrick Lamar 'Big Steppers' Show: 'Long Overdue'". HipHopDX. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 Rouhani, Neena (2021-09-20). "Baby Keem Gets Personal: 'My Mission Here Is Much Deeper'". Billboard. Retrieved 2022-03-11.
  41. ↑ Cowen, Trace William. "Watch Kendrick Lamar's Big Steppers Tour Show From Paris on 10th Anniversary of 'Good Kid, m.A.A.d City'". Complex. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
  42. ↑ IMBD https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30225786
  43. ↑ "Here Are All the 2022 BET Awards Winners: Full List". Billboard. 2022-06-27. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
  44. ↑ "The Weeknd & Doja Cat Lead 2022 Billboard Music Awards Finalists: Full List". Billboard. April 8, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  45. ↑ "2022 GRAMMYs Awards Show: Complete Nominations List". Grammys.com. November 23, 2021. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  46. ↑ Freiman, Jordan (February 6, 2023). "Grammys 2023: List of winners and nominees". CBS News. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  47. ↑ Blistein, Jon (2023-11-10). "Taylor Swift, SZA, Olivia Rodrigo Lead 2024 Grammy Nominees". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
  48. ↑ "Griff and Sigrid win Best Collaboration at the BandLab NME Awards 2022". NME. 2022-03-02. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
  49. ↑ "Here Are the XXL Awards 2022 Winners". XXL. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
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