DaBaby was born Jonathan Kirk in Cleveland, Ohio in 1991. By age six, he'd … Read Full Bio ↴DaBaby was born Jonathan Kirk in Cleveland, Ohio in 1991. By age six, he'd relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina and spent his adolescence engaged in street life. In December 2014, Kirk made a quick decision to become a rapper, taking the name Baby Jesus and issuing his NonFiction mixtape a month later. Never having been on a stage before, he headed to South by Southwest in the spring of 2015. Kirk changed his name to DaBaby, going so far as to explain the "political reasons" for this decision in the lyrics to "DaBaby (Intro)," a short introduction to 2016's God's Work Resurrected, his first mixtape under the new moniker. This release featured a cameo from Boosie Badazz and began to attract the attention of fans and peers alike.

Multiple mixtapes followed in the coming months, with 2017 offering Billion Dollar Baby, Baby Talk, Baby Talk 2, 3, and 4, as well as Back on My Baby Jesus Sh!t. 2018 continued in a similarly fashion with Baby Talk 5 and Blank Blank. In November of 2018, while shopping with his family at a Walmart in Huntersville, North Carolina, Kirk was approached by several men. An altercation broke out and gunfire ensued, resulting in the death of 19-year-old Jalyn Domonique Craig. Kirk, while involved in the dispute, did not admit to firing the fatal shots and was not charged with any crime connected to the incident. DaBaby got a label deal in 2019 when he signed on with Interscope.

The label quickly released Baby on Baby in March of that year, a full-length that was preceded by videos for singles "Suge" and "Walker, Texas Ranger."

CHAMPION
DaBaby Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Yeah, yeah
(Wait a minute, who are you?)
(Ayo, K.I.D.)
Let's go (woo)

Yeah, I took the cash route
I put in more time, more grind, no lyin'
I didn't take the fast route (let's go)

Suck it up, no cryin', no cryin', no cryin'
I didn't ask for handouts (yeah)
Go to work, no grind, no shine, no shine
And that's how you stand out (yeah)
Yeah, that's how I stand out (yeah)
Yeah, I took the cash route
I put in more time, more grind, no lyin' (let's go)
I didn't take the fast route
Suck it up, no cryin', no cryin', no cryin'
I didn't ask for handouts (uh-uh)
Go to work, no grind, no shine, no shine (yeah)
And that's how you stand out
Yeah, that's how I stand out (let's go)

Yeah, I took the cash route
I did it and did it again (what you did?)
I started at one and I went up to ten
Came back, now I'm winning again (uh-huh)
We pull up behind tints, which one he gon' hop out? (Skrrt)
They don't know what whip that he in (vroom)
Put in hours of practice and that's how it happened
I don't even pick up a pen
Nah, I'm comin' straight up off the top with it (let's go)
Ain't a power forward, he ain't a center, but he was on the block with me
Shootin' in the gym, really got it in, he put up the shots with me (uh-huh)
Now we breakin' bread, everybody playin', he hold up a knot with me (no cap)
We took the cash route (let's go)
Yeah, I'm talkin' mula, fetty (uh-huh)
We grew up off of noodles, spaghetti
Used to be peanut butter and jelly (uh-huh)
Now the Chevy gon' come when it's ready (uh-huh)
What you know 'bout the lights off, candles? (Lights)
I provide with the mic off dancin' (like Mike)
I'm a star and I'm moonwalkin'
Now I got the whole room talkin'
Yeah, I'm talkin' trophies
I got everybody talkin' down, actin' like they know me
I'm a champion like LeBron, ballin' with my homies
I'm better than the old me
R.i.P. to Kobe, yeah

Yeah, I took the cash route (uh-huh, go)
Put in more time, more grind, no lyin'
I didn't take the fast route (let's go)
Suck it up, no cryin', no cryin', no cryin'
I didn't ask for handouts (yeah)
Go to work, no grind, no shine, no shine
And that's how you stand out (yeah)
Yeah, that's how I stand out (uh-huh)
Yeah, I took the cash route (let's go)
I put in more time, more grind, no lyin'
I didn't take the fast route (uh-huh)
Suck it up, no cryin', no cryin', no cryin'
I didn't ask for handouts (uh-huh)
Go to work, no grind, no shine, no shine (yeah)
And that's how you stand out (yeah)
Yeah, that's how I stand out (let's go)

Yeah

Yeah
Uh-huh

Overall Meaning

In the song "Champion" by DaBaby, the rapper reflects on his journey to success and champions the idea of taking the cash route instead of asking for handouts. He emphasizes the hard work, time, and grind he put in to stand out, rather than taking the easy and fast route. DaBaby highlights his rise from humble beginnings, where he started out eating noodles and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, to his current success with chart-topping hits and awards. He also pays homage to basketball player LeBron James and late basketball legend Kobe Bryant, who inspired him to become a champion in his own right.

The lyrics of "Champion" are a testament to DaBaby's work ethic and determination to succeed despite adversities. He encourages his listeners to take ownership of their own journey and work hard towards their goals instead of waiting for handouts or taking shortcuts. DaBaby asserts that his success is a result of his own hard work, putting in more time and grind, and not giving up despite failures and mistakes.

Line by Line Meaning

Yeah, I took the cash route
I chose the path of hard work and earning money instead of relying on shortcuts or handouts.

I put in more time, more grind, no lyin'
I worked harder and longer hours to achieve my success.

I didn't take the fast route
I didn't take any shortcuts to get where I am today.

Suck it up, no cryin', no cryin', no cryin'
I didn't complain or make excuses when things got tough.

I didn't ask for handouts
I didn't expect or ask for anyone to give me any help in my journey.

Go to work, no grind, no shine, no shine
I knew that hard work was necessary to achieve success.

And that's how you stand out
By putting in the hard work and dedication, I was able to stand out from the crowd.

I did it and did it again
I kept working hard and achieving success over and over again.

Came back, now I'm winning again
After facing setbacks, I was able to come back and achieve success once more.

Put in hours of practice and that's how it happened
I knew that practice was necessary to achieve success and put in the hours to make it happen.

Now we breakin' bread, everybody playin', he hold up a knot with me (no cap)
Now that I have achieved success, I am able to share it with those who helped me and we are all prospering together.

We grew up off of noodles, spaghetti
We didn't come from a wealthy background, and had to make do with what we had.

I'm a champion like LeBron, ballin' with my homies
I am a champion, just like LeBron James, and I achieved success with my friends and supporters by my side.

R.i.P. to Kobe, yeah
I am paying tribute to the late basketball legend, Kobe Bryant, who inspired me to work hard and strive for greatness.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: De'Juane Dunwood, Jonathan Lyndale Kirk, Thomas French

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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