BigBabyGucci describes his own music as multidimensional, and it’s a fitting assessment. Across his near-decade-long career, the 27-year-old rapper has experimented with different sounds and scenes, all of these explorations leading up to his new album, Baby 5. Densely produced and lyrically evocative, the project is BigBabyGucci’s opportunity to build a new world around his Baby 5 persona. Ostensibly presented as an alias or a moniker, the concept expands out to include a visual experience not unlike a series of television networks. Inspired by shows like Tyler the Creator’s Loiter Squad, and the long-running sketch comedy program Saturday Night Live, the presentation of Baby 5 will be as if the listener has been stuck in the visual and aural world of Baby 5.

Born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, BigBabyGucci has been working and reworking the theme of his new album to perfection. Baby 5 considers all aspects of his life and career. Being from a Southern region, specifically, has taught BigBabyGucci to appreciate music on a deeper level, which is apparent through his artistic expression. He also had the advantage of visiting his mother’s side of the family in New York as an adolescent, which exposed him to MCs like Big L, MF Doom, and the Notorious B.I.G. But there’s no place like home—BigBabyGucci looks up to fellow North Carolina rapper J. Cole, as well as soul singer Anthony Hamilton, who hails from Charlotte. In May 2024, BigBabyGucci was selected as the visual cover of The Carolinas hip-hop radio station on Pandora. “I’m happy people are looking at North Carolina,” he says. “A lot of kids out there that are like me, that grew up there, it’s not easy to showcase that. Anything I can do to get more eyes on it.”

The youngest son of a mother who was a minister, BigBabyGucci spent a significant amount of time in the church choir. “That was one of the main things that really had me doing a lot of music,” he says. “Once I told my mom I started my career, she believed in me from the get-go.” BigBabyGucci’s older brothers were also music lovers, and collected CDs from the early aughts. Even with this heavy background in music awareness and adoration, BigBabyGucci contends that he didn’t know a future of music making was in front of him. “I fell into it,” he says. “It was like I always appreciated it, but it wasn’t like I always wanted to do music.” As a fan, his palate was eclectic, including an array of artists that ranged from Kanye West to Tame Impala to the Fugees to the Wu-Tang Clan to the Magnetic Zeros to N.E.R.D to 50 Cent. These influences make themselves known throughout BigBabyGucci’s discography, including the multidimensional Baby 5.

“I feel like the project takes you on a ride of really different emotions,” he says. “It has a youthful feeling to it, but it’s still mature. I wanted to basically control how the listener feels instead of just dishing out a bunch of random songs.” Sonically, Baby 5 is a journey through hyper-rap, alternative hip-hop, and R&B. Chronologically, the album transitions from phase to phase, sound to sound, giving fans an opportunity to delve further into each listening experience. “I’m still getting better,” he says. “I’ll always keep the basis of what my music will be or what it is, but I feel like you don’t know what you’re going to listen to once you press play on one of my songs.” Tracks like “Black Sheep” and “Captain Crashout” home in on BigBabyGucci’s penchant for crafting high-energy records, while “Petty Queen” and “Chanel” focus on his ability to appeal to a female audience. Altogether, it’s an experience that feels decidedly like BigBabyGucci. “The music that I actually put out through platforms, it’s like a piece of me,” he says. “That’s how I look at it: It’s not just a song, regardless of whatever the context is. It’s a piece of me.”

In addition to crafting songs that speak to a generation of youth, BigBabyGucci is getting his feet wet in the world of gaming. He grew up playing video games and watching anime and cartoons, and his interest as a child has transformed into an intense passion as an adult creative. “I grew up with a very big imagination,” he says. “I’ve always loved games as a kid up to now. Seeing it become a thing that you can make money off of and become lucrative is crazy because people hated video games back then.” BigBabyGucci has collaborated with companies like SoaR Gaming and NRG, considered some of the frontrunners in the gaming industry. Independently, BigBabyGucci has created his own entity, Better Temperatures Gaming, or BTG, which has already hosted a paid tournament.

Also a culinary aficionado, BigBabyGucci grew up cooking with his mom and watching various shows on the Food Network. “I think one of the first things I wanted to do out of high school was I wanted to be a chef,” he says. “I love cooking. It’s a good way to express yourself, and I love trying and tasting new things.” Even with a plethora of creative outlets, BigBabyGucci still remains tuned into his fanbase, and growing with them. “The legacy I want to leave is to be expressive,” he says. “I try to use a lot of color in my music, a lot of expressions, a lot of imagination, in the things that I choose. I want people to just be expressive and not be scared to be themselves.”