Online hate won’t stop Alabama Barker from becoming a rapper.
After Travis Barker’s younger daughter shared a clip of an unreleased rap song on TikTok last week and faced backlash for stepping into the genre, she once again took to the social media platform to defend herself with a deleted video.
“I’m sick of people saying I didn’t know anything about rap music, I didn’t grow up with rap music, I was nothing,” 17-year-old Alabama said in the clip, which was previously viewed by PEOPLE. pulled down. “So let’s take a little field day into my life, because you guys know that very well.”
He showed off a photo of him as a little boy next to Nicki Minaj during the opening location of his father with “Super Bass” rapper and Rick Ross during Lil Wayne’s I Am Music II Tour in 2011.
“So, the first thing I would point out is this lap. This lap was when I was about 5 years old,” Alabama recalled. “[I was] At the age of 5, he watches his set every day. I knew every word of the song.”
Next was a photo of him posing with Wayne, followed by the single cover for “Gimme Brain” by Travis, Wayne, and Rick Ross. “Another song I knew by heart when I was 5,” he said. (The piece actually dropped in 2019, when Alabama was about 13.)
“It’s another proof for pudding because I didn’t grow up with ‘rap music,'” he said, showing a photo of Travis and Wayne posing together.
“When Rihanna shot ‘Umbrella’ or one of her songs, I went to her music video, I think — well, another song I love,” Alabama continued, speaking next to a photo of Travis and Rihanna recording a 2007 remix. Single. (He also met Rihanna at the 2017 Grammy Awards.)
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He then showcased a tour poster for Blink-182 and the Lil Wayne Tour that took place in 2019. “Then, when I was a little older, this was another tour I took. It was Blink and Wayne,” Alabama said. “When I was 11, I used to watch the Wayne show every night.” (She was actually 13 when the tour took place.)
Later in the video, Travis’ Kid Ink, Ty Dolla $ign, Tyga and Iamsu! a photo taken at a Wiz Khalifa concert as a kid, followed by a photo with A$AP Ferg.
“This is us at dinner with Asap Ferg and my dad,” he said of the second photo. “I was also a huge fan of his music and knew every word of half of his songs.”
This was followed by photos of him posing with Steve Aoki, Justin Bieber, and Pharrell Williams, during which he said, “It wasn’t just rap music.”
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Alabama later responded to criticism about her style, especially the long and colorful nails she’s been sporting lately. “It was in 2012 so everyone would say to me, ‘Oh, he wants to put nails on now’, ‘He thinks he’s this, this and that,'” explained an old photo of his nails.
Rap performances were also featured at many of his birthday parties, as DRAM remembers Lil Yachty, Trippie Redd, and others who have been involved in their celebration over the years.
“I was in the music industry because I could walk. I was watching my dad perform in punk bands, rock bands, rap concerts, everything,” Alabama said. “I mean, ‘Oh, he doesn’t know anything about rap music. Rap didn’t grow around music. Why is he doing this? Why is he doing this?’ Throughout my upbringing, I was influenced by rap and punk rock.”
I know I am privileged and for that I am thankful and blessed. It is not right for people to make fun of or disrespect any culture. Just keep moving and stop commenting.”
Last week, Alabama shared a clip of him lip-syncing a part of a rap song – and followers immediately noticed that the sound was authentic.
“But listen to who you’re talking to / I’m Alabama, get to know me, I can sp-z you,” Alabama rapped to the audio while mimicking words in real time. TikTok video.
Alabama also rapped about a seemingly ordinary romantic relationship alongside the fragrance Van Cleef and Baccarat in the 40-second clip.
“Treat me like your mom, drop me on a designer, ice me up like a kid, I’m freaking out / You know the type of energy, don’t treat me like a 10 / You better not text me, treat your ex like your enemy.”
The clip continued, “You know you got me / I’m walking around, you’re right next to me / You feel it on me.”