Hykeem Jamaal Carter Jr., born October 22, 2000, records as Baby Keem. Born in Carson, California, and raised between Long Beach and Las Vegas largely by his grandmother, he started producing at 13 and bought his first home recording setup at 15. He first drew notice through production and writing credits on Black Panther: The Album and Beyoncé's The Lion King: The Gift, then broke out as an artist with the 2019 single "Orange Soda." He signed to PGLang, the company founded by his cousin Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free, in a joint venture with Columbia, and released The Melodic Blue in 2021. The album reached number five on the Billboard 200, and its single "Family Ties" with Lamar won Best Rap Performance at the Grammys. His second album, Casino, followed in 2026.