DaBaby Brings a Crowd of Famous Friends for Birthday Bash
...with 50 Cent, Sexyy Red, Boosie Badazz, Moneybagg Yo and more
Too often, when there’s a concert with a long list of performers, fans have to wait until the end of the night to see the main attraction. During DaBaby’s birthday bash at the Spectrum Center on Wednesday night, fans didn’t need to wonder when the star of the show would turn up — the answer was early and often.
Though the Queen City rapper who now lives in Troutman turned 33 back on Dec. 22, he waited a month to throw one helluva Billion Dollar Birthday Bash in Uptown.
The concert, which lasted roughly four-and-a-half hours, featured a long list of rappers including 50 Cent, Sexyy Red, Boosie Badazz, Moneybagg Yo, Toosii, Rob 49, Skillababy, BigXThaPlug, YTB Fatt, Stunna4Vegas, Trap Dickey, and Big Boogie.
While many of the artists performed just a few songs, it was DaBaby who offered the most performances — jumping onstage with other rappers, on his own, and/or with an array of backup dancers.
He made his way through the crowd while walking Boosie and 50 Cent to the stage, ran through a handful of hits on his own, danced while 50 sang “In Da Club,” and even teamed up for a song with Charlotte-based soul singer Anthony Hamilton.
The biggest name to burst out of Charlotte’s underground rap scene onto the national stage, DaBaby has caught a lot of flak in recent years for a string of controversies — a shooting in 2018, homophobic comments during Rolling Loud in 2021, and a number of offstage altercations.
He’s seen the repercussions as well, with his 2024 album How TF Is This a Mixtape marking a new low in sales and streams for the rapper, according to Forbes. He has slowly continued to work his way back onto the main stage, however, performing at last year’s Lovin’ Life Music Fest and recently telling WFNZ that he’s working with the Carolina Panthers on a new theme song.
Whether it was due to his presence or that of his famous friends, he packed the Uptown arena on Wednesday night, meaning there just might plenty of fans who are more than ready for his full-time return to the spotlight. Regardless of what’s to come, for his latest birthday celebration, he soaked up every moment.
Be sure to check out Queen City Nerve’s Soundwave, Charlotte’s most comprehensive live music listing, so you don’t miss out on any shows or concerts coming up. And hell, if you’re looking for something else to do, you can check out our events page as well, which runs the gamut of things to do in Charlotte. You don’t ever have to be bored again. You can check out more of Jeff’s pics and live reviews here.
