Grammy-nominated rapper Lil Baby is making waves in his hometown, not just with his music but with his latest venture – a seafood restaurant called The Seafood Menu Restaurant and Lounge.
The Atlanta native is using his influence to bring jobs and shine a light on black businesses in the community he grew up in.
“I feel great,” Lil Baby said at the restaurant’s opening. “It definitely means a lot to me, not only because I come from these neighborhoods, but just for like neighborhoods all around the world. I just want to make my impact more than just music.”
The rapper is not alone in this endeavor. His sister, whom he refers to as his business partner, plays a crucial role in the restaurant’s day-to-day operations.
“Every business I have, my sister’s involved in. So she like runs the day-to-day. Of course, I can’t be here on a day-to-day and make all this stuff happen, so my sister definitely has a lot for me,” he explained to 11Alive.
Lil Baby joins a growing list of Atlanta Hip-Hop artists who have ventured into entrepreneurship, a fraternity he’s proud to be a part of.
“It’s always been my dream to have one of those like to be a part of that,” he said. “Not even about making money or something like that, but just have something in the city and community,” Lil Baby explained.
The rapper hopes his example will inspire others in his community, showing them there’s always a better way. As for why he chose to open a seafood restaurant, Lil Baby said it was filling a market gap.
“There’s not a seafood restaurant in this area. So that’s what we came up with, seafood. I had this spot for a long time before I even decided what we were gonna make it. We came up with seafood,” he explained.