YoungBoy Never Broke Again facts for kids

Quick facts for kids YoungBoy Never Broke Again
YoungBoy Never Broke Again in 2023
Background information
Birth name	Kentrell DeSean Gaulden
Also known as	NBA YoungBoy Top Lil Top YoungBoy YB AI YoungBoy 38 Baby
Born	(1999-10-20) October 20, 1999 (age 25) Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop Southern hip hop gangsta rap trap
Occupation(s)	Rapper singer songwriter
Years active	2015–present
Labels	Never Broke Again Motown (current) Atlantic APG (former)
Spouse(s)	Jazlyn Mychelle Hayes ​ (m. 2023)​
Children	12
Signature

Kentrell DeSean Gaulden (born October 20, 1999), known professionally as YoungBoy Never Broke Again or NBA YoungBoy, is an American rapper. From 2015 to 2017, he released eight independent mixtapes and garnered a regional following for his work. He signed with Atlantic Records and Artist Partner Group in the latter year to release the singles "Untouchable" and "No Smoke", both of which marked his first entries on the Billboard Hot 100. Released in January of the following year, his single "Outside Today" became his first to peak within the top 40 of the chart, and received quadruple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It served as both his mainstream breakthrough and the lead single for his debut studio album, Until Death Call My Name (2018), which peaked at number seven on the US Billboard 200 despite mixed critical reception.

His 2019 single, "Bandit" (with Juice Wrld) became his first song to reach the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. In the following week, he released the commercial mixtape AI YoungBoy 2 (2019), which debuted atop the Billboard 200 and received 18 gold certifications by the RIAA for each of its tracks. The release of its follow-up, 38 Baby 2 (2020) and his second studio album, Top (2020), made Gaulden the second hip hop act to peak the chart thrice within a single year. Released during an incarceration, his third album, Sincerely, Kentrell (2021), likewise peaked the chart and became the third project—behind Tupac Shakur's Me Against the World (1995) and Lil Wayne's I Am Not a Human Being (2010)—by an imprisoned artist to do so. His fourth album, The Last Slimeto (2022) peaked at number two on the chart and served as his final release with Atlantic. Gaulden then signed with Motown to release his fifth and sixth albums: I Rest My Case and Don't Try This at Home (both 2023), both of which peaked within the top-ten of the Billboard 200 despite trailing critical reception. His seventh album, I Just Got a Lot on My Shoulders (2024), narrowly entered the chart and saw a continued critical decline, serving as his final release with the label.

Gaulden has sold over 80 million digital copies in the United States, ranking him among the highest certified artists in the United States. He has garnered 15 billion views on his YouTube channel, also ranking him among the highest-viewed rappers on the site. Gaulden is also the youngest artist in Billboard history to chart 100 singles on the Billboard Hot 100. Gaulden has also been nominated for three BET Hip Hop Awards and a Grammy Award while being the recipient of one ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Award and one BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Award. Gaulden founded the record label Never Broke Again in 2015, which has signed artists including NoCap and Quando Rondo.

Despite his success, Gaulden's career has been marked by a long history of legal issues that began in 2016. He has maintained a largely prolific output notwithstanding his incarcerations.

Early life

Kentrell DeSean Gaulden was born on October 20, 1999, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He broke his neck while wrestling as a toddler, the injury requiring a head brace until the spine healed. The brace left permanent scars on his forehead. Gaulden was raised mainly by his maternal grandmother due to his father being sentenced to 55 years in prison. He dropped out of high school in ninth grade. While in juvenile detention for a robbery charge, he began writing lyrics for his debut project.

After he was released, Gaulden's grandmother died of heart failure and he moved in with his friend and fellow Baton Rouge rapper, OG3Three Never Broke Again.

