The song was written by Lil Baby, alongside its producers, Section 8, and Noah Pettigrew. The song begins with keys, a soundbite taken from the news detailing the George Floyd protest in Minneapolis, and chants from Black Lives Matter protesters, chanting "I can't breathe". Lil Baby then starts rapping, venting over a hard, clicking drum clap and a dramatic and "haunting" piano riff. Riley Runnels of Paper noted "The chorus dictates what protestors are fighting for is 'bigger than Black and white'. It's deep-rooted, it's systematic and it's going to require a lot of time to change". However, Lil Baby continues with optimism, rapping "But we gotta start somewhere". With the line, "Corrupted police been the problem where I'm from, but I'd be lying if I said it was all of them", Lil Baby references the heated sentiment that all police officers are racist oppressors. Charles Holmes of Rolling Stone summarized the song and its concept:
Critical reception
Riley Wallace of HipHopDX called the song and video "powerful" and appraised it as "a protest anthem that manages to strike even more poignantly by not inherently branding itself as such". Riley concluded that Lil Baby seamlessly articulates "the frustration, confusion, and innate call to stand up for something much bigger than himself". Miki Hellerbach of Euphoria magazine opined that "while Kendrick Lamar's voice was the sound of the Mike Brown/Eric Garner/Freddie Gray protests with his song 'Alright', it seems clear why Lil Baby is the sound of now". Hellerbach stated Lil Baby seems to center and ignite the listener simultaneously, and "in the hook, he raps poignantly through his vulnerability and motivation": "It's a problem with the whole way of life/ It can't change overnight, but we gotta start some where/ Might as well gone 'head start here". In a highly positive review, Charles Holmes of Rolling Stone said "The Bigger Picture" "isn't a protest song, it's a song shaped by protest", praising Lil Baby's storytelling skills: "Baby's main talent has always been his avoidance of obfuscation in favor of a direct address". Tom Breihan of Stereogum deemed it "a stirring and ultimately optimistic song", and said he "honestly found it pretty moving". Billboards Jason Lipshutz deemed it "the biggest modern protest song".
On its first day of release, "The Bigger Picture" reached number-one on both the US and global Apple Music charts, while reaching number three on US Spotify. "The Bigger Picture" debuted at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Lil Baby's highest-charting song, surpassing "Drip Too Hard", which peaked at number four in 2018.
Music video
The video was released on the same day as the song and takes place at the Black Lives Matter protest in Lil Baby's hometown of Atlanta. The video shows Lil Baby standing among other protesters, raising his hand in solidarity and wearing a Black Lives Matter t-shirt. It also features footage of nationwide protests from the previous two weeks over the killing of George Floyd, who died in police custody after an officer kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
