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NBA YoungBoy and the Music Industry’s Unseen Stars

By Sheldon Pearce

Only two artists have released No. 1 albums in each of the last three years. The first is Taylor Swift , who has as many Album of the Year Grammys as any soloist in history. (Her peers in that category are Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, and Paul Simon.) The other is a twenty-two-year-old performer who goes by NBA YoungBoy. (The “NBA” stands for “Never Broke Again.”) His hit records include “AI Youngboy 2,” “Top,” and “Sincerely, Kentrell.” But, despite his achievement, shared with one of the most widely recognized pop artists of all time, YoungBoy remains broadly unknown.

YoungBoy is a disciple of Baton Rouge hip-hop stars such as Boosie Badazz and the late Lil Phat, and his sound isn’t a dramatic departure from the rap music of the moment. His music is trap-adjacent, bounce-heavy, and Auto-Tuned, and his nasally singsong voice intensifies into a snarl. With his professed fervor for retaliation, YoungBoy has earned a rep as a single-minded aggressor, but his more confrontational songs are blunted by a soft side. He also has a seemingly inexhaustible work ethic—he has released nineteen full-length solo projects in just under seven years. Since 2017, he has secured four Recording Industry Association of America-certified platinum albums and mixtapes, along with nine platinum singles, six of which went multiplatinum. By most numerical benchmarks, YoungBoy is among the most successful artists working today. Why doesn’t it feel like it?

YoungBoy is one of the most extreme cases of a recent developing phenomenon: invisible music stardom. It is easier than ever to be a hit by all of the industry’s standard performance metrics and still go unnoticed by the general public—to have an enormous following that barely registers within the wider pop-culture ecosystem. This occurrence is, first and foremost, the by-product of a streaming infrastructure that uses a plays-per-song model to approximate record sales—a system that allows artists to bypass the old display stand, even if they risk anonymity. But it also illustrates a gap between what is promoted and what is popular.

The music industry has always had its unlikely cult favorites, but only in the streaming age can an artist enjoy similar success to pop stars and have little to no cultural footprint beyond the community that is tuning in. (There are artists putting up smaller numbers than YoungBoy who are considered more in vogue: critical favorites such as Vince Staples , Freddie Gibbs, and Phoebe Bridgers , or off-center pop stars like Lana Del Rey .) At least some of this is because of streaming’s intangibility. When the industry was built on physical sales, an artist big enough to get a million CDs shipped out to stores was guaranteed a natural level of ubiquity, and an entire marketing apparatus existed to make such artists and their projects visible. Although we can imagine CDs stacked high, collected streams feel a bit like matrix code.

In 2014, as physical album sales dipped below streaming for the first time, the Billboard 200 premièred a new formula for measuring music consumption. The metrics, which have been updated through time, attempt to approximate digital units as album sales: track equivalent albums ( TEA ), for example, counts ten song downloads from the same album as a single album sale, whereas streaming equivalent albums ( SEA ) counts 1,250 premium streams, or 3,750 free streams, from the same album as a single album sale. In 2019, video streams were added into the equation. The tracking of physical sales hasn’t changed, but, these days, such sales make up only ten per cent of all music revenue.

For a little while, it seemed as if music streaming could democratize the listening experience, and become a direct pipeline to the mainstream for unlikely stars and artists from foreign markets. As streaming rose, so did Black music’s metric standing: nearly a third of all 2020 audio streams, for example, were hip-hop and R. & B. (And nearly thirty-four per cent of video streams came from the same genres.) K-pop acts such as BTS and BLACKPINK have benefitted from streaming platforms’ playlist framework, and the music-sharing site SoundCloud gave bedroom artists such as Billie Eilish and Post Malone a megaphone to reach a national audience overnight. But there remains a colossal gap between megastars and D.I.Y. music creators. Data collected in 2020 revealed that ninety per cent of streams go to the top one per cent of artists. Artists like YoungBoy find themselves somewhere in the middle: they have carved out a share of the streaming pie, but it hasn’t resulted in any discernible cultural saturation.

In 2020, YoungBoy made nearly as much as Taylor Swift did in streaming revenue, according to Billboard . (The difference is that streaming revenue accounted for nearly all of his revenue for the year, and less than half of hers.) Similarly, the bluesman Florida rapper Rod Wave, whose last two albums débuted at No. 1 and No. 2 on the charts, made his big splash in 2020 without selling a single physical album, thanks to video streams (which accounted for twenty per cent of his streaming plays). In a year with limited touring, both YoungBoy and Rod Wave made gains as some of music’s top earners. Their success is largely owed to one of the industry’s most under-recognized platforms: YouTube .

Though Spotify remains the dominant music platform in terms of subscriber numbers, YouTube has a far bigger reach, and, in September, 2021, YouTube Music, the company’s music-only streaming service, passed fifty million subscribers , up twenty million from the previous year. (This marked a significant gain on competitors like Apple Music and Amazon Music, which have more than seventy-eight and sixty-eight million subscribers, respectively, according to recent estimates. However, Spotify is still way out front, with a hundred and seventy-two million paid subscribers.) YouTube, which has lenient upload limits and allows musicians to collect revenue on both video and audio streams, has become something of a haven for niche artists with huge, devoted fan bases, especially rappers and Latin-music performers in genres such as reggaetón. Late rappers such as Juice WRLD and Young Dolph, embattled provocateurs such as Kevin Gates and Kodak Black, and regional phenoms such as Lil Durk and Moneybagg Yo are headliners on YouTube Music and its chart, mixed in among superstars such as Ed Sheeran and the Weeknd .

YoungBoy, who has dominated YouTube’s music space for the last several years, is the kind of artist that the algorithm loves—consistent and prolific, generating feed for endless playlists. He routinely appears atop the platform’s “Top Artists” chart , which tabulates views across official music videos, live performances, remixes, user-made videos, album songs, and collaborations. Most of YoungBoy’s own videos are low-budget; many feature the artist by himself, rapping directly into the camera. One of YoungBoy’s video directors, LOUIEKNOWS, has said that the rapper has no release strategy other than to simply churn out content, just as any other YouTube vlogger or influencer does.

There’s an unsavory edge to the rapper’s stardom, too. YoungBoy has a long rap sheet, which includes aggravated assault with a firearm, in 2017, and an attack on his girlfriend that was caught on camera, in 2018. He was in jail when his 2021 album, “Sincerely, Kentrell,” dethroned Drake from the Billboard 200. But none of this has stopped the rapper from reaching his listeners. One clear by-product of direct-to-consumer streaming, especially on platforms such as YouTube and SoundCloud, is that artists can circumvent controversy and cultural gatekeepers who might attempt to police them out of the public sphere. YouTube, in particular, has several attributes that make it attractive for contentious cult favorites such as YoungBoy: a low barrier to entry, a built-in social mechanism, and a community feature that promotes content directly to fans. YoungBoy, then, provides a blueprint for other backlash-prone artists: ignore the mainstream apparatus entirely, and upload straight to your supporters.

The fans, in turn, have earned their own notoriety. In keeping with the rapper’s own reputation, YoungBoy’s supporters have become known for being defensive and territorial. That their artist of choice is so underappreciated is part of the appeal: they wear their aggrievement like a badge of honor. The memes portray these fans as belligerent, bringing unnecessary hostility to everyday tasks—they are aggressive not only in their fandom but in everything they do. An exchange on Twitter from April, 2020, sums up the dynamic perfectly. One user reposted a video mocking the passion of YoungBoy fans, suggesting that they jog, eat, and park their cars with gratuitous antagonism. Another responded, “Who the hell is youngboy.”

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NBA Youngboy

NBA Youngboy, also known as YoungBoy Never Broke Again, is one of the most popular and controversial rappers of our time. Born Kentrell DeSean Gaulden on October 20, 1999, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, NBA Youngboy had a rough upbringing marked by poverty, violence, and tragedy.

Despite the many challenges he faced, he channeled his experiences into his music, which has resonated with millions of fans around the world. In this article, we will take a closer look at NBA Youngboy’s life and career, exploring his early years, rise to fame, personal struggles, and impact on the music industry.

Table of Contents

Whether you’re a die-hard fan or just curious about this young artist, read on to discover the story behind the man and the music.

• NBA Youngboy Net Worth And Career

NBA Youngboy’s childhood was marked by tragedy and hardship. He was raised in a poverty-stricken neighborhood in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where violence and crime were rampant. His father was incarcerated when he was just a toddler, leaving his mother to raise him and his four siblings on her own. Unfortunately, his mother struggled with drug addiction and was frequently in and out of jail, leaving the children to fend for themselves.