Career

2015–2017: Career beginnings and AI YoungBoy

Gaulden performing in 2017

Gaulden first began producing music with a microphone he bought from Walmart when he was fourteen years old. He released his first mixtape, Life Before Fame in 2015. A string of other mixtapes followed including Mind of a Menace, Mind of a Menace 2, and Before I Go. Gaulden attracted attention with his October 2016 mixtape, 38 Baby which featured fellow Baton Rouge natives, Boosie Badazz, Kevin Gates, and fellow rappers Stroke Tha Don and NBA 3Three. A week later, Gaulden released another mixtape titled Mind of a Menace 3 on November 4, 2016. Gaulden's quick rise to popularity could also be attributed to his "song-for-song rap beef" with fellow Baton Rouge rapper Scotty Cain in December 2015, in which songs from both rappers included death threats. Although no real violence ever occurred between the two Baton Rouge rappers, their feuding attracted a lot of attention.

In November 2016, Gaulden was arrested in Austin, Texas on suspicion of attempted first-degree murder in connection with an alleged drive-by shooting. While in jail in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, Gaulden re-released his two mixtapes, Before I Go and Mind of a Menace 3. Gaulden was released from prison in May 2017 after taking a plea deal and posting bail. A week after leaving prison, Gaulden released the single, "Untouchable".

In July 2017, Gaulden released a video for his song, "41", that included cameos from notable artists including, Meek Mill, Young Thug, 21 Savage, Boosie Badazz, and Yo Gotti. In August 2017, it was reported that after being scouted by Mike Caren, YoungBoy signed a five-album record deal worth $2 million with Carren's Artist Partner Group and Atlantic Records while the music had been published under YoungBoy's own Never Broke Again. On August 3, 2017, he released his seventh mixtape, AI YoungBoy which charted at 24 on the Billboard 200, marking YoungBoy's first appearance on the chart. The single, "Untouchable", peaked at number 95 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The second single from the project, "No Smoke", peaked at number 61 on the Billboard Hot 100.

YoungBoy's eighth mixtape, Ain't Too Long was released on October 7, 2017. The mixtape peaked at #173 on the Billboard 200 chart, marking YoungBoy's second appearance on the chart. Just a month later, in November 2017, YoungBoy appeared as a guest on 21 Savage's Numb The Pain Tour.

2018–2019: Until Death Call My Name and AI YoungBoy 2

Gaulden released the single "Outside Today" on January 6, 2018. The song became Gaulden's highest charting song, peaking at number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100. He announced his debut studio album, Until Death Call My Name on January 11, shortly after signing a joint venture deal with Atlantic Records. The album was released on April 27, 2018. Despite being arrested in February 2018, Gaulden promised a new mixtape. Gaulden was released from jail on March 15, and his next mixtape Master The Day Of Judgement was released on May 19, 2018. Throughout the summer of 2018, Gaulden released a series of four EPs, each containing four tracks. The first of which, 4Respect, was released on August 24, followed by 4Freedom, 4Loyalty and 4WhatImportant on August 30, September 6 and 14, respectively. In conjunction with the final part being released, all four EPs were combined into a 16-track compilation titled 4Respect 4Freedom 4Loyalty 4WhatImportant. On September 7, Gaulden released his mixtape Decided, featuring a sole guest appearance from Trippie Redd. On December 20, Gaulden released another mixtape, Realer, featuring guest appearances from Lil Baby and Plies.

By January 2019, Gaulden was on YouTube's Top Music Artists list in the United States for the previous 101 weeks, which made him the most-watched musician across all genres. This was mainly due in part to his consistency of releasing music regularly and exclusively on YouTube. He was also the 9th best selling artist on the 2019 Billboard Mid-Year Charts and was seventh in the top ten artists ranked by on-demand audio streams without dropping a project in the first six months of 2019.

Gaulden was sentenced to 14 months on house arrest following a probation violation earlier in 2019. Due to the house arrest, he was unable to record music from anywhere besides his house. On September 25, 2019, Gaulden released the "aptly titled" single "House Arrest Tingz".

On October 4, 2019, Gaulden released the song "Bandit", with rapper Juice WRLD, released as the final new song by Juice WRLD as a lead artist before his death. The song reached number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming NBA Youngboy's highest charting single.

On October 10, 2019, Gaulden released his mixtape AI YoungBoy 2, and debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200. The mixtape is a sequel to his 2017 breakout AI Youngboy and features 18 songs, including the previously released song "Slime Mentality". Gaulden was able to get his first number one album on the Billboard 200 because the album had accumulated 144.7 million on-demand audio streams during its first week, becoming one of the top ten biggest streaming debuts of 2019.

