NEWS
Some of the most amazing Hip Hop breakthroughs are the ones that nobody saw coming from a mile away. Take Lil Baby, who is now one of the most recognizable faces in modern rap. However, before his meteoric rise to fame, becoming a rapper wasn’t even on his radar. Nonetheless, when he caught the musical bug, he caught it big. In his first year on the scene, a hungry Lil Baby released four mixtapes, kicking off his career with Perfect Timing. The rest, they say, is history.
A befitting title for the project, the mixtape set things in motion for the rapper quite seamlessly. Perfect Timing marked its sixth anniversary in April 2023, and over the years, it has grown on some fans. While it may not be Lil Baby’s best project as a solo act, it evidently marked the genesis of his career. For that alone, it is an important project in his discography. Why? Because without Perfect Timing, there would be no Lil Baby. While there’s some new music on the way, it’s necessary to travel back to the early days.
Before recording his debut mixtape, Lil Baby invested some time in learning how to rap. His label boss, Coach K, had told him he had the makings of a hip-hop star, but he had no prior experience rapping. As such, he had to get into the flow and build himself up in the art of rapping. He famously sought out the help of fellow rappers Gunna and Young Thug to teach him. The two rappers mentored Lil Baby and helped him carve out his unique style.
Evidently, Baby was a natural, and grew at an incredible pace, learning and catching up in no time. Fresh out of prison in 2017 after spending two years for drug and weapons charges, Baby was ready to transition from the streets to the booth. He released Perfect Timing on April 14, 2017. On the reason for the title, he shared that he got out of prison at "the perfect time.”
On Perfect Timing, Lil Baby recruited several renowned Hip Hop producers to handle the album’s sonic direction. 808 Mafia, Earl The Pearll, and OG Parker, among others, shaped the production and emphasized the gritty sound that became synonymous with Lil Baby's early catalog. Moreover, Earl The Pearll had the most production credits on the mixtape, appearing on three tracks: “Rider,” “Grindin,” and “Racks In.”
Furthermore, on Perfect Timing, Lil Baby featured an impressive lineup of rappers. Gunna, Young Thug, Skull-E, Lil Yachty, Yogi, Duke, and Young Scooter all had guest appearances on the mixtape. Some standout tracks on Perfect Timing are “100 Round,” ft. Lil Yachty, “Rider,” ft. Young Thug, and “Our Year,” ft. Gunna.
Although his message sometimes doesn’t cut through as clearly as his later works, Lil Baby showcased honesty and vulnerability on this project. He rapped earnestly about his challenges, fears, and lifestyle, relating to his audience and gaining their trust. Overall, Perfect Timing has heart and set the stage for Lil Baby's rise to stardom.
Even though it was raw, Perfect Timing was apathetically received. The production earned praise but still, he was gaining his footing in the rap game. Comparatively, the rapper’s flow, lyrics, and delivery were still considered shaky and self-doubting. Nonetheless, the mixtape helped to push him into the public’s consciousness and garner some buzz along the way. Thankfully, he capitalized on this and continued to improve through a prolific mixtape run which morphed him into the mainstream star he is today.
Presently, Lil Baby is widely considered one of the most influential voices in contemporary Hip Hop. The release of Perfect Timing was a turning point for the rapper and set his life and career on a very bright path. Six years after its release, one can agree that the rapper is miles ahead in terms of artistry today. However, while Perfect Timing has its flaws, for Lil Baby, it certainly dropped at the right time.
NEWS
It has been just over seven months since Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce revealed their engagement through an Instagram post that quickly went viral.
Since that announcement, both stars have stayed extremely busy with their careers. Swift dropped her 15th No. 1 album on the Billboard 200, The Life of a Showgirl, in October, selling an impressive 4 million equivalent album units. Around the same time, Kelce confirmed he would return to the Kansas City Chiefs for his 14th NFL season earlier this month.
Even though they have both expressed excitement about organizing their wedding, their current focus remains on their professional commitments.
“I’m just doing the album thing now,” Swift shared during an October interview on The Graham Norton Show after Norton asked whether wedding preparations had started. “And then I think the wedding is after that.”
After Swift and Kelce made their first joint awards show appearance at the iHeartRadio Music Awards on March 26, curiosity about their wedding plans has started building again.