Early Life and Background

Family background.

NBA Youngboy’s family background was also marred by tragedy. His grandfather, who was a prominent community leader in Baton Rouge, was shot and killed in his own driveway when NBA Youngboy was just a young boy. This event had a profound impact on him and would later inspire some of his music.

NBA Youngboy’s childhood was characterized by instability and poverty. He often had to move from place to place, staying with various family members or in shelters. He dropped out of school in the 9th grade and turned to music as a way to cope with the challenges he faced. He started rapping at the age of 14 and quickly developed a talent for writing and performing.

Despite dropping out of school at a young age, NBA Youngboy has talked about the importance of education and the impact it has had on his life. In an interview with The FADER, he said, “I didn’t finish school, but I learned a lot on my own. I read a lot of books, I studied a lot of things. Education is important, no matter what.”

Despite his difficult childhood, NBA Youngboy has persevered and become one of the most successful young artists in the music industry today. His early life experiences have shaped his music and given him a unique perspective on the world, which has resonated with fans around the globe.

Music Career

NBA Youngboy’s music career began in his early teens when he started rapping and writing his own songs. He released his first mixtape, “Life Before Fame,” in 2015, which gained him a small following.

Early music career

In the years that followed, NBA Youngboy continued to release mixtapes and build his fanbase. He gained a reputation for his raw and emotional lyrics, which often touched on themes of violence, poverty, and loss. His music quickly caught the attention of major labels and in 2017, he signed a deal with Atlantic Records.

Rise to fame

NBA Youngboy’s rise to fame was meteoric. In 2018, he released his first major-label album, “Until Death Call My Name,” which debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200 chart. He followed this up with a string of successful singles, including “No Smoke,” “Outside Today,” and “Genie.” His music videos also gained millions of views on YouTube, helping to solidify his status as one of the most popular young artists in the game.

Major albums and songs

Since his debut, NBA Youngboy has released a number of successful albums and mixtapes, including “AI Youngboy 2,” “Top,” and “Sincerely, Kentrell.” He has also had several hit singles, including “Kacey Talk,” “Bandit,” and “Lonely Child.” His music has been streamed billions of times on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, and he has amassed a huge following on social media.

Collaboration with other artists

NBA Youngboy has collaborated with a number of other artists throughout his career, including Juice WRLD, Lil Wayne, DaBaby, and Juice WRLD. He has also been featured on songs by other artists, such as Quando Rondo’s “I Remember” and Lil Tecca’s “All Star.”

Record label and management

NBA Youngboy is currently signed to Atlantic Records and is managed by his mother, Sherhonda Gaulden, who has been with him since the beginning of his career. He has also worked with other managers and producers, such as Birdman and Cash Money Records.

Despite his success, NBA Youngboy’s career has not been without controversy. He has faced legal issues, including charges of assault and weapons possession, and has been involved in feuds with other artists. However, his fans remain loyal and continue to support him through it all.

Personal Life

While NBA Youngboy’s music has made him a household name, his personal life has also been the subject of much scrutiny and controversy.

Legal issues

NBA Youngboy has had several run-ins with the law throughout his career. In 2016, he was arrested on charges of first-degree murder, but the charges were later dropped. He has also been arrested for assault, weapons possession, and drug charges. In 2021, he was arrested in Los Angeles on an outstanding warrant from a previous arrest in Louisiana.

Relationships and family

NBA Youngboy has been open about his relationships and family life. He has six children with five different women, including Yaya Mayweather, the daughter of boxing legend Floyd Mayweather. He has also been romantically linked to several other women, including Jania Bania and Dej Rose Gold. His relationships have often been the subject of controversy and drama.

Social media presence

NBA Youngboy is known for his active presence on social media. He has millions of followers on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, where he frequently posts updates about his music and personal life. He has also been known to use social media to engage with his fans and address controversies surrounding his career.

Despite the controversies that have surrounded him, NBA Youngboy’s music and personal life continue to captivate fans around the world. His raw and emotional lyrics have resonated with a generation of young people, and his personal struggles have made him a relatable figure to many.

Legacy and Impact

NBA Youngboy’s impact on the music industry is undeniable. He has become one of the most popular and successful young artists of our time, and his music has inspired a new generation of rappers.

Influence on the music industry

NBA Youngboy’s music is known for its raw and emotional lyrics, which often touch on themes of violence, poverty, and loss. He has been praised for his ability to connect with his fans on a deeply personal level and for his unique style and sound. His influence can be seen in the work of other young rappers, who have been inspired by his music and his story.

Fanbase and popularity

NBA Youngboy has amassed a huge fanbase around the world. His music has been streamed billions of times on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, and he has millions of followers on social media. He has sold out concerts and tours, and his popularity shows no signs of slowing down.

Awards and recognition

NBA Youngboy has been recognized for his contributions to the music industry. In 2020, he was named one of the Forbes 30 Under 30 in music. He has also been nominated for several awards, including BET Hip Hop Awards and Billboard Music Awards.

NBA Youngboy’s legacy will undoubtedly be shaped by his music and his personal story. He has overcome incredible obstacles to become one of the most successful young artists in the game, and his music has inspired a generation of fans. Whether he continues to make music or not, his impact on the industry and on the lives of his fans will be felt for years to come.

NBA Youngboy has come a long way since his early days as a struggling rapper from Baton Rouge. He has become one of the most popular and influential young artists in the music industry, and his music has resonated with fans around the world.

NBA Youngboy’s current status

As of 2023, NBA Youngboy is currently facing legal issues and is in the process of dealing with those. He has not released new music since his 2021 album, “Sincerely, Kentrell.” However, his loyal fanbase remains supportive and eagerly awaits his next release.

Future projects and plans

Despite his legal troubles, NBA Youngboy has hinted at future projects and plans. In a recent interview, he spoke about his desire to explore different genres of music and to collaborate with other artists. He has also expressed interest in pursuing acting and other creative ventures.

Only time will tell what the future holds for NBA Youngboy. But one thing is certain – his music and his story have left a lasting impact on the industry and on the lives of his fans.

• Original Content

NBA YoungBoy's Career: Becoming One Of The Industry's Most Successful Rappers

NBA Youngboy's rise from the streets of Baton Rouge to hip-hop stardom has been anything but smooth.

NBA YoungBoy's career as a rapper is changing the hip-hop game. Widely touted as one the hardest workers in hip-hop, the Louisiana-born MC has been releasing music like clockwork over the past few years. Astoundingly, YoungBoy has already put out three albums in 2023 alone. His latest mixtape, Richest Opp , has him set to join Future and Drake for the third-most Top 10 rap albums. This is especially impressive, considering he's merely 23 years old.

For most rappers, an over-saturation of music would be a death sentence for their career. However, YoungBoy has garnered a fanbase that's along for the ride regarding his repetitive output. At this point, his reputation for releasing a new project every few months is one that fans have become accustomed to. As a result, his studio albums and mixtapes continue to debut in the Top 5 on the Billboard charts.

NBA YoungBoy Turned To Music As A Child

NBA YoungBoy's early life was full of trouble surrounding run-ins with the law. Named Kentrell Gaulden, he began to turn to his pen as a child to process the chaotic world around him. Growing up in an impoverished area of Baton Rouge, his father was absent throughout his upbringing. He was surrounded by drugs and violence daily, an experience he's lyrically chronicled throughout his career. Dropping out of high school in the ninth grade, YoungBoy was forced to fend for himself from a young age.

The rapper's music began to gain significant traction as early as 2016. After releasing numerous mixtapes on YouTube and Soundcloud, he garnered attention from the surrounding Baton Rouge community. This would quickly morph into industry-wide exposure. Releasing multiple albums throughout 2016, a 16-year-old YoungBoy even included artists such as Kevin Gates and 21 Savage on Before I Go and 38 Baby. By 2017, NBA YoungBoy's career had taken off through the breakout mixtape AI YoungBoy . Hit tracks such as "Untouchable" and "No Smoke" solidified him as a mainstream force, with his textbook-rapid flows blowing up across the Internet.

Legal Troubles During Fame

However, NBA YoungBoy's troubling childhood circumstances have followed him throughout his catapulting music career. He's had to balance constant court cases with music creation throughout his fame. In 2016, he was arrested for attempted first-degree murder in connection to a drive-by shooting in Baton Rouge. In 2018, he was arrested for kidnapping and assault in an incident involving his once-girlfriend. Once again, he was arrested in 2021 for illegal possession of firearms.

