Lil Baby Decided To Hold A New Non-Profit Tour To Celebrate Hip-Hop’s 50th Anniversary

Lil Baby, a prominent figure in the music industry, is not only a successful entertainer but also a savvy businessman. Currently, he is focused on his Japanese comic, or manga, titled Shonen Baby, co-produced with AXE, and preparing for his It’s Only Us tour, set to kιck off in July. In a recent interview, Lil Baby discussed his plans for new music, his manga, touring, philanthropy, and the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.

XXL: The title of your manga is Shonen Baby. Is that a play on your rap nаme?

Lil Baby: Yeah. The “Baby” part came from me, but the “Shonen” part means a bunch of action, a bunch of adventure.

You have experience with choosing album titles. Was deciding on the nаme for your manga a similar process?

Lil Baby: All the way similar. Kind of like naming an album. It goes with what I’m talking about on the album and the tracks. So, definitely the same process since I always have to come up with titles—song titles, album titles, and now this. I’m kind of good at making titles now.

There was talk earlier this year of a possible Lil Baby and Drake joint album. Is that happening?

Lil Baby: Maybe so. Maybe not.

The summer is coming up and you usually take over the season. Do you have any projects in the works?

Lil Baby: Summer is coming up. I got a tour starting in July. I’m actually going to drop an album this summer and my artist, Rylo Rodriguez, will be dropping an album this summer.

The supporting acts for your It’s Only Us tour are Rylo Rodriguez, GloRilla, Gloss Up, and Hunxho. What made you choose these artists?

Lil Baby: Of course, Glo is really for the girls. I want to make sure I tap into the female audience. Hunxho is on the rise in Atlanta, and I like his music. I’m a fan, so I want to give him the experience. And for Rylo, it’s his first tour.

How important is touring to you?

Lil Baby: Touring is suρer important to me. At first, I didn’t really understand it, but as I continue to tour and my tours get bigger and more profitable, and give my fans a better experience, I realize touring is essential. Many artists miss out on that, but it’s a crucial step.

What do you have planned for after the summer?

Lil Baby: I’m always working. I got a non-profit that I’m launching and another company. We got a big rollout coming up. I’m building a community center in my neighborhood. I have a whole list of things.

Can you speak a little bit about the non-profit?

Lil Baby: I have a non-profit called For the People Foundation. I teamed up with someone else, and we’re opening music classes in different HBCUs. It’s going to be something suρer big, with collaborations with Apple and other services, so you’ll definitely see it.

August marks the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. What does that milestone meаn to you?

Lil Baby: The 50th anniversary means a lot to me. Being a part of it now makes it even more special. To think that hip-hop has only been around for 50 years is incredible. I hope to be a part of its history 50 or 100 years from now.

The Freshman issue of XXL magazine is on newsstands now.

This issue includes interviews with Lil Baby, NLE Choppa, Boosie BadAzz, Toosii, DDG, Saba, and many others. You can also buy the 2023 XXL Freshman Class issue here.