People close to the couple, often referred to as the Tayvis circle, have mostly stayed quiet about any confirmed plans. Kelce’s mother Donna Kelce declined to comment when approached by a photographer at LAX about whether she would help with the planning. “I’m just happy. I’m so happy for them,” she said.
At the same time, Swift’s future sister in law Kylie Kelce, who is married to Travis’ brother Jason, asked listeners on her Not Gonna Lie podcast on April 2 to stop asking for insider information. “Quit asking me and my mother in law [Donna] about upcoming nuptials,” she said directly to viewers. “Nobody’s f—ing telling you anything.” She continued by saying, “I don’t have any details. I have no details. I have none. Look at that. That’s how many details I have. None. None.”
While Donna and Kylie have chosen to stay private, a handful of people within the couple’s inner circle, including Taylor and Travis themselves, have occasionally shared small insights about the wedding.
Here is what has been revealed so far about the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce wedding.
Swift is interested in having the ceremony in another location
During an interview on BBC Radio 1, host Greg James thanked Swift for supposedly inviting him to the celebration, joking that although he usually avoids destination weddings, he would gladly attend hers. When he asked where she might hold the event, Swift kept things mysterious, replying, “I’m going to let you know at a different time.”
The guest list could be very large
If you are hoping to receive an invitation to the Tayvis wedding, there might actually be a chance.
During an October 2025 appearance on The Graham Norton Show, Swift joked that Norton would eventually find out when he asked whether the wedding might take place in 2026. She clarified that she plans to invite him along with practically everyone she has spent time with.
“I know it’s going to be fun to plan because I think the only stressful weddings are the ones where you have a small amount, and people are on the bubble,” Swift said. “And you have to evaluate or assess your relationship with them to see if they should be there. I’m not going to do that.”
She added, “Anyone I’ve ever talked to.”
Watch the full clip below.
A live band will probably provide the music
It appears the couple is leaning toward live performers rather than a DJ.
On a September episode of the Kelce brothers’ New Heights podcast, guest Jimmy Fallon asked Travis whether they had begun thinking about wedding details.
“Are you gonna do DJ or band? Are you thinking about all this stuff?” Fallon asked.
Kelce answered by sharing their preference, saying, “Yeah, I think we’re live music kind of people, you know?”
Although he likely would not be the only performer, Swift hinted in an October interview with Hits Radio that her close friend and collaborator Ed Sheeran could perform during the celebration.
“It’s like, ‘Ed, if there’s a stage, you know that you’ll be on it,” Swift said. “He knows what people want and he wants to give people what they want.”
The wedding could happen before summer ends
Fans hoping for an autumn themed ceremony might be disappointed, as the couple may be considering a summer timeframe.
During a January 2025 episode of New Heights, recorded months before the engagement, Kelce explained why fall weddings can be difficult due to the football season.
“I actually don’t know people who have gotten married in the fall,” he said. “All the weddings I’ve been to, and all my friends do it in the summer.”
If they do move forward with a wedding this year, it may happen before the end of the summer. Kelce recently confirmed he would return to the Chiefs for another season, partly inspired by Swift’s dedication to her work. ESPN reporter Nate Taylor also mentioned that Kelce “plans to marry [Swift] before training camp,” which begins July 22. If they want to avoid conflicts with football, the ceremony would likely need to happen before that date.
Invitations may not have been sent yet
Even with speculation pointing toward a summer ceremony, no confirmed date has been publicly shared, and even people close to them say they are unsure.
In a September interview on SiriusXM’s Small Stage Series, Ed Sheeran said he had not yet received a save the date. He also mentioned that he found out about their engagement through Instagram just like everyone else.
“You didn’t even get a DM in advance?” host Andy Cohen asked.
“No,” Sheeran responded.
More recently, Kylie Kelce said during a January appearance on Today with Savannah Guthrie that she had no idea whether the wedding would happen this year.
“I’m not gonna lie,” Kylie admitted when discussing how little she knows about the plans.
Kylie also repeated that she has no inside information during an appearance on the podcast Conversations With Cam. “I would love to give you all the details. I don’t have them,” she said after host Cam Rogers asked what fans should expect from the wedding.