Due to his constant troubles with the law, YougnBoy has spent much of the past half-decade under house arrest. However, the unfortunate circumstance has yielded some benefits for the understated MC. With nothing much to do but create music, the past five years have seen him build up his catalog to over 25 mixtapes and five studio albums. Ironically, his legal struggles have enabled him to hone in on his rap career.

A Shift While In Utah

In addition, he's taken advantage of the quiet time in the hopes of becoming an inspiration to younger generations. In an interview with Billboard , YoungBoy spoke about his time under house arrest in Utah. The isolation and chance to reconnect peacefully with his family have positively influenced the rapper. In the long term, he plans to buy more land there. YoungBoy also stated that he's most looking forward to "change." He added, "I'm very curious of the person who I shall become."

On all accounts, collaborators with NBA YoungBoy have had nothing but good things to say about the MC throughout his career. In 2021, he earned a spot on Tyler, the Creator's Call Me If You Get Lost . His verse off of "Wusyaname" stole the show on the song, with the hip-hop audience being shocked at his ability to flow over a soul-based beat. Tyler shouted out YoungBoy during a show back in 2021, simply stating, "He's such a sweetheart." YoungBoy has also released collaborative mixtapes from artists such as Birdman , Moneybagg Yo, Rich the Kid, and DaBaby .

He's Looking To Rebirth His Image

In retrospect, NBA Youngboy's career is one of persistence and dedication. Overcoming childhood obstacles, there's no doubt that his lack of direction would contribute to legal troubles later in life. However, we're beginning to see a more mature and measured YoungBoy as he enters his mid-20s. Solidifying himself as one of the biggest names in hip-hop, it will be interesting to see if he continues his constant music output over the next few years. With his success when diving into other hip-hop styles, there's no doubt that fans wouldn't mind a more experimental record that took YoungBoy longer to complete. However, he's inspired other rappers to stay consistent with their releases .

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Nba youngboy is incisive, introspective, and next in line for greatness.

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YoungBoy Never Broke Again Was Almost Ready to Play the Game

YoungBoy Never Broke Again sat down for a very rare interview and prepared himself to turn over a new leaf. Then everything unraveled again.

NBA YoungBoy poses for his Complex interview. Photo by David Cabrera

It’s a breezy day in late September, and YoungBoy Never Broke Again has just secured his second No. 1 album of the year. But you wouldn’t be able to tell that from the empty expression on his face as he emerges from a black SUV in Times Square. 

Manhattan is rarely as still as it is on this afternoon, a bittersweet result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. And on a quiet stretch of West 43rd Street, YoungBoy’s crew files out of the vehicle, looking for clues about where to go next. YoungBoy doesn’t budge, standing still for a few moments as he surveys his surroundings. 

The moment of reflection is broken when the 21-year-old superstar is spotted by a group of pedestrians, motivating him to duck into the lobby of Complex’s office building. Riding the elevator a few minutes later, it’s clear YoungBoy has walls up. Protected by the physical barrier of his clique standing around him, he also shields himself by staying quiet and avoiding conversations with anyone outside his inner circle. He keeps these guards up as he walks through the building and methodically makes his way to a dressing room. By the time he sets foot in the office, he still hasn’t uttered a single word.

A small camera crew is putting the finishing touches on the set for today’s photoshoot, but a 10-minute wait quickly grows to an hour because YoungBoy hasn’t settled in just yet. He’s waiting to get a shape-up, but that plan falls apart when his barber tries to sneak a selfie without YoungBoy’s permission. He usually requires outsiders to surrender their phones before being in his presence, but the message hadn’t been relayed to the barber this time. “You can’t be doing that, man,” a member of YoungBoy’s crew whispers outside the dressing room. 

YoungBoy refuses to work with the barber, so a substitute is called to take his place. While they wait, YoungBoy and his crew isolate themselves in the dressing room, only opening the door for bathroom runs and business calls. With his publicist’s blessing, he agrees to let me enter the room and sit beside him on the sofa for a quick conversation.

Photo by David Cabrera

Keeping up with YoungBoy Never Broke Again, born Kentrell DeSean Gaulden, has always been an extreme sport. Since he entered the game in 2015, the Baton Rouge, Louisiana, artist has established himself as one of the most successful and prolific rappers of his generation, garnering a cult following and more than 8 million subscribers on YouTube. He has now tallied a total of 47 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the same as J. Cole, Sir Paul McCartney, and Prince. And he’s accomplished it all without conforming to industry standards. YoungBoy constantly avoids media opportunities, awards shows, public appearances, and drawn-out album rollouts. His personal life, full of arrests and headline-grabbing controversy, has been just as eventful as his music career, but he barely speaks about it on the record. 

It’s not that he doesn’t like the press, he tells me. He just isn’t “into all of that mentally.” 

“I ain’t got patience,” he elaborates, his voice barely louder than a whisper. 

Following the incident with the barber, YoungBoy has settled back into his status as the most stoic person in the room. As he waits for a replacement barber to arrive, he slouches on a sofa, blowing billows of weed smoke at the ceiling and occasionally looking over his shoulder to see what’s happening each time his crew bursts into laughter. 

When I point out that he seems calm and patient, YoungBoy responds in a telling manner.

“Yeah, for now,” he mutters. “For now .” 

When you spend any amount of time with YoungBoy, you begin to realize that, at any given moment, his peace is only seconds away from being broken. It happened with the barber, and it will continue to occur throughout my attempts at interviewing him over the next three weeks.

{ "id": 133859180 } “I’m happier now. I’m deadlier now.”

YoungBoy is currently under investigation for allegedly assaulting a man at Texas studio. In 2018, he was arrested before a concert at a Tallahassee, Florida, nightclub over allegations of assault, weapons violations, and kidnapping. Hotel surveillance footage leaked shortly after his arrest, showing YoungBoy body-slamming and dragging his then-girlfriend Jania through the hall. In 2016, U.S. Marshals arrested YoungBoy in Texas, charging him with two counts of attempted murder for a shooting that occurred in Baton Rouge that November. District Judge Bonnie Jackson, who handled his attempted murder case, openly lectured YoungBoy in court about his criminal behavior, citing music as a vehicle for “normalizing violence.” She handed him a suspended 10-year prison term and three years of supervised probation. A judge terminated his probation in December 2019. 

Though YoungBoy is clearly still dealing with his own demons, he says he doesn’t want to be a villain. Even the act of sitting down for a formal interview is a sign that he’s beginning to reconsider his relationship with the public. At one point, midway through our conversation, he turns to his publicist and asks for reassurance. “Am I doing OK?” 

“I’m on to a new chapter and a new level,” he tells me. “I’m a CEO. I’m a big boss and shit. I’m happier now. I’m deadlier now.” Reflecting on how he’s changed over the past year, he adds, “I think I’m growing up. I’m just more comfortable here. I’m having a better understanding.” 

YoungBoy doesn’t disclose exactly what is contributing to his current happiness, but a scroll through his Instagram feed prior to its deactivation would suggest his children play a big role. He has six kids, and in September, it was revealed that he’s expecting another child with Yaya Mayweather, the daughter of former professional boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. Before his account was deleted, he often posted snippets of moments with his sons, and in the music video for “Death Enclaimed,” which was released on Father’s Day, YoungBoy shared intimate snapshots of himself dancing and taking his kids to the beach. “Tired of fucking ’round with groupies/Four lil boys and two lil girls and they mine,” he raps on the record.

View this video on YouTube

The biggest constant in YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s life is his habit of flooding the market with new music. On average, he drops two to three projects a year. And in 2020, even during a pandemic that has slowed releases for most artists, he has already dropped two albums, a mixtape, and a compilation project. He hints, however, that his prolific habits are beginning to change.

“I don’t record a lot—not no more,” he reveals. “I used to, though.” He says he previously recorded every day, usually making “at least five songs a day.” But now, he’s only averaging five songs each month. 

“I used to have fun with it,” he explains. “It grew out of fun to kind of being like a job now. Everything in the middle, outside of making music, is fun. I started taking it serious for the money point of it.”

The appetite for YoungBoy’s music hasn’t wavered, though. Many of his core fans are “lifers” who have been on this journey with him since early mixtapes like 2015’s Life Before Fame and 2016’s 38 Baby . And a staggering percentage of them consume his music on YouTube. YoungBoy routinely uploads new music to his channel long before it makes its way to other streaming platforms, and he’s developed a bigger and more devoted audience on YouTube than any other artist in the world. He is currently the most-watched musician on YouTube Music’s chart across all genres, surpassing major recording artists like Drake, Eminem, and Justin Bieber. As of October 22, he has spent 193 weeks on the platform’s Top Artists chart in the United States, routinely accumulating over 40 million views each week.

