Chris Brown and Lil Baby are two of the biggest names in hip hop and R&B today. With hits spanning over a decade, Chris Brown is a veteran in the game, while Lil Baby has quickly risen to stardom in recent years. But who would come out on top in a Verzuz battle? Let’s take a deep dive into their careers, stats, and discographies to determine who would go first in a head-to-head matchup.
Chart Success
When it comes to commercial success, Chris Brown has the edge. He has been a fixture on the Billboard charts for his entire career, starting with his 2005 debut single “Run It!” which topped the Billboard Hot 100. Across his career, Chris Brown has notched:
– 14 No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200
– 58 top 40 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, with 15 of those reaching No. 1
– Over 100 million albums sold worldwide
Lil Baby doesn’t quite have the longevity yet, with his career really taking off in 2017. However, he’s quickly made up ground:
– 2 No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200
– 25 Hot 100 hits, with 1 No. 1 (“The Bigger Picture”)
– Over 15 million albums sold
While Lil Baby is catching up, Chris Brown clearly has had more chart dominance so far.
Awards
In terms of awards, Chris Brown also has a substantial lead. He has won:
– 1 Grammy Award
– 14 BET Awards
– 6 Billboard Music Awards
– 4 American Music Awards
– 4 Soul Train Music Awards
Lil Baby has started racking up honors but doesn’t quite match Brown’s accolades yet:
– 0 Grammy Awards
– 4 BET Awards
– 1 Billboard Music Award
– 0 American Music Awards
– 0 Soul Train Music Awards
Chris Brown’s 15 year career gives him the awards edge. However, Lil Baby is quickly gaining ground.
Social Media
When it comes to social media, Lil Baby actually overcomes Chris Brown:
Artist | Instagram Followers | Twitter Followers |
---|---|---|
Chris Brown | 64 million | 14 million |
Lil Baby | 27 million | 5.4 million |
While Brown still beats Lil Baby on Instagram, Baby has a much bigger global fanbase and social presence in 2023. This gives him an advantage in the streaming and social media landscape today versus Brown’s career peak around 10 years ago.
Musical Style and Influence
Chris Brown and Lil Baby both make hip hop, R&B and rap infused music. However, their individual styles differ.
Chris Brown first broke through with his smooth R&B vocals and slick dance moves. While he incorporated rap into his music, he was primarily known as an R&B crooner with a classic R&B and pop style. His biggest hits like “Run It!” and “Forever” showed off his Michael Jackson-inspired hooks and choreography.
Lil Baby came up as part of Atlanta’s rap scene, associated with Quality Control Music. His image and music is signature trap – lyrics focused on the drug trade, women, and street life over hazy, muted beats. Hits like “Freestyle”, “The Bigger Picture” and “Yes Indeed” display his laidback Southern flow.
While both artists collaborate with rappers and have crossover appeal, Chris Brown leans more R&B and pop while Lil Baby is trap through and through.
In terms of influence, Chris Brown has inspired artists like Trey Songz, Usher and Justin Bieber. Lil Baby is part of the influential crew of rappers coming out of Atlanta like Migos, Future and Young Thug who have defined trap music. Lil Baby’s pretty traditional style hasn’t necessarily spawned any copycats yet.
So while Lil Baby may be more “in style” currently as a trap artist, Chris Brown seems more unique and groundbreaking as an artist.
Controversy
Both artists also have significant personal controversies that have affected their careers.
In 2009, Chris Brown infamously assaulted his then-girlfriend Rihanna, leaving her hospitalized. While he pled guilty to felony assault, he was able to make a career comeback. However he’s been involved in other violent incidents over the years, along with drug charges and legal issues that have hurt his reputation.
Meanwhile, Lil Baby has his own history on the wrong side of the law. He served two years in prison on drug charges before going into music. And in 2022, he was arrested during a traffic stop for allegedly attempting to bribe the police.
So both have criminal records that could affect their likeability. However, Brown’s violent attack of Rihanna makes his controversy significantly greater. It casts a shadow he still struggles to escape from today.
Discography
With 15 years under his belt, Chris Brown simply has a lot more material to draw from. Overall Brown has released:
– 9 studio albums
– 3 mixtapes
– 68 singles
– 9 video albums
– 132 music videos
Lil Baby’s catalog is impressive considering his few years in music, but much smaller:
– 3 studio albums
– 13 mixtapes
– 31 singles
– 1 video album
– 34 music videos
Brown has double the amount of studio albums and over twice as many singles to perform. This gives him an advantage in a Verzuz format based off discography hits alone. While Lil Baby has classics already under his belt like “Yes Indeed” and “The Bigger Picture”, Brown has 15 years of hits to play with like “Look at Me Now”, “Loyal”, “No Guidance” and “Run It”.
Depth of catalog favors CB.
Conclusion
With over 15 years of hits under his belt, Chris Brown simply has a deeper vault of material and chart success. He also edges out Lil Baby in terms of awards and acclaim, having won a Grammy and countless other honors. His iconic hits have made a massive cultural impact, while influencing countless artists.
However, Lil Baby is one of the hottest rappers out right now in hip hop. His laidback flow, catchy trap beats and slick lyrics define the Atlanta sound today. While Brown’s career has been marred by controversy, Lil Baby is catching up quick in terms of public reputation as well. And he actually exceeds Brown when it comes to social media presence in 2022, showing his resonance with today’s generation.
Overall though, Chris Brown’s extensive career and discography is hard to match. While Lil Baby is hugely popular, his run has been relatively short up until now. Brown has the advantage and likely would go first in a Verzuz battle supported by over a decade of hits. But Lil Baby has time on his side. As he releases more albums and songs, he may eventually be able to go toe to toe with Brown in a Verzuz style face off down the line. For now, the edge goes to Chris Brown. But don’t count Lil Baby out for holding his own in the future as one of hip hop’s reigning stars.