In the new version of “Rockstar,” DaBaby, who has publicly accused police of harassing him since he became famous, raps about his lifetime of interactions with law enforcement (“As a juvenile, police pull their guns like they’re scared of me”) before addressing recent protests. (In the song, DaBaby claims he was defending his daughter he was later found guilty of a misdemeanor weapons charge and received probation.) The original version of “Rockstar” has dominated streaming charts for weeks, hinged on a plucked guitar riff over which DaBaby raps about having PTSD following an incident in 2018 in which he fatally shot a man inside a Walmart. Instead, they picked up their pens and rush-released urgent new bars about the uprisings. Neither is considered a politically conscious rapper there would have been no outcry, or even a raised eyebrow, if they’d posted Black Lives Matter graphics on their social media accounts and moved along. They’ve collaborated with artists such as Camilla Cabello and scored endorsement deals with companies like Reebok. While the two rappers have little in common besides their similar monikers and occasional collaboration together, their ascension during a time where hip-hop reigns as the dominant genre makes them two of today’s biggest music stars. 2 on the Hot 100, but continues its run at No. DaBaby, the charming 28-year-old Charlotte, N.C., native whose hit song “ Suge” (named for imprisoned mogul Suge Knight) catapulted him to stardom last year, released a new version of the Roddy Ricch-assisted single “Rockstar,” dubbed the “BLM Remix,” days after the original version topped the Billboard Hot 100. Lil Baby isn’t the only chart-topping rapper to respond to the moment.

“I got power now, I gotta say something,” he raps on “The Bigger Picture.” 1 on the Billboard album chart in wake of the protests, a flex that caught the eye of the music industry in the high-turnover streaming era.

Lil Baby didn’t start rapping until 2017, after a stint in prison on drug and gun charges, but he’s quickly achieved crossover stardom through a prolific stream of trap singles (his biggest hit to date is 2018’s “Drip Too Hard” with fellow Atlanta rapper Gunna.) He’s signed to Quality Control, the powerbrokers behind stars such as Lil Yachty and Migos, and his album “My Turn,” released in February, returned to No. “You can’t fight fire with fire, I know / but at least we can turn up the flames some,” Lil Baby, 25, raps through distorted vocals as footage of a police car on fire in downtown Atlanta is shown. Interspersed with clips of the artist rapping among protesters is news footage from recent uprisings throughout the country. In the music video for his new top-five protest single, “The Bigger Picture,” hip-hop star Lil Baby zigzags through the streets of his hometown, Atlanta, on a bike during recent protests wearing a Black Lives Matter T-shirt and a face mask that says No Justice No Peace.

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