Raised in Las Vegas, he gained recognition in the late 2010s with his contributions to Black Panther: The Album by his cousin Kendrick Lamar, as well as Redemption by Jay Rock, Crash Talk by Schoolboy Q, and The Lion King: The Gift by Beyoncé.

As a lead artist, he first became known for his 2019 sleeper hit single "Orange Soda", which was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Keem signed with PGLang, in a joint venture with Columbia Records, to release his debut studio album, The Melodic Blue (2021).

Met with positive reviews from critics, it peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum by the RIAA; its single "Family Ties" won Best Rap Performance at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.

His collaborations with Kanye West on Donda (2021) and Lamar on Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (2022) earned him two nominations for Album of the Year at the 64th and 65th Annual Grammy Awards, respectively.

[11] Carter expressed disdain for his hometown where "everybody [knew] everybody", and cited its obsolete music scene as a key factor in his decision to move.

[13] Baby Keem attended school and produced music in his Las Vegas bedroom until his breakthrough mixtape, Die for my Bitch, was released.

[15] According to RapTV, the 9-track EP showed traces of Carter's future musical style by "featuring a mix of bouncy, hard beats and slower, emotional cuts".

[7] After emailing a sample of his production to independent record label Top Dawg Entertainment, Carter contributed to the soundtrack album for the superhero film Black Panther (2018) as a producer.

[17] On July 19, 2019, he produced a song for singer Beyoncé's soundtrack album The Lion King: The Gift and released his second mixtape, Die for My Bitch.

[4][47] As a child, Keem recalled listening to Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreak (2008) during a rare snow day in Las Vegas and being inspired by the album's cinematic quality.

[48] Keem self-identifies as part of the Mike Will Made It and Metro Boomin generation of record producers, and derives inspiration from both artists.