VonOff1700 and Atlanta megastar Lil Baby, who got into it over what had been a seemingly harmless-but-dismissive remark from Lil Baby. The exchange, now making its rounds across the internet, has shed light on tensions between the two rappers and spurred conversations in the greater rap community.
The emerging force in the drill scene, VonOff1700, is known for raw and street-laced rhymes. Acclaimed by big-name acts like Polo G and G Herbo, he has made sure to earn respect with his gritty sound and authentic storytelling. He’s been tipped to go places in one of the most dog-eat-dog genres there is, but his rising star cut across the dismissive attitude of Lil Baby in this exchange that sets fans abuzz.
Well, it all started when Lil Baby made a casual comment, saying he thinks VonOff1700 needs a “babysitter.” The comment seemed light, full of humor with many people. Still, it set him off like nobody’s business. The young drill artist, who takes his street reputation seriously, shot back furiously, “I’m gonna kill yo’ ass. I ain’t no kid, I’m a real gangsta.” He replied aggressively underlining how highly offended VonOff1700 was at being treated less than the full grown man far from the reputation he has built online being this hardened figure in the drill scene.
It went viral in the blink of an eye when the attendees recorded videos at the fight and shared them on YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram. Social media went ablaze as users came to defend Lil Baby while others congratulated VonOff1700 for defending himself. It wasn’t just a battle between two rappers; this mirrored the rising friction that’s out there in a competitive rap world, one in which egos and prestige are perhaps at stake.
In the bigger picture, this fight represents the ongoing rift between rappers from the different regional scenes: from Chicago’s hard-edged drill music this side of town Von comes, to Atlanta’s trap-influenced sound Lil Baby is repping. Beefing is nothing new in rap, between different artists that want each other outdone in one aspect or another. With competition this fierce, respect is definitely harnessed through conflicts like these-be it verbal or physical.
While the feud between VonOff1700 and Lil Baby has been more or less linguistic to date, the public indeed holds its breath, wondering whether things will get darker. Thus far, at least, the war of words has only intensified, with hundreds of thousands taking to social media to have their say. Both rappers’ reputations are on the line: VonOff1700 as a coming street poet dead set on making a name for himself, and Lil Baby as the chart-topping star unafraid to deal as good as he gets in the shade-throwing department.
The way things are, neither of them has since backed down, and tensions between the two remain simmering. With the aid of social media, where the situation has been grossly amplified, it’s anyone’s guess just how far this effectively staged, fresh-faced rivalry will extend. For the rap world, this type of drama only enhances the ever-changing narrative that is part and parcel with beefs, respect, and competition that has permeated the culture.