2020–2021: 38 Baby 2, Top, and Sincerely, Kentrell

In February 2020, Gaulden released his mixtape, Still Flexin, Still Steppin. It debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, becoming his second-highest charting album after his 2019 number-one album AI YoungBoy 2. On April 24, 2020, Gaulden released his mixtape 38 Baby 2, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200. On August 20, 2020, Gaulden announced the release of his second studio album titled Top, which was released on September 11. It includes the Hot 100-charting singles "All In", "Kacey Talk", and "My Window" featuring Lil Wayne. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and became his third number-one album in under one year.

On November 11, 2020, Gaulden released his fourth solo project of 2020, the mixtape Until I Return. It was released exclusively on YouTube, and was made available three days later to streaming services with four additional songs. The mixtape has no guest features. On November 20, 2020, Gaulden released a collaborative project with Rich the Kid, titled Nobody Safe.

On September 24, 2021, Gaulden released his third studio album, Sincerely, Kentrell from prison. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 making him the third artist besides 2Pac and Lil Wayne to have a number one album while incarcerated.

As part of the album, Gaulden released the hit single "Life Support" on September 10 of that year, which saw significant success, even as he was currently incarcerated.

Following his release from jail in late October 2021, he released a number of singles beginning in November, including "Heart and Soul", "Alligator Walk", and "Blackball". The singles led up to his collaborative mixtape with Birdman, From the Bayou, which was released on December 10, 2021, after initially being announced in March 2018.

2022: Colors, The Last Slimeto, and numerous other projects

Gaulden released another mixtape, titled Colors, on January 21, 2022. This mixtape garnered attention due to the singles released previously, in which he dissed rappers King Von and NLE Choppa on the tracks "Bring the Hook" and "Know Like I Know", respectively. On March 4, 2022, Gaulden released Better than You, a collaborative mixtape with DaBaby.

On April 1, 2022, YoungBoy Never Broke Again released the Last Slimeto Sampler This led up to his fourth studio album, The Last Slimeto, which is also his final album with Atlantic Records, and was released on August 5, 2022. In May, it was reported that Gaulden rejected CEO Craig Kallman's $25 million offer to renew his Atlantic deal, calling the label out on its artist integrity. He also called to be released from the label along with fellow ex-labelmate Meek Mill. Additionally, in July 2022, he terminated his performance rights management deal with ASCAP and joined Irving Azoff-headed Global Music Rights.

Through Never Broke Again's Instagram page, it was announced that YoungBoy had finally completed his contract with Atlantic Records.

YoungBoy was featured on The Game's album Drillmatic – Heart vs. Mind, on the track, "O.P.P", but was later removed, a week after the album's released on August 12, 2022, over a clearance fee of $150,000 ordered by YoungBoy, causing the track to be remastered without his contributions and thus, the album to be re-released.

On September 4, 2022, YoungBoy released the YouTube exclusive single "Purge Me". On September 5, 2022, through DJ Akademiks it was announced that YoungBoy would release a surprise mixtape titled Realer 2, presented as a sequel to his December 2018 Realer. However, the mixtape did not release according to plan. On September 6, 2022, at around 4 PM EST, the mixtape was released primarily to YoungBoy's YouTube channel. Just a day later on September 7, the mixtape was added to all digital streaming platforms; despite YoungBoy's departure from Atlantic Records, the mixtape was distributed through the label.

On October 7, 2022, YoungBoy released his twentieth mixtape, 3800 Degrees through Never Broke Again and Atlantic Records. The project pays homage to Juvenile's 1998 400 Degreez and Lil Wayne's 2002 500 Degreez. The mixtape features guest appearances from E-40, Mouse on tha Track, and Shy Glizzy. The project marks YoungBoy Never Broke Again's fifth release of 2022 (fourth solo).

On October 16, he announced another project, Ma' I Got a Family, to be released the same week as his twenty-first project, and his sixth release of the year (fifth solo). Just days later, the tracklist was released, announcing Nicki Minaj and Yeat as the mixtape's only features. On October 21, 2022, the mixtape was released and was presented as a DJ Drama Gangsta Grillz