“My fan base was established there first, and that’s where they know they can get my music first-hand,” he says, giving an astonishingly simple explanation for his record-breaking success on YouTube.

At this point in the conversation, a member of YoungBoy’s entourage jumps in and offers the word “crazy” to describe the rapper’s loyal followers. 

“Watch your mouth,” YoungBoy demands with a glare. “[My fans are] very supportive, strict, protective, and amazing.”

{ "id": 133859178 } “I used to have fun with it. It grew out of fun to kind of being like a job now.”

His friends chuckle, remembering instances in which his fans have been a little too passionate. “Watch your mouth,” YoungBoy warns again. “Because you ain’t going to say nothing about me in front of them.” 

YoungBoy says he tries to avoid looking at fan reviews of his music online, but he makes a point to clarify that he makes music to feed his family and his followers. His latest album, Top , was a gift to his fans, after all. The 21-song project arrived on Sept. 11, only four months after his mixtape, 38 Baby 2 . The album was recorded in just one month, although he incorporated a few records he had tucked away in the vault. 

“Some of them songs I already had,” he explains. “And then, towards the end, I got to just recording more. It wasn’t just all working on it until towards the end.”

Asked to describe his creative process in the studio, YoungBoy gives a one-word answer.

Pushed to elaborate about when he actually finds time to record, his answer is similarly abrupt.

“After I wake up.”

When YoungBoy decides he doesn’t want to talk, he doesn’t talk.

He also doesn’t write, noting that instead of penning lyrics, he heads straight to the mic and lays vocals directly into Pro Tools. "Then I know when the song is finished,” he says, summing up his recording process. “I just know when I'm finished with a verse. You learn strategies. You learn to just record as you record."

Top sold over 126,000 album units in its first week, accumulating more than 153 million on-demand streams in the United States in just seven days. But YoungBoy says he doesn’t actively think about making chart-topping music when he’s in the studio. 

“I don’t be trying to make hits,” he explains. “When I was little, I used to try. But it is some different shit that comes with a song being a hit now, I guess. It’s natural.” Feeling no pressure to land on the Billboard charts, YoungBoy says his only goal for releasing Top was “to be ratchet.” 

“Ratchet as fuck ,” he stresses. “And all the way me.”

Throughout the album, YoungBoy leans into his complicated and temperamental personality. And although he flexes his lavish lifestyle, his lyrics largely focus on his violent tendencies and the trauma he’s experienced. “Seven murders in my hometown, tell the bitch I did that,” he spits on “Dead Trollz.” On tracks like “Peace Hardly,” he takes aim at his perceived enemies, rapping, “I can barely get peace hardly/Lie like they all in/I see all these people just wanna scheme, I just wanna be.” 

Everyone he raps about on Top can fit into one of two categories. You’re either a friend or a foe, and the majority of people in YoungBoy’s life end up falling into the latter group. Battling enemies on the outside and within is a constant struggle, but when I ask him if there are people in his life he can lean on as he navigates those challenges, YoungBoy puts his wall back up.

Is there anybody in the industry who has been really helpful or supportive of you?

Thrown off, he responds, “What makes you ask something like that?”

His tone isn’t as angry as it is confused. He retreats, turning his attention to others in the room. It’s always difficult to decipher exactly what YoungBoy is thinking, but right now he looks sad and his head is hung low.

“You’re way off with that,” he mumbles. “I don’t even know how to answer that.”

YoungBoy’s guarded reaction seems to reflect a feeling of isolation from the rest of the music industry. He’s putting up bigger numbers than almost anyone else in rap right now, but he’s always seemed to operate outside the bounds of hip-hop’s in-crowd. He famously avoids interviews and is rarely seen at awards shows or other industry events. He also has a habit of getting entangled in beefs with other rappers. In April, Kodak Black reignited his feud with YoungBoy by joking about his girlfriend at the time, YaYa Mayweather, being arrested for stabbing the mother of one of his children. Two months later, YoungBoy exchanged heated words with Rap-A-Lot Records CEO J. Prince over Twitter, after the mogul publicly claimed he helped YoungBoy retrieve stolen items after burglars broke into his home. 

Now, YoungBoy says the challenges he’s experienced over the years have influenced his outlook on life, noting that ongoing “battles” he has with himself have played a role in shaping who he is today. It’s also likely hardened him to the point that he’s always on the defensive. But as we finish our conversation, he sounds hopeful.

“At first, I feel like it took a long time [to get to this point in my life], but as I really sit and think about it, it didn’t really take that long,” he says. “I always thought that I was fucking up in life, for a long time. But I had to realize that I was never fucking up. I was just always learning and growing. I was always winning. I was never losing.” 

YoungBoy Never Broke Again breaks his concentration to see what his crew is talking about in the corner of the room. Ending our conversation prematurely, he joins in the discussion, which is growing louder by the second. It’s one of the few times YoungBoy really seems to unwind, revealing a sharp sense of humor as he cracks jokes at the expense of one of his friends. 

The replacement barber still hasn’t shown up yet, so YoungBoy reluctantly agrees to step into the photo studio for a few test shots, although he isn’t happy with the way his hair or clothes look. He doesn’t stay long. Less than five minutes later, he exits the studio and rushes to the elevator without a goodbye.

Our 20-minute conversation was intended to be the first of several throughout the day. Prior to the interview, I had been warned that YoungBoy takes time to warm up to strangers, and it would be in everyone’s best interest if he were eased into the conversation. Keeping that in mind, I saved questions about his domestic violence charges and other ongoing criminal cases, with the intention of asking them during our second, more private sit-down, scheduled to take place at a recording studio.

The next day, YoungBoy is supposed to return to Complex’s office for a reshoot after spending the morning shopping for a new outfit. Three hours after the shoot is scheduled to begin, however, he still hasn’t arrived, and neither his manager nor publicist can locate him. Finally, his publicist returns with an update, saying that “something happened” while YoungBoy was shopping. I’m told he’s in a “bad mood” and has no interest in keeping his appointments for the rest of the day. Not long after the shoot is formally canceled, grainy footage is shared on Instagram, revealing that YoungBoy’s crew was involved in an altercation with a group of people at the mall.

YoungBoy leaves New York City and our in-person interviews and photoshoots are canceled. His publicist promises a secondary interview on Zoom, but within a week, his legal issues multiply. On Sept. 28, he was arrested on felony drug and firearm charges along with 16 other people. A representative for YoungBoy released a statement at the time of his arrest, saying, “Kentrell Gaulden is innocent of the crimes he was arrested for yesterday evening. He did not possess any firearms nor did he possess any controlled dangerous substances.” 

In the coming weeks, repeated attempts at scheduling follow-up interviews fall apart, as YoungBoy continues to deal with legal concerns. As recently as Oct. 26, his name showed up in headlines again when it was revealed that he and some of his crew members are currently being investigated by law enforcement officials in Texas, following an alleged assault against a man in the garage of a studio which took place less than two weeks after we spoke. 

As I think back on our day together, following a month of subsequent altercations and arrests, one memory stands out. Explaining why he was finally ready to sit down and do formal interviews, YoungBoy told me, “I’m on to a new chapter, new level, so it’s time to start a lot of things. We’re supposed to be in here and make it count.”

YoungBoy understands the opportunity that lies in front of him right now. Throughout our conversation, he showed a desire to take control of his personal life, and seemed open to participating in activities that would help his career. 

Right now, though, the circumstances surrounding the controversial 21-year-old rapper stand in the way of him taking that leap.

“I ain’t got patience.”

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Essay Example - NBA YoungBoy's Harmonious Hip-Hop: Breaking Stereotypes and Uniting Fans

Contemporary hip-hop music has risen to resist traditional modes of music. Featuring young, conventional, digitized singing and performance, this type of music has gained more popularity, especially in the young generation than any other known music genre. Hip-hop music has also come out as the music that accentuates a lot of creativity. Whether in the recorded version or live performance, hip-hop artists tend to add their creativity to any work they do. In this regard, it is important to understand how one can analyze this genre of music by looking at different dynamics, including an artist's performance and the general effect on the view of a music genre

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2020 has been a relatively concert-less year owing to the outset and fast-paced spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of this year's performances have primarily comprised drive-in shows that occurred some months back. However, this was not the case when NBA YoungBoy hit the stage in Orlando, Florida. Kentrell DeSean Gaulden, famously known by his stage name NBA YoungBoy, has been active in the hip-hop music industry for more than half a decade. YoungBoy has already won the hearts of many hip-hop fans as a young rapper, both in his concerts and online media. By 2016 he had already risen to be one of the coveted mainstream hip-hop artists.

