Baby Keem

Born in 2000 in Carson, California, and later based in Las Vegas, Baby Keem, whose real name is Hykeem Jamaal Carter Jr., has developed a style of rap centered on melodic trap and often fragmented song structures. He first emerged behind the scenes as a producer and songwriter, contributing to tracks for Jay Rock and ScHoolboy Q, before releasing a growing number of solo songs online. He drew attention with the mixtape The Sound of Bad Habit in 2018, then refined his identity with Die for My Bitch in 2019, which blends synth pads, heavy bass, and shifts between a high, almost sung voice and drier, more staccato passages. Close to Kendrick Lamar, Baby Keem joined the pgLang collective and stepped up his collaborations, working with Kanye West, Travis Scott and Kendrick Lamar on several tracks. The 2021 album The Melodic Blue confirmed this turn toward a rap that emphasizes flow variation, tempo changes and a mix of melodic hooks and more experimental sequences. In 2022, Baby Keem won a Grammy Award for the track Family Ties with Kendrick Lamar, firmly establishing his name in the contemporary American rap scene.