Benzino may have paid Lil Baby one of the greatest compliments he has received in his career thus far. On Thursday (Dec. 1), the “Rock The Party” rapper tweeted that Baby’s influence on the culture is comparable to that of the late hip hop icon Tupac Shakur.
He started off with a message that read, “I been around hip hop since day [one &] out of this generation’s rappers @lilbaby4PF is the most influential & important at this time.” His props continued, “He like Pac’s influence, can help turn around young Black men to elevate their lives from the streets to a better life. He’s special, trust me I know.”
In a follow-up tweet, the former owner of The Source wrote, “He’s really from and wit[h] the s**ts & talks that street talk, but he also raps about positive elevation & change (like Pac). He never beefs online, helps his people, raps about it, and you can see his maturity, not just on the mic but in real life. He’s this generation’s Pac.”
In a third and final tweet, Benzino declared that the younger generation could use more figures like the 27-year-old. In 2018, the Quality Control Music artist said he is intentional about the types of lifestyles he promotes with his music.
“Being from the hood gets glorified, like I’m from the hood, but it’s not an option. It just is what it is,” he told Reebok’s Danielle Rines in a feature about his efforts to show his community what success can look like. He continued, “But instead of glorifying it, I’m trying to help, and I’m going to try to make sure I put on the best facade I can, if it has to be a facade or whatever, to teach them to do the right thing.”
Earlier this year, he teamed up with entrepreneur Lemont Bradley to offer 100 jobs to Atlanta teens. At the top of this month, the “Stand On It” rapper announced his plans to open his very own barber shop in his hometown of Atlanta.
Benzino’s tweets are posted below.