Hip-hop music is often associated with lots of violence, feuds, dingy profanity, and actions. Although YoungBoy is sometimes viewed differently from other hip-hop artists, he has forged links with charity and, in many cases, spotted assisting people in his locality – his case is not different. The rapper has often engaged in feuds with other artists, including Lil Durk and Daniel Hernandez (also known as 6ix9ine). Consequently, many will agree that YoungBoy is a suitable subject for hip-hop music analysis because he depicts a hip-hop artist's many different characteristics.

On December 5, 2020, NBA YoungBoy staged a fantastic performance in Orlando. The performance was his first since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The music concert rated 18+, had the tickets go for about $80, and attracted many hip-hop fans, who gathered together to celebrate this performance after months of staying on lockdown due to Covid-19. The event was one of the scheduled Men's Closet Anniversary Party.

In this concert, YoungBoy performed most of his hit songs, including Around, Dirty Stick, Dead Trollz, Murder Business, Drug Addiction, Cross Roads, and Red Eye (Street Fame Forever. The most touching moment in this event was when the artist performed Quando Rondo's End of The Story. The revelers appeared excited at the move since, back in 2018, Rando and YoungBoy's security teams were involved in an altercation. The decision to perform this song highlighted YoungBoy's brave step to show that music is not all about feuds, as observed in many hip-hop scenarios.

Hip-hop music is usually characterized by an accentuated stage with lots of flashy strobes and disco lights. YoungBoy's performance was not different. The raised platform marked with many color-changing lights gave the revelers an excellent view of the whole concert, with the lights shifting to fit the mood of the song performed. Still, the performance introduced a new thing rarely seen in hip-hop. The revelers decided to light up the atmosphere using their phones' flashlights (Street Fame Forever). Apart from depicting solidarity, this act showed love and harmony in the hip-hop music industry.

In hip-hop, the main difference between an artist's live performance and their recorded songs is normally the tone. For instance, during the performance, YoungBoy sang in a high-toned voice, whereas he often used a shallow tone in the studio version. Generally, hip-hop artists are fond of adding creativity to everything they do. For instance, as noted in YoungBoy's performance, the artist added some words that were not in the songs' original versions. Besides, in other cases, he made the music sound different from the original.

YoungBoy's concert indicated that he and Rondo two no longer had a misunderstanding and that they had forgotten the past and hence could work together in a friendly way. While I may not be a staunch hip-hop fan, YoungBoy's performance proved that no matter how bad the situations may appear or how critical the relationship between people may appear, there is always a brighter side to everything. I learned that if people can decide to put their differences aside and come together in one accord, they can achieve more than their expectations.

In brief, the performance was an amazing experience. While hip-hop music shares links with many unbecoming behaviors such as smoking, feuds, drugs, robbery, and weapons, NBA YoungBoy's performance in Orlando highlighted something different. Certainly, the words used in most of the hip-hop music lyrics are dirty, and in no situation can an individual imagine that hip-hop can bring solidarity. Still, YoungBoy, through his performance, brought out something rarely seen in this genre. Above all the misunderstandings and fear surrounding the COVID-19-infested world, the artist proved that hip-hop music could bring people together in solidarity, peace, and harmony.

Works Cited

Street Fame Forever. “Live Concert NBA YoungBoy.” YouTube, 6 Dec 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUlKUGwkSm0.

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NBA YoungBoy: Everything You Need To Know About The ‘I Ain’t Scared’ Rapper

NBA YoungBoy, also known as YoungBoy Never Broke Again, was was recently arrested in Los Angeles. Learn more about his life and career.

Between a prolific career and scandalous run-ins with the law, NBA YoungBoy can’t help but make headlines these days. The promising young rapper was the third most-streamed artist of last year and is showing no signs of slowing down in 2021 (unless his legal issues persist).

NBA YoungBoy has attracted plenty of unwanted attention for his questionable behavior. Despite that, he’s also amassed a legion of fans for his style and flow. An obsessive cult following has sought info on every facet of his life: What is NBA YoungBoy’s net worth? What is NBA YoungBoy’s height? Who are NBA YoungBoy’s kids? We’ve got all the intel you need on the hip-hop star, including details about his most recent arrest.

NBA YoungBoy Is An Incredibly Talented Rapper With A Massive Following

NBA YoungBoy, also known as YoungBoy Never Broke Again, was born Kentrell DeSean Gaulden on October 20, 1999, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was mainly raised by his maternal grandmother; his father is currently serving a 55-year prison sentence for a robbery gone wrong.

“I come from a rare place,” he told The Fader . “It’s a different culture, different atmosphere, police crooked. Different emojis, and when I say emojis I mean personalities.”

YoungBoy began writing lyrics at the age of seven, hoping to follow in the footsteps of his mom (Sherhonda Gaulden was briefly a rapper and currently performs stand-up comedy.) But he dropped out of school by ninth grade, saying, “I wanted to be a rapper and I couldn’t focus and do that… I really felt like I wasn’t smart enough, so what the f–k I’m there for?”

Instead of attending class, he picked up a microphone from Walmart and never looked back. Ever since he released his first mixtape in 2015, NBA YoungBoy has had 49 Billboard Hot 100 songs. He also has 9.24 million subscribers on his YouTube channel. Fans flock to it in hopes of catching his latest release. After all, NBA YoungBoy churns out new singles at high speed. His lyrics are praised and criticized in equal measure—fans say they’re real, and haters say they glorify street life.

Take the 2020 track “Lil Top”, in which he raps, “I’m full of Xanax, all my brothers rollin’ with me, yeah (they rollin’ with me) / I’m up and focused, probably blow if you come near me playin’ / Got all my pockets filled with hundreds, doin’ the murder man (let’s go) / The biggest boss, ride through the North, I keep my gun in hand (gun in hand).” Check out the music video below to listen to the whole song:

How Many Kids Does NBA YoungBoy Have?

YoungBoy isn’t just a rapper—he’s also a father with some very unusual circumstances. At 21, he’s currently responsible for seven children born to six different baby mamas.

His oldest child, son Kayden, was born on July 14, 2016. The child’s mother is YoungBoy’s ex-girlfriend, who only goes by the name Nisha.

His son Taylin, the product of a one-night stand with a woman named Mia, was born less than a year later on March 19, 2017.

Kamiri, his son with Starr Dejanee, was born on July 6, 2017.

On February 13, 2019, he welcomed another son, Kacey Alexander Gaulden , with social media influencer Jania Meshell.

YoungBoy returned to Nisha around June 2020 and welcomed his first daughter, Armani, into the world. But by Thanksgiving, he had a second girl, Kodi, with Houston actress Drea Symone.

In January 2021, he and Iyanna Mayweather (daughter of Floyd Mayweather ) announced the arrival of Kentrell Jr.

If that was tough to follow, imagine what his baby mamas go through. Mayweather once famously lost control of her emotions and attacked a woman who was caught with YoungBoy at his home. She stabbed her multiple times and was arrested for felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon .

What Is NBA YoungBoy’s Net Worth?

NBA YoungBoy is said to have a net worth of $6 million. He’s not afraid to spend it, either! In a 2017 Fader profile, he said he never wears the same outfit twice. He also showed up to the interview dressed head-to-toe in designer labels: Comme des Garçons, Balmain, Raf Simons.

It’s not all about flexing, though. YoungBoy’s friends and family are his priority. He is known to take care of his entourage and bring them wherever he goes. “I make sure they know all of us,” he said in 2016 . “I ain’t gon’ overshadow nobody.”

He also confessed that being the breadwinner was a lot of pressure—especially after he was facing jail time for his role in a 2017 drive-by shooting .

“Everybody depend on me,” he said. “I can’t f–k up. I ain’t the only person that I’m hurting. If I was given a billion dollars to do life in jail, I’d do it and give that sh-t to my fam.”

How Tall Is NBA YoungBoy?

NBA YoungBoy is said to be 5’8″ tall , putting him in the same category as Eminem, Kanye West, and the late Mac Miller.

He’s Recently Made Some Fresh, New Tracks

For as much music as he makes, YoungBoy is selective about his work. In March 2021, The Source reported that the rapper had turned down multiple promising opportunities. First, he allegedly ghosted J. Cole during a planned recording session. Then, he declined a collaboration with Apple Music’s 2020 Artist of The Year, Lil Baby.

Instead, YoungBoy went off and did his own thing. In February, he released the audio for “Toxic Punk.” Even without a music video, the clip has had over 13 million views on YouTube. In March, he released a video for the single “I Ain’t Scared.” Perhaps it was a message for fans, and that he knew bad things were on the horizon?

