"Freestyle" is a song by American rapper Lil Baby. It was released on November 5, 2017 with an accompanying music video, to promote his mixtape Too Hard (2017).[1] The song became one of his most popular hits and helped him rise to prominence.[2] The song is a sleeper hit which began charting outside of the United States in 2022.
| "Freestyle" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Lil Baby | ||||
| from the album Too Hard | ||||
| Released | November 5, 2017 | |||
| Genre | Trap | |||
| Length | 2:42 | |||
| Label |
| |||
| Songwriter(s) | Dominique Jones | |||
| Producer(s) | Joseph DaVinci | |||
| Lil Baby singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Freestyle" on YouTube | ||||
Composition edit
In the song, Lil Baby raps about his usage of lean and percocets, over production by Joseph DaVinci. He gives numerous name-drops, including that of basketball player Philip Champion, and also interpolates "Hail Mary" by Tupac Shakur.[3]
Critical reception edit
Billboard ranked the song at number five on their list of Lil Baby's best songs.[3]
Charts edit
Weekly charts edit
| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[4] | 9 |
| US Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles (Billboard)[5] | 1 |
| Chart (2022–2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[6] | 69 |
| Global 200 (Billboard)[7] | 169 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[8] | 59 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[9] | 17 |
Year-end charts edit
| Chart (2022) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[10] | 97 |
Certifications edit
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[11] | Gold | 40,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[12] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[13] | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References edit
- ^ Lil Baby "Freestyle" Official Music Video, November 5, 2017
- ^ Fu, Eddie; Shannon, Delisa; Hill, Tia (February 14, 2019). "Looking Back At Lil Baby's "Freestyle"". Genius.
- ^ a b Saponara, Michael (February 28, 2020). "Lil Baby's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard.
- ^ "Lil Baby Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "Lil Baby – Chart History: Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. January 27, 2018.
- ^ "Lil Baby Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
- ^ "Lil Baby Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- ^ "Lil Baby Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
- ^ "Lil Baby Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
- ^ https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2022/hot-r-and-and-b-hip-hop-songs/
- ^ "Canadian single certifications – Lil Baby – Freestyle". Music Canada. June 24, 2019.
- ^ "British single certifications – Lil Baby – Freestyle". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
- ^ "American single certifications – Lil Baby – Freestyle". Recording Industry Association of America. September 19, 2022.