If there’s one thing we know, it’s this: Black Love is Fatherhood. Nowhere is that more evident than in the visual memoir Father Noir. Now in its fifth year, Father Noir is the brainchild of Black Love co-founder Tommy Oliver—a filmmaker, photographer, and father of three boys who knows firsthand how crucial visibility is for reshaping the narrative around Black fatherhood.

All month long, we’re highlighting some of our favorite fathers who are doing just that: showing up with love, presence, and pride. Today, we’re talking about none other than Compton’s own, YG.

When most people think of YG, they picture the swaggering rapper behind hits like My N***a, Who Do You Love?, and Big Bank. He’s unapologetically West Coast, a product of Compton’s grit and glory, and a defining voice in modern hip hop. But behind the bars and bravado is a man whose proudest role doesn’t play out on stage—it plays out at home, with his two little girls: Harmony and Vibe.

Yes, the man who helped bring Bompton to the mainstream is also a girl dad through and through.

Harmony and Vibe, his daughters with ex-girlfriend Catelyn Sparks, are still in elementary school—10 and 6 years old—and already center his world in the most grounding way. In a sweet moment that went viral last year, YG was spotted taking his girls out for a fancy dinner at Craig’s in West Hollywood before the first day of school. Harmony was getting ready to start 5th grade, and Vibe was heading into 1st.

That’s the kind of dad he is: proud, present, and invested in the milestones that matter.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the world slowed down, YG got the kind of uninterrupted time with his daughters that many parents dream about.

“You’ve got to look at it like, Okay, I’m going to take this time and I’m going to invest in myself, invest in my family. So that’s what we’ve been doing,” he told Vogue in a 24 Hours profile. 

Even though he’s got platinum plaques and a packed tour schedule, fatherhood is never far from his mind. In an appearance on Big Facts with REVOLT, he got real about how becoming a dad has shifted his entire perspective. What’s beautiful about seeing YG in this light is that it breaks open a fuller, more nuanced picture of who he is. He came up in a tough environment. He lost friends. He rapped about it honestly. But through fatherhood, he’s learning to be soft in a world that doesn’t always allow Black men that privilege.

When he posts videos of his daughters dancing in matching outfits, playing tennis with tennis great Naomi Osaka, or even just their little hands wrapped around his, it’s a reminder that Black love is a radical act. Father Noir was born from the idea that we need to see more of this. 

Whether he’s putting his daughters to bed, taking them to school, or flying them out for family vacations, YG is doing the work. Not just the visible work, but the emotional work too—reflecting, adjusting, and growing in real time.

“I’m around her,” the rapper shared with Vulture about his daughter. “ She lives with me so I make sure I go the extra mile. I do the extra s**t, a lot of times, just to make sure my daughter … she knows who daddy is; she knows what’s up.”

And that’s what Father Noir is all about.