Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby

> After I got locked up again, my perspective changed. America has a system in place and it’s designed for us to fail. It’s a trap. I couldn’t go back to prison. I became an artist with something to say and people to stand for.
>
> Lil Baby

***Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby*** is a documentary film directed by Karam Gill and produced by Quality Films, MGX Creative, and 4PF. It narrates the rise of American rapper Lil Baby, including never-before-seen footage and insight to his personal life. It was released on August 26, 2022, as an exclusive on Amazon Prime Video. It features commentary from Young Thug, Gunna, and Drake.

## Synopsis

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* 2

An intimate look at the life of Grammy®-winning rapper Dominique Armani Jones (aka Lil Baby) as he navigates his meteoric rise from the West Atlanta streets to the top of the Billboard charts with his roles as devoted father, son, community philanthropist and powerful voice in the fight for racial justice. Told through previously unseen footage and set to a soundtrack of his biggest hits.

Grammy-winning rapper Lil Baby has been one of the world's most impactful artists since his first release in 2017. *Untrapped* tells his story, and details his meteoric rise to become the most dominant name in the rap game. While still a teenager, Baby— known to friends and family as Dominique Armani Jones— was one of the most notorious figures in the streets of West Atlanta, before he was arrested and sent to prison. After his release in 2016, he faced a hard choice: Return to the fast money of the streets, or take a chance that his charisma and untested talent could bring him success as a rapper. In 2020, his second album, *My Turn*, was the year's top seller across all genres of music. Today, Lil Baby is a devoted father to his two young boys and a powerful voice in the fight for racial justice and police reform. *Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby* chronicles the astonishing rise of a singular artist and activist, and explores the systemic oppression that keeps far too many people of color from participating in the American Dream.

## Background

On June 11, 2022, the documentary premiered at Tribeca Film Festival in New York City, followed by a six-song set performance by the rapper. Gill noted, "This project has been in the works for several years now, during some of the most difficult times our country has faced. I couldn't be prouder of the entire filmmaking team and the continued collaboration between Quality Films and MGX Creative to create another meaningful project that sheds light on larger societal issues. Lil Baby is someone who truly defied the odds, and I hope his story can bring positivity into our world."

On July 13, 2022, Lil Baby unveiled the official trailer. He said in a press statement, "I'm blessed to be able to tell my story and have people care to hear it. This film is a real look into my journey, and if it inspires even one person to believe that they can get through hard stuff and dare to follow a dream, then it was worth every penny spent and hour worked. My story is many people's story, and I'm excited to share it."

## Critical reception

*Untrapped* received generally favorable reviews from critics. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 80% approval rating from critics based on 5 reviews. Peyton Robinson, contributing for *Roger Ebert*, wrote, "is teeming with respect and admiration, rather than the simple curiosity and fascination (and clout) that motivates less impactful biopics." He believed there to be issues with pacing, though applauded the content, which "manages its topics well, creating seamless transitions among its biographical aspects and its political pointers." Johnny Loftus of *Decider* penned in favor, "the narrative thrust here is more moody, more thoughtful, and generally more personal than so many of docs of its ilk."

Will Dukes of *Rolling Stone* positively assessed, "Lil Baby radiates a sense of compassion that makes him seem all the more relatable [...] makes us feel thrilled to witness his unbelievable journey." Todd Jorgenson said, "provides moments of insight and inspiration" and added, "Although director Karam Gill (G-Funk) is too selective about private details and glosses over pretty much anything controversial, the result should connect with fans." Paul Attard was less impressed, opining, "flirts with greatness in its initial stretch, but soon frustratingly settles into lionization and depthless narrative." *NME*'s Luke Morgan Britton summarized, "The telling of Baby's early life is illuminating. It offers his lived experience as well as an insight into the historical background of oppression and inequality in the US to show how the rapper—a childhood “genius” who would ace exams even though he never showed up to class—would eventually be incarcerated by the age of 20."

## Personnel

### Cast

* Lil Baby
* Young Thug
* Gunna
* Drake
* Pierre "P" Thomas
* Kevin "Coach K" Lee
* Ethiopia Habtemariam
* Lashawn Jones
* Loyal Armani
* Jason Armani
* Maurice Hobson
* Mohawk
* Charlamagne tha God
* Charles Holmes
* Tony Andrews
* Britney Davis
* Sean Berube
* DJ Jeff Duran
* Lil' Marlo (archive footage)
* DJ Akademiks (archive footage)
* DJ Envy (archive footage)
* Rob Markman (archive footage)
* Ari Melber (archive footage)
* Yara Shahidi (archive footage)

### Crew

* Dominique Jones – producer
* Pierre "P" Thomas – producer
* Kevin "Coach K" Lee – producer
* Daniel Malikyar – producer
* Andrew Primavera – producer
* Blase Biello – producer
* Darien Dash – co-producer
* Brian Sher – co-producer
* Sam Neidenbach – production design
* Beatrice Ho – production manager
* Zach Gelman – post-production supervisor
* Nick Cox – re-recording mixer
* Justin Lebens – sound designer
* Justin Lenoir – re-recording mixer / supervising sound editor

Camera* Joshua Charow – cinematographer
* Joseph "Jo" Choi – first assistant camera
* Joe Laponis – key grip

* Tatyana Batalova – digital intermediate editor
* Paulina Burmer – post-production coordinator
* Asa Fox – colorist
* Mark Kornweibel – post-production executive
* Michael Mahaffie – consulting editor
* Emily Ventura – assistant editor
* Donté Buchanan – music coordinator
* Justin T. Feldman – music supervisor
* Adam Ruedas Del Rio – Composer: Additional Music / Musician: Guitar
* Chaya Zabludoff – music coordinator
* Lisa Callif – clearance counsel
* Neha Nagavalli – production coordinator
* Lance Toomer – production coordinator

## References

1. ↑ Muhammad, Latifah (August 26, 2022). "'Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby': How to Stream the Prime Video Documentary for Free". *Billboard*.
2. ↑ Armstrong, Megan (June 12, 2022). "5 Things We Learned at Lil Baby's 'Untrapped' Tribeca World Premiere". *Billboard*.
3. ↑ Lee, Cydney (June 13, 2022). "Lil Baby Documentary 'Untrapped' to Stream Exclusively on Amazon's Prime Video". *Billboard*.
4. ↑ Griffin, Marc (July 14, 2022). "Lil Baby Liberates Himself in Amazon Prime Teaser for 'Untrapped: The Story Of Lil Baby'". *Billboard*.
5. ↑ Robinson, Peyton (August 26, 2022). "*Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby*". *Roger Ebert*.
6. ↑ Loftus, Johnny (August 26, 2022). "Stream It or Skip It: 'Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby' on Prime Video, Where the Atlanta Rapper Confronts Fame, Fatherhood, and Becoming a Voice for Change". *Decider*.
7. ↑ Dukes, Will (August 29, 2022). "'Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby' Is All About Unstoppable Charisma and Real Compassion". *Rolling Stone*.
8. ↑ Jorgenson, Todd (August 26, 2022). "Capsule Reviews for Aug. 26". *Cinemalogue*.
9. ↑ Attard, Paul (August 30, 2022). "*Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby* — Karam Gill". *In Review Online*.
10. ↑ Britton, Luke (August 25, 2022). "'Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby' Review: An Illuminating Look at a Rap Superstar Striving for Change". *NME*.

Template:Lil Baby videography