NBA Youngboy Was Recently Taken Into FBI Custody

Eleven days after the release of “I Ain’t Scared,” YoungBoy was arrested and taken into FBI custody in Los Angeles.

The arrest involved a dramatic pursuit. YoungBoy refused to stop his car for police and later fled on foot. He was finally apprehended with the help of a K-9 unit.

His arrest was related to an outstanding federal warrant. YoungBoy was one of 16 people arrested in September 2020 during a music video shoot in Baton Rouge. Police believed that a .45 pistol and a 9mm handgun they found belonged to the rapper.

YoungBoy is charged with one count of illegal possession of firearms by a felon, and possession of an unregistered weapon. According to TMZ , his attorney denied that any of the guns belonged to his client. However, if proven otherwise, it spells trouble for YoungBoy, who is on probation for aggravated assault.

In October 2021, NBA Youngboy was released from custody. As reported by TMZ , the judge gave Youngboy the option of offering either $1.5 million in property or $500k in cold hard cash for bail. No matter what choice he made, it’s still a pretty penny.

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50 Inspiring NBA YoungBoy Quotes on Success, Trust, and Love

Last Updated on February 23, 2024

Table of Contents

YoungBoy Never Broke Again, also known as NBA YoungBoy or simply YoungBoy, has been a growing presence in the hip-hop mainstream scene since 2015.

The Birth of YoungBoy

He is born as Kentrell DeSean Gaulden on October 20, 1999 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He dropped out of ninth grade and decided to focus on his music, but was soon arrested for robbery. A detention center in Tallulah was where he started writing lyrics for his first project.

He started producing his own music and released his first mixtape in 2015 and kept releasing until he attracted attention with his October 2016 mixtape, 38 Baby . A 2017 mixtape, AI YoungBoy started his presence at the Billboard charts, its single, Untouchable, peaked at number 95 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.

Gaulden announced his first studio Album, Until Death Call my Name in January 2018 after signing a deal with Atlantic Records. The single Outside Today was released in the same month. The song became YoungBoy’s highest-charting song, peaking at number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100. His 12 th mixtape Decided, released on September 7, 2018, peaked at number 9 on the Billboard 200.

The constantly changing emotions he expresses with every song has made its mark on YouTube; and his listeners and fan bases have been expanding beyond it. His tumultuous lifestyle and numerous involvements in violence have created a lot of noise, but that hasn’t deterred him from hustling in the only way that he knows how.

Have a listen through many of his life experiences through his songs. And check out some of these inspiring NBA YoungBoy quotes that will give us a lesson or two about living, loving, and the world at large.

NBA YoungBoy Quotes

1. “Time is money I ain’t wasting time. I’m feelin like Kobe I’m in my prime.” – NBA YoungBoy, “Hell and Back”

2. “You gotta pay the cost to be the boss. Always been my dream for me to make it to the top. They act like they don’t believe me but sh*t I promise I won’t stop” – NBA YoungBoy, “What I Was Taught”

3. “F*ck the industry, won’t let ’em take me under.”  – NBA YoungBoy, “All I Want”

4. “Stuntin’ on everybody, whoever slept on me.”  – NBA YoungBoy, “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop”

5. “I don’t really talk that much. I just watch and observe.”  – NBA YoungBoy

6. “I ain’t got nothing to prove to nobody.”  – NBA YoungBoy

7. “When I’m in public people see me they screaming my name. Just a few days ago I was locked up in them chains. Now I’m in back of the Maybach with a lot of bands. I ain’t worry ’bout ’em dissin’ naw, I don’t hear a thing they sayin’” – NBA YoungBoy, “Untouchable”

8. “I wake up seven or eight in the morning and just smoke and write. It’ll be quiet as a beach, I’ll walk off or some sh*t. Sh*t just be coming to me. I really just rap about how I be feeling, the sh*t I be speaking about I done went through or I’m going to do.” – NBA YoungBoy

9. “Everybody depend on me. I can’t f*ck up. I ain’t the only person that I’m hurting. If I was given a billion dollars to do life in jail, I’d do it and give that sh*t to my fam.” – NBA YoungBoy

10. “I pay for therapy because my thoughts ahead of me.”  – NBA YoungBoy, “Lonely Child”

11. “I’m leaving and never coming back.”  – NBA YoungBoy

12. “I’ma keep it a hundred, I don’t like you.”  – NBA YoungBoy

13. “I know I’m young but I feel like it’s nothing I can’t handle.”  – NBA YoungBoy

14. “I come from a rare place. It’s a different culture, different atmosphere, police crooked. Different emojis, and when I say emojis I mean personalities.” – NBA YoungBoy

15. “I ain’t never had a role model, watched Chief Keef growing up.” – NBA YoungBoy, “They Ain’t With Me”

16. “It’s either jail or death, like, literally. Ain’t no living out there.” – NBA YoungBoy

17. “In that cell realized I ain’t got no friends.” – NBA YoungBoy, “Dark Into Light”

18. “Your love is poison so no more I can’t take it.”  – NBA YoungBoy, “Love Is Poison”

19. “I’m sorry that I don’t know how to love.”  – NBA YoungBoy, “How to Love”

20. “I just wanna wrap you up and hold you in my arms for the night. You been gone for so long, let’s celebrate that we unite.”   – NBA YoungBoy, “Ranada”

21. “At night I need someone on side me just to hold me …I’m tired of thuggin’, now I’m tryna see where the love at.”  – NBA YoungBoy, “Where the Love At”

22. “I was falling in love with you, I ain’t take you as no dub. You something else, you don’t know what to do with yourself.”  – NBA YoungBoy, “Ranada”

23. “I know we got one thing in common: we both want the dough.”  – NBA YoungBoy, “Down Chick”

24. “I can make you fall in love with all these diamonds.”  – NBA YoungBoy, “Like Me”

25. “I cannot sit here just stress about our situation. I just gotta look at the bigger picture, baby.”  – NBA YoungBoy, “Twilight”

26. “I think music made me who I am. Music taught me what was gutter and what wasn’t. Music taught me how to live.”  – NBA YoungBoy

27. “I got my way with my grandma. I used to get whoopings with my mom, but my grandma spoiled me.”  – NBA YoungBoy

28. “I wrote my first song in the first or second grade.”  – NBA YoungBoy

29. “Locked in that cell missed a lot of things. Thinkin’ bout to take over the game. I gotta make my way outta the ring. My heart full of hatred, my chest full of pain.”  – NBA YoungBoy, “Trappin’”

30. “Look what I accomplished, I know you see me shining. I know you in the sky you looking down here watching.” – NBA YoungBoy, “Life”

31. “Won’t show no sympathy ’cause it’s a dirty game. I know they don’t feel my pain. Can’t let ’em end my name.” – NBA YoungBoy, “Changed”

32. “Ain’t no pretending, we live like this no acting.”  – NBA YoungBoy, “Trappin’”

33. “Baby you so hot, all these diamonds cool you down.” – NBA YoungBoy, “No. 9”

34. “I hate school, I really don’t think it’s important. I got money without school. You go to school to become somebody and get a job and get some decent money, I got it without it.”  – NBA YoungBoy

35. “When my grandma left couldn’t do nothing but cry. Got on my knees send my prayers to the sky. I asked em why I swear so many times.”,  – NBA Youngboy, “Life”

36. “They smile up in my face but they don’t know what I been through. Whole lotta nights I went to sleep and I ain’t had no food.  – NBA YoungBoy, “Untouchable”

37. “I just keep recording. You never know what you’ll come up with.”  – NBA YoungBoy

38. “I got a lot of money, but when you wealthy, that mean that your children is ballin’, your grandchildren is ballin’.”  – NBA YoungBoy

39. “I’m just trying to be myself – make music how I make music.”  – NBA YoungBoy

40. “Success make these niggas mad I know how it is.”  – NBA YoungBoy, “Ride On ‘Em”

41. “You probably can overcome what you’re going through from listening to my music.”  – NBA YoungBoy

42. “I always try to make my next song better than the last.”  – NBA YoungBoy

43. “I’m just a lonely child who wants someone to help him out.” – NBA YoungBoy, “Lonely Child”

44. “I don’t really trust nobody.” – NBA YoungBoy

45. “The only thing that scares me is dying.” – NBA YoungBoy

46. “I just know what I go through, and I know how to speak on it in an interesting way.”  – NBA YoungBoy

47. “In the Maybach alone, I don’t need nobody.”  – NBA YoungBoy, “Came From”

48. “Without loyalty, you won’t accomplish anything.” – NBA YoungBoy

49. “Gotta keep my head above water, gotta make it through.” – NBA YoungBoy, “Untouchable”

50. “All this sh*t that I go through just make me stronger. Came out the cave now they heard me conquer.” – NBA YoungBoy, “Hell and Back”

Posted by: Igor Ovsyannnykov

Igor is an SEO specialist, designer, photographer, writer and music producer. He believes that knowledge can change the world and be used to inspire and empower young people to build the life of their dreams. When he is not writing in his favorite coffee shop, Igor spends most of his time reading books, taking photos, producing house music, and learning about cinematography. He is a sucker for good coffee, Indian food, and video games.

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YoungBoy Never Broke Again Brings Back Rap Realism

By Jon Caramanica

• Aug. 21, 2017

Over the past few years, hip-hop has been swinging from one pole to the other. On one end, you have the melodic sensualists — Drake and post-Drake — who baked in the songwriting and emotion of R&B and pop to make hip-hop a globally accessible force. Lately, at the other end, have come the rowdy genre-bashing eccentrics , who’ve rebaptized the genre as punk, psychedelia or both.

In this climate, the path chosen by the impressive young Baton Rouge, La., rapper YoungBoy Never Broke Again feels almost nostalgic. He’s a clinical realist, sober and unfussy. It’s an approach long out of vogue, not dominant since the late 1980s into the mid-1990s, the days of Scarface, Tupac Shakur, Kool G Rap and more. But perhaps given hip-hop’s increasing malleability, its serious, reflective, streetwise arm is primed for a return.

With YoungBoy Never Broke Again, the heaviness is visible in his eyes. You can see it in a recent interview with Mass Appeal in which he talked about the violence in Baton Rouge, and its awful gravitational pull: “It’s either jail or death, like, literally. Ain’t no living out there.”

Where YoungBoy Never Broke Again finds oxygen is in his music — he is 17, and already one of the most promising young Southern rappers of the past couple of years, an intuitive songwriter who salts his bravado with inward-looking seriousness.

“AI YoungBoy,” his latest mixtape, which he released this month, is his best so far. It comes just three months after he was released from prison having pleaded guilty to aggravated assault with a firearm, dodging attempted murder charges.

As on his breakout mixtape, “38 Baby,” there is a ferocious rowdiness at the core of “AI YoungBoy.” YoungBoy Never Broke Again has a way of gliding and bouncing atop melancholic keyboard-rooted production. His matter-of-factness is striking — it sounds like the product of concision, not uncertainty. Often, he achieves a lot with just a few words: “In the Maybach alone, I don’t need nobody,” he insists on “Came From,” one of the standouts, not boasting so much as shrugging. “Left Hand Right Hand,” the brawniest song here, still sparkles with keen detail: “I’m washing the residue off of my nails.”

“In that cell realized I ain’t got no friends,” YoungBoy Never Broke Again raps on “Dark Into Light.” On two songs, “No Smoke” and “Untouchable,” he shows penitence for the trauma he’s put his mother through. Sometimes, as on “Twilight,” he oozes into an offhand kind of singing, amateurish and deeply felt.

There are flickers of the Baton Rouge titans Lil Boosie and Kevin Gates in his melodic approach, but YoungBoy Never Broke Again — his name was originally NBA YoungBoy, but he changed it to one less likely to be legally contested — has more in common with an occasional moralist like Kodak Black , another young Southern rapper recently released from jail. He also has some of the bleakness that’s been central to the rise of 21 Savage, who raps with an almost gothic severity.

“Untouchable” was the first song he put out after his release, and he used it to delineate the challenge he was facing: “Just a few days ago I was locked up in them chains/Now I’m in back of the Maybach with a lot of bands.” On “Graffiti,” he laments, “You know I got money but I’m in a hole/Scared I’ma die when I’m out on the road.”

On the road is where he wants to be, or maybe needs to be — anything but being back in Baton Rouge. At every turn, his supporters are urging him away from his hometown. When he was released from prison , Lil Boosie congratulated him on Instagram, but added a concerned warning: “Leave Br asap.”

At the beginning of the video for “Untouchable,” YoungBoy Never Broke Again shows a clip of a conversation he had with Meek Mill right after his release. “You gotta move or you gonna die,” Meek Mill warns him. It’s said with insistence and a filial tenderness. Not that many years ago, Meek Mill, also a lucid tough-talker, was in the same position, and despite having come far, his career has stalled; he’s not quite the star he might have been in an earlier time. For YoungBoy Never Broke Again, he is both a role model and a cautionary tale.

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17 facts you need to know about 'Make No Sense' rapper NBA YoungBoy

Everything you need to know about rapper YoungBoy Never Broke Again, from his dating history to his biggest songs and more.

1. Does NBA YoungBoy have beef with Lil Durk and NLE Choppa?

In January 2022, ahead of the release of his mixtape Colors, NBA YoungBoy fired shots at NLE Choppa. YoungBoy had previously called out Chicago's notorious O-Block, which garnered responses from Lil Durk, Choppa, King Yella and King Von's sister. Credit: Getty

2. NBA Youngboy's girlfriend Jazlyn Mychelle is reportedly pregnant with his ninth child.

In April 2021, NBA Youngboy's girlfriend Jazlyn Mychelle welcomed her first child with the rapper, his eighth in total. Jazlyn shared photos to Instagram while Youngboy remained in jail on federal charges at the time. In September 2022, it was reported that they were expecting their ninth. The rapper is yet to respond to the allegations. Credit: Getty/Instagram

3. How many kids does NBA YoungBoy have?

NBA YoungBoy is father to eight children - five sons, two daughters and a child with girlfriend Jazlyn Mychelle, whose gender is yet to be revealed. He shares one of his sons with Iyanna Mayweather. Two of his sons, Kayden and Kacey, featuring in the music video for his song 'Kacey Talk'. In July 2018, YoungBoy confirmed that one of his sons, Kamron isn't biologically his, but said he would raise the child as if he were his own. Credit: Getty

4. In May 2021, it was rumoured that NBA YoungBoy had died in his jail cell.

Law enforcement later confirmed that the rapper is very much alive, despite rumours suggesting he had been found dead in his jail cell. The rumours are thought to have started on Facebook. Youngboy remains incarcerated at St. Martin Parish Correctional Center following his April arrest after fleeing from police. Credit: Getty

5. Did NBA Youngboy remove the grill from his teeth?

In January, NBA Youngboy hopped on Instagram Live to share his new teeth with his followers. The rapper appears to have removed his signature diamond grills in favour of some sparkly new veneers. Credit: Instagram

6. NBA YoungBoy welcomed his second child with model Drea Symone in late 2020.

Model Drea Symone welcomed their baby girl, Kodi Capri, on Thanksgiving 2020. "November 26th 2020, on Thanksgiving Day, I was given a 7.5lb reason to become more thankful," she wrote on Instagram, "I’ve been caught up cherishing the days after... it’s safe to say my heart is completely full!! Kodi Capri." Credit: Instagram/Getty

7. NBA YoungBoy shares a child with Floyd Mayweather's daughter, Iyanna.

In November 2020, it was confirmed by both Iyanna 'Yaya' Mayweather and her father, boxing star Floyd Mayweather, that she was pregnant with NBA YoungBoy's child. Yaya posted a picture of her pregnant belly on social media while her father said, "If that makes her happy, then we're happy. Me and her mother are happy. But what I try not to do is get in her personal business." Credit: Getty

8. NBA YoungBoy was at the heart of Skai Jackson and Bhad Bhabie's beef.

Early on in 2020, former Disney star Skai allegedly wrote on her private Instagram account that she was romantically interesting in NBA YoungBoy, who Bhad Bhabie had previously dated. Bhabie kicked off and accused Skai of stealing her boyfriends, saying "She literally do this with every dude I talk too". Danielle said. Credit: Getty

9. How old is NBA YoungBoy? When is his birthday?

NBA Youngboy was born October 20, 1999. He is 22-years-old. Credit: Getty

10. What is NBA YoungBoy's real name?

NBA YoungBoy's real name is Kentrell DeSean Gaulden. His stage name, NBA YoungBoy, stands for 'YoungBoy Never Broke Again', and is also sometimes abbreviated to simply 'YoungBoy'. Credit: Getty

11. What is NBA YoungBoy's net worth?

As of 2020, NBA YoungBoy's net worth is estimated to be around $6 million, according to celebritynetworth.com. Credit: Getty

12. What happened to NBA YoungBoy's dad?

When NBA Youngboy was eight years old, his father was arrested and sentenced to 55 years in prison for a robbery gone wrong. His mother moved out of the neighbourhood, and YoungBoy was raised by his maternal grandmother. After his grandmother died in 2010, he was taken in by fellow budding rapper NBA 3Three's family. Credit: Getty

13. Who is NBA YoungBoy signed to?

After releasing eight independent mixtapes between 2015 and 2017, YoungBoy was signed to Atlantic Records in 2017. Credit: Getty

14. How tall is NBA Youngboy?

NBA Youngboy is reportedly 5ft 8in tall. Credit: Getty

15. Where is NBA YoungBoy from?

YoungBoy was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Credit: Getty

16. How many albums has NBA YoungBoy dropped?

YoungBoy has released two studio albums - 'Until Death Call My Name' in April 2018, and 'Top' which dropped in September 2020. The latter went to number one on the US Billboard 200. Credit: Getty

17. What are NBA YoungBoy's biggest hits?

Some of YoungBoy's biggest hits include 'Bandit' with Juice WRLD, 'Kacey Talk', 'All In', 'Murder Business' and 'Bad Bad'. Credit: Getty

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“You can get to know me through my music. You probably can overcome what you’re gonna do from listening to my music.”

