Jones was born and raised in the Oakland Cityneighborhood in southwestern Atlanta, Georgia.^[9]He was two years old when his father left the family. His mother raised him and his two sisters. He dropped out of Booker T. Washington High School in ninth grade and committed to drug dealing.^[10]

In early 2012, he was charged for possession with intent to sell, among other charges. In 2013, was charged with possession of marijuana of less than an ounce. In 2014, he was arrested on charges of possession of marijuana with intent to sell, and was incarcerated for two years.^[4][11]

At age seventeen, Lil Baby was a regular presence in the studio of Atlanta-based Quality Control Records as a drug dealer. Label founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee encouraged him to become a rapper, as he felt Baby had "the swag... the lingo, [and] respect around the city".^[10] Fellow rappers Young Thug and Gunna served as Baby's mentors in developing his style.^[12][13] He released his first mixtape, Perfect Timing, in April 2017 with appearances from Young Thug and Lil Yachty.

Another mixtape, Harder Than Hard, followed three months later. In October, he released his third mixtape in six months, 2 The Hard Way, a collaboration with friend and fellow Atlanta rapper Marlo. A fourth mixtape, Too Hard, was released in December, led by his hit single "Freestyle" and accompanying music video. It was certified gold by the RIAA in February 2020.

With his career gaining momentum, Baby released his debut studio album, Harder Than Ever, in May 2018. It debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200.^[14] The album was supported by the singles "Southside" and "Yes Indeed" (with Drake), the latter peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100. "Life Goes On" featuring Gunna and Lil Uzi Vert charted at 74 on the Billboard Hot 100.^[15]

Lil Baby formed his own label, 4 Pockets Full(initialized 4PF) in 2017.^[16][17] Rappers 42 Duggand Rylo Rodriguez are signed to the label. In 2023, the label was renamed to Glass Window Entertainment.