NBA YoungBoy

NBA YoungBoy was born Kentrell DeSean Gaulden on October 20, 1999, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he was primarily raised by his grandmother, Alice Gaulden, who frequently appears in his lyrics. He wrote his first song in the fourth grade and pursued rapping at 14 on a microphone purchased at Wal-Mart. In 2015, he released his first mixtape, Life Before Fame.

In 2016, at the age of 17, he was accused of jumping out of a car and opening fire on a group of people in Baton Rouge. Initially charged with attempted murder, he later pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of aggravated assault and was sentenced to three years of probation. That year, he also released his 38 Baby project and signed with Atlantic Records in 2017.

NBA YoungBoy’s upbringing was marked by violence and poverty. Following his grandmother’s passing, he found himself residing in a group home where he faced bullying and physical violence from his peers. Despite all of the trauma he experienced growing up, NBA YoungBoy has said that music always helped him to cope. During an interview with DJ Akademiks’ Off the Record podcast, he stated that it helps “calm” him and provides a place to say “what I need to say.”  

He ascended to fame in 2015/2016, but experienced a slight career detour due to serving a six-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to aggravated assault with a firearm. Since then, he has released several mixtapes and singles, many of which have been well-received by fans and critics alike. In 2017, he released his mixtape, AI Youngboy, which marked his debut on the Billboard 200 chart and peaked at No. 24. NBA Youngboy is widely considered to be one of the most promising young rappers in the industry today, and his music has resonated with fans all over the world. 

His music is a fusion of gritty hip-hop and trap, with lyrics that often deal with violence, street life, and drug use. Youngboy’s musical style has been compared to that of fellow Baton Rouge rapper Boosie Badazz, as well as to other Southern hip-hop artists such as Lil Wayne and Juvenile.

Youngboy’s mixtape Life Before Fame was released in 2015. Since then, he has released several more mixtapes and albums, including a joint effort From the Bayou (2021) with Birdman. NBA Youngboy has collaborated with several other artists, including Kevin Gates and Lil Uzi Vert. He has also been featured on songs by Snoop Dogg and Quavo. 

Since bursting onto the rap scene, NBA Youngboy has been no stranger to controversy. From his involvement in a fatal shooting to his tumultuous relationship with Jania Jackson, Youngboy has frequently made headlines for all the wrong reasons. He was arrested on charges related to drugs and weapons, along with 15 others who were taken into custody during the filming of a music video in 2020. In 2021, he was arrested after reportedly fleeing from LAPD officers after an attempted traffic stop on an outstanding warrant. 

Though the rapper moved to Utah and revealed he was considering being baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 2024, trouble still followed. He was placed under house arrest in October of 2021 due to accusations of federal gun-related and other charges.

In April of 2024, federal agents executed a search warrant at a home owned by Youngboy in Weber County. He was subsequently booked into Cache County jail on suspicion of fraud, forgery, weapons violations, and drug-related offenses.