DaBaby Faces Robbery, Battery Charges — Just Weeks After Signing with UMPG

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Photo of DaBaby

Police in Miami arrested Grammy-nominated rapper DaBaby because of an outstanding warrant for battery in Texas, only weeks after he signed a publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG).

The arrest of DaBaby, whose real name is Jonathan Kirk, came after the police detained and questioned him regarding an unrelated robbery.

TMZ is reporting that the latter incident occurred when members of the rapper’s entourage allegedly jumped a man before robbing him. A Miami Police Department spokesperson would not confirm this, however, citing the fact that the investigation was ongoing.

However, the police did say that the rapper would remain in custody “until further notice.”

These two cases are not the only legal issues DaBaby has faced in recent weeks. On Christmas Eve in Charlotte — after the rapper had spent the day giving out gifts to underprivileged kids — authorities handcuffed and cited him for possession of marijuana.

At the time of the Charlotte incident, DaBaby claimed that he was a victim of harassment by police.

In a Twitter post, he wrote:

“Someone died last night while the police department wasted resources and officers to harass me in an attempt to make a bad example out of me. When in reality, I’m the most positive example the city of Charlotte’s got. Especially for anybody in the streets of Charlotte and the KIDS.”

DaBaby rose to fame last year when his song “Suge” ignited and became a hit. His debut album, Baby on Baby, also garnered serious streams and attention. 

The rapper has received two 2020 Grammy Award nominations: for Best Rap Performance and for Best Rap Song.

Earlier today, Coachella announced that the rapper would appear at its 2020 festival. It is unclear at the moment whether his arrest will affect his performance at the festival, a gig that could dramatically increase the rapper’s presence.