NBA YoungBoy (Kentrell DeSean Gaulden, born October 20, 1999, Baton Rouge) rose from a violent upbringing to become one of rap’s most prolific and commercially dominant artists, known for raw street narratives, massive streaming numbers, and constant legal battles‼️.
His father received a 55-year prison sentence early on‼️. Raised mainly by his maternal grandmother (who later died), he broke his neck as a toddler, leaving permanent forehead scars from a halo brace‼️. He dropped out around ninth grade, spent time in juvenile detention (including for robbery), lived in a group home, and began recording as a teen‼️. He moved in with fellow Baton Rouge rapper OG3Three and funded studio time through street hustling‼️.
Early on he affiliated with TBG (Top Boy Gorilla), a Baton Rouge crew/label‼️. Key members included G. Money (Gee Money / Da Real Gee Money; real name Garrett Burton) and Fredo Bang‼️. Gaulden was close with G. Money’s younger brother and treated G. Money like a mentor/“big brother”—he stayed with him, learned from him, and appeared in early TBG content (including the “iPhone 6” video)‼️. His debut mixtape Life Before Fame (2015) was released under TBG; he and associates wore TBG merch‼️.
He left to co-found Never Broke Again (NBA) with OG3Three, frustrated by limited shine while focus stayed on G‼️. Money and Fredo‼️. The split turned personal. A major flashpoint was the allegation (confirmed by G. Money) that he had slept with Gaulden’s sister‼️. Gaulden referenced it on tracks like “Changes” and “Pour One”; G. Money responded with the diss “Industry.”‼️
On September 10, 2017, G. Money (22) was shot and killed outside a Dallas Drive studio in Baton Rouge‼️. Deandre Fields (NBA Lil Pap), an NBA associate, was charged with second-degree murder‼️. In 2023 he pled to accessory after the fact and received five years (while serving a federal weapons sentence); he has maintained innocence‼️. Gaulden’s camp denied his involvement‼️. The killing intensified the long-running NBA vs. TBG feud, which produced further shootings and deaths‼️.
He built a regional following with independent mixtapes from 2015 (Life Before Fame, Mind of a Menace series, Before I Go, 38 Baby featuring Boosie and Kevin Gates, etc.)‼️. He signed with Atlantic/Artist Partner Group around 2017. Breakthroughs included “Untouchable,” “No Smoke,” and “Outside Today.”‼️
Extremely prolific, he released dozens of projects, scored multiple Billboard 200 No. 1s, and earned extensive RIAA certifications—often while incarcerated or on house arrest‼️. Studio albums include‼️:
Until Death Call My Name (2018)
Top (2020)
Sincerely, Kentrell (2021; No. 1 while incarcerated)
The Last Slimeto (2022)
I Rest My Case (2023)
Don’t Try This at Home (2023)
I Just Got a Lot on My Shoulders (2024)‼️
Later releases include MASA (2025) and Slime Cry (2026). Major mixtapes such as AI YoungBoy, AI YoungBoy 2 (No. 1), and 38 Baby 2 fueled his rise‼️. He founded the Never Broke Again label, signing artists like NoCap and Quando Rondo‼️.
Troubles ran parallel to his career: juvenile robbery; 2016 attempted-murder charge (pled to aggravated assault—suspended sentence + probation); 2018 assault/kidnapping/weapons cases; 2019 Miami shooting involving his circle (probation violation, jail, house arrest); 2020 federal gun/drug arrests; a California case (not guilty on some counts); and extended Utah house arrest (roughly 2021–2025) with added drug, fraud, and weapons charges‼️.
He pled guilty to federal felon-in-possession weapons charges, received about 23 months plus probation and fines, served time, and was released around March 2025‼️. On or around May 28–29, 2025, President Donald Trump granted him a presidential pardon for the federal gun charges, ending remaining probation and travel restrictions‼️. Gaulden publicly thanked Trump‼️. Post-pardon he announced tours; by mid-2026 he had relocated to South Korea and stated he did not intend to return to the U.S‼️💯.
@itzbasito So you guys are telling me distribution deal and a record label deal are the same deal dapper over player is role and he’ll make account for it he’s a thief
@Noshakingatall@broski_ng@burnaboy Nah you go tell am who he’s going to ride with …Omo abeg nah Una fans get problem as long as they are both making money who cares about what yall capping here
Abeg make una stop the Burna Boy vs Seyi Vibez comparisons. Burna is bigger, no doubt, but they’re brothers. As an NSNV, I can’t deny Burna’s impact on Seyi’s career. He gave Seyi his UK No. 1 plaque, something only a few Nigerian artists have.