Queens drill rapper Bay Swag is set to release his debut album,Damaged Thoughts,on July 25 via UnitedMasters. The project offers a look into the rapper’s personal journey and musical evolution, featuring notable artists such as meek Mill, Quavo, and Young Thug.
Bay Swag’s career gained significant momentum following his appearance on Cash Cobain’s 2024 hit “Fisherrr.” The collaboration, which helped pioneer the “sexy drill” subgenre, propelled Bay Swag into the spotlight, though he was already established within the music industry.
His father, Lloyd “Bay Lloyd” McKenzie, a former party promoter who worked with artists like A Tribe Called Quest and swizz Beatz, has been incarcerated since 2017. McKenzie is serving an 85-years-to-life sentence for a 2012 murder conviction, a charge he maintains he did not commit. Bay Swag addressed his father’s situation in his 2017 track “Saucin,” a song he cites as the turning point in his commitment to his music career.
“My thoughts were damaged a lot from just growing up, seeing the things I’ve seen,” Bay Swag shared in a Rolling Stone interview. “Just having to deal with so much hate and envy.”
Bay Swag is also a member of Christian “King” Combs’ CYN collective and maintains relationships with New York hip-Hop figures like Jim Jones, Juelz Santana, and Jadakiss. Despite his established connections, bay Swag is navigating his own path with Damaged Thoughts, remaining mindful of the industry’s inherent risks, a sentiment underscored by the tragic death of his friend PnB Rock in 2022.
“That fked me up,” Bay swag stated to Rolling Stone. “Being an artist is the most risky st in the world. You gotta post where you’re going to be… S**t crazy, bro.”
The album Damaged Thoughts boasts an impressive lineup of features, including 42 Dugg, Sheff G, Quavo, Kyle Ricch, Young Thug, and Meek Mill, who is featured on the single “Seventeen.”
