‘Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby’ Review – Living the American Dream

Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby is a documentary about one of the most successful rappers in Dominique Armani Jones aka Lil Baby, that got his first breakthrough in the music industry in 2017.

Having lived a tough childhood filled with financial problems, the film is about Lil Baby, and how he made a living as a rapper escaping the vicious cycle of the system that is designed for people like him to fail. It is the origin story of the man himself, who became one of the most impactful singers out here by the 2020s.

Dominique Armani Jones was just a kid living in the hood that had to provide for his family by the time he reached 15. Her mother was a single parent, and it was more than hard for the money to come by which resulted in them getting evicted regularly. He was always a sharp kid who identified early on in life that if his family had to sustain itself, he had to step up. So, he joined the crew in the hood and decided to be involved in the drug business. That’s where he was given the name ‘Lil Baby’ because he was the youngest out of the group of adults.

The ‘streets’ made Lil Baby what he is today, even before his rapping career started. He found the drug business to be a quick way to make instant cash, and eventually, he had more than enough money for himself and his family. But what followed next was that he was sentenced to two years in prison back in 2015. Previously he had believed he had made it, but the prison is the place where he realized that he was far from it. When he got out, that’s where his musical journey started, but it meant sacrificing that instant cash flow that had been providing for his family up till now.

The documentary in its way is a testament to his hardships and eventual success, which saw him rise to the top of the ladder. He had the talent in him, but he had never imagined himself making a career out of rapping. He didn’t have the passion for it, but what motivated him was having a life outside the ‘streets’, which aged well given his rise to fame. He had others beside him that always supported him as kept growing as a musician, but not every partner of his made it to the top, some became a cautionary tale.

As raw as the documentary is, it misses providing a few pointers on the things it tries to tell. It documents its hardships decently through, but the runtime is questionable as it can be too casual sometimes, while the direction is not the best. This is the tale of a man who kept improving himself as he fought the injustices of the system to become a rap icon in the industry. I learned a lot of things about his life, and even if the documentary is not the best in the business, his fans can certainly enjoy it. Nothing but respect for the man himself.

Final Score – [5.5/10]
Reviewed by - Devyansh Anand
Follow @AnandDevy on Twitter