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Lil Baby’s journey to superstardom proves he knows a thing or two about hustle, ambition and staying motivated. The rapper skyrocketed into popularity with “My Dawg,” followed by him repeating that success back-to-back with “All Of A Sudden,” “Freestyle” and the Drake-assisted “Yes Indeed.” His hits, plus his sold-out tours and features, only helped cement him as one of Atlanta’s all-time best rappers, which he’s proven time and time again across albums like My Turn and WHAM.
Beyond his popular tracks and star collaborations, Lil Baby’s lyrics and interviews often serve as a reminder of what true success looks like: working hard, keeping perspective and never losing sight of where you came from. Below are 11 quotes from the It’s Only Me rapper that should hopefully inspire you to hustle a little harder, chase that dream or finally go after whatever you’re aiming for in life.
1. “One of the most precious things in life is self-discipline.”
The Grammy Award-winning artist has more than a handful of tweets about the importance of working hard. Here, he cuts straight to the point about something we all know but typically ignore, which is that motivation means nothing without discipline. Take it as a sign to quit scrolling and do that one thing you’ve been pushing off for weeks.
2. “Stay down, hustle hard until you come up / Take somethin’, only when you need it / You won’t make it far being greedy.”
In other words, chase your goals but don’t let your ambition turn into greed. Knowing when you have enough, especially as success rolls in, is super important. As Lil Baby preaches elsewhere on 2023’s “Heyy”: “Make sure evеrybody sit comfortable / You gotta really pay attention, I’m not mumblin’.”
3. “My story is going to be completely different than someone else’s story in terms of hard work. What I might feel like is hard work, another person is dying to do.”
“What I might feel like is hard work, another person is dying to do,” the chart-topping artist told Vibe. He’s right, to an extent. Your toughest day might be someone else’s ideal scenario, and vice versa. The bottom line is that everyone’s journey looks different, so comparisons should always be taken with a grain of salt.
4. “You gotta do what you gotta do for you.”
Translation: Trust yourself and mind your own business. Sure, asking for opinions or lending a hand is fine sometimes, but your path becomes way clearer when you ignore all the outside noise. After all, who’s really got your back if you don’t?
5. “When you get in a certain position, you can’t go back.”
Once you’ve had a taste of success — or just stability, in general — turning back isn’t really an option. During a sit-down with HOT 97’s Nessa, Lil Baby emphasized that pushing forward is the only real way for us to respect how far we’ve already come.
6. “I know times get hard but it’s gon’ pay off, it’s gon’ pay off / Grinding every day, can’t take no days off, no days off.”
Nobody’s saying you can’t take a break, but a consistent hustle is non-negotiable if you really want something. That’s especially true if you’ve got kids, a family to look after or big ambitions to end up someplace better than where you’re at right now.
7. “Anything and everything I do is a success as long as I ain’t in the same position I was in.”
Forget sports cars, social media followers or designer bags as a measure of success. If you’re even one step ahead of yesterday, you’re already winning. Plus, if you, like Lil Baby, “come from nothing,” what more could you really ask for than another chance to get further tomorrow?
8. “You can blow up tomorrow. You can blow up in four years. There’s no meter on it.”
Though he’s done plenty of street interviews discussing jewelry and music, the Glass Window Entertainment founder offered a reality check here: Success doesn’t have a schedule. Whether it happens tomorrow or in a few years, your moment isn’t late; it’s going to happen exactly how the universe intended.
9. “Straight to the money, no stop / I’ma give it all I got.”
Too Hard housed so many hits, including “To the Top.” On the 2017 track, Lil Baby briefly reminds listeners that success doesn’t come from half-measures or hesitation. File this under songs to add to your bag-chasing playlist.
10. “Anything is possible. If you believe, you can achieve.”
Yes, it’s the oldest motivational line in the book, but the “Woah” hitmaker is absolutely right. Maybe it resonates more coming from someone who went from serving time behind bars to becoming one of Atlanta’s mainstays, or maybe he genuinely believes it. Either way, consider this your cue to dream a little bigger.
11. “Lawyers, doctors, authors, you ain’t gotta rap or make it D1 / Build up a foundation you can stand on, just grow up and be somethin’.”
Not everyone is meant to grab a mic or make it to the league, despite what social media might have led some of us to believe. Lawyers, doctors, plumbers are equally valuable professions worth taking pride in, which Lil Baby makes clear on “Merch Madness.” He seems to point out that stability, passion and purpose can look a thousand different ways in this day and age.