It’s this sentiment that NBA Youngboy shared back in a 2018 Billboard interview that captures why he’s become so popular since first entering the game. Both in and outside of his music, NBA Youngboy has been a motivational force for countless fans across the world — especially young rap ones — overcoming their own circumstances. Just do a quick search for “NBA Youngboy motivation” on TikTok, and you’ll come across a handful of videos centered around uplifting things the 24-year-old rapper has said in songs and interviews.

Whether it be lyrics from standouts like “Gravity” or “Untouchable” or moments from conversations where he’s reflecting on the hardship he’s faced, Youngboy has never shied away from talking about the challenges he’s endured to become the success he is today. As a result, he’s gained a fanbase that finds inspiration through what he has to say, no matter the medium. These are 13 NBA Youngboy quotes that can help motivate you.

1. “Without loyalty, you won’t accomplish anything. Everything will be salty.”

Source: The Fader

Although Youngboy said this in reference to loyalty among those he considers close , the trait is essential to have for other things, too, like loyalty for yourself, your passions or your work. Youngboy wouldn’t be where he is without loyalty to his rapper dreams. It’s that devotion he’s given to his craft that has resulted in such a stacked catalog as a successful artist before he even hit 25.

2. “You can’t be on top forever, you know? Because I’m not changing. I will not be provoked, I will not be broken, and I’m not going back to who I used to be. Accept it or not — I ain’t going back.”

Source: Billboard

Oftentimes, in order to achieve what you’ve always wanted, you have to grow. Youngboy has endured violence in the streets of his hometown, Baton Rouge, and he faced the harmful effects of the American justice system having spent time in jail. He doesn’t want to go back to his past self who was at the center of all this. Instead, he wants to remain on the path to improvement that he’s currently on, and he’s committed to that no matter what.

3. “You can never compete with a person who ain’t competing.”

Source: Tidal

Said in response to being asked if he feels competitive in the rap game, this quote captures how Youngboy is in his own lane, having amassed a success that rivals his contemporaries. He doesn’t even see other rappers as competition . He finds motivation in his own work ethic rather than having a competitive edge with someone else.

4. “Gotta keep my head above water, gotta make it through.”

Source: “ Untouchable ”

Youngboy may not have invented the classic “Keep your head above water” idiom, but it sounds so good coming from him. The phrase from the end of his first verse on “Untouchable” is a statement that speaks to his perseverance. He’s gone to sleep hungry countless times and dropped out of school all to chase his dream of becoming a rapper. Now, he has to make it through and prove himself — and he is.

5. “There’s so much more to be done. I don’t really feel like nothing been done … I ain’t never satisfied, there’s a lot more to be done.”

Source: Rap Radar

NBA Youngboy has already accomplished so much. He’s had songs like “Outside Today” hit the top 10 in the U.S. Billboard 200, has been nominated for a Grammy award (courtesy of his feature on Tyler, the Creator’s “ WusYaName ”) and has worked with Gucci Mane, Lil Durk, Migos and other notable rap artists. Despite this, he still wants to achieve so much more, showing the importance of raising the bar for yourself and never settling with what you’ve already achieved.

6. “S**t, just life lessons. The challenges, the everyday life in any f**king state, made me who I am. Standing up, being strong, the situations I went through, made me who I am.”

Source: Genius

Breaking down the final lines of his first verse in “Untouchable” on Genius’ Verified series, Youngboy offered this insightful perspective on the hardships he’s endured. Rather than wallow in his circumstances, he sees what he’s faced as necessary to become more. In standing strong throughout it all, he’s also learned how he wants to change for the better. Youngboy doesn’t want to fumble the good that has come his way.

7. “Right now I’m workin’ for to be a better man / Ain’t have no father, so I had to take a stand / They ain’t with me if they ain’t feelin’ what I’m sayin’ / Get up, go get it, you don’t need no helpin’ hand.”

Source: “ Better Man ”

It’s that last line — “Get up, go get it, you don’t need no helpin’ hand” — that embodies Youngboy’s tenacious spirit. Off his own persistence, he’s gotten to where he’s at, and he understands that one’s success is their own responsibility. He may not have had a father to help show him the way, but he’s been able to figure it out and grow both as an artist and a man.

8. “Go tell ’em I came up, had nothin’, just had faith in my plan / Go tell ’em I come with no notice, they know that I’m chosen.”

Source: “ Hustle ”

You’ve got to have faith in yourself in order to achieve what you want, and NBA Youngboy knows this firsthand. Having dropped out of school to follow his dream of being a rapper, he started out with nothing but faith and a handful of raps that culminated in his first mixtape, 2015’s Life Before Fame . It’s that belief that led him to where he is now.

9. “Nobody knows what I’ve been through, nobody knows how I’m still doing it. I done came out so far from this s**t and still have a long way to go.”

Source: DJ Smallz Eyes

If there’s anything to take away from Youngboy, it’s that he’s tenacious. During an interview from May 2017, this quote came right at his breakout. In August of that year, it was reported that he signed a deal rumored to be worth $2 million with Atlantic Records. That same month, he dropped his first commercial release with Atlantic, the AI YoungBoy mixtape. After going through so much he was finally reaping the reward of his hustle. Still, there was much more to do. So, Youngboy continued moving forward as his dream of becoming a rap star was slowly becoming reality.

10. “I wanna be the next Diddy, JAY-Z, matter of fact, I wanna be bigger than them. I don’t wanna rap no more in 10 years. I’m only 17, I shouldn’t be still rapping in 10 years, the f**k? I should be rich as f**k.”

Source: HNHH

Figures like Diddy and JAY-Z have become blueprints for being businessmen in hip hop. Their entrepreneurial spirits has helped them become billionaires, and it’s clear that Youngboy wants that for himself, too. Even at 17, he already knew that he didn’t want rap to be his endgame. But he doesn’t only want to be like rap’s greatest businessmen, he wants to be bigger than them.

11. “I used to really doubt myself. I used to think this s**t wasn’t gonna happen. I literally wanted to quit and there had been times I had quit a short period of time … But you know what? I gotta start back on this s**t ‘cause this what people f**k with me for.”

Another notable quote from Youngboy’s Genius Verified appearance, this one shows how even though the rapper had faith in himself, he still faced internal doubt. So much so that he even quit for a little bit. But he remained committed to his dream, achieved it and found inspiration in the same people that find inspiration in him: his fans.

12. “Gotta stay down and get it, I know that it’s gon’ be alright / Can’t get knocked off my pivot, I gotta play my cards right / Gotta stack up them benjis, my n**ga, we gon’ ball for life.”

Source: “ Gravity ”

It’s all about focus for Youngboy. Taken from the chorus of “Gravity,” these lyrics highlight the importance of staying grounded and headstrong in achieving what you want. It’s also about building a foundation to sustain yourself for as long as possible. Youngboy isn’t just thinking about the present, he’s thinking about the future. By staying determined and being self-assured, he’s making sure that his hustle will pay off for a long time to come.

13. “Fire, I adapted and it don’t burn / I’m havin’ plans on goin’ higher / Spread my wings, fly away on my own / I told ’em that I would be soarin’.”

Source: “ Letter to Big Dump ”

Adapting is a crucial part of excelling in life because it’s ever-changing. You’ve got to be able to adjust, especially when circumstances throw unexpected challenges. Here, Youngboy adapts to what he’s endured and comes out stronger than before, flying above it all and having his phoenix moment. It’s a triumphant chorus that doubles as some of the most motivating lyrics he’s offered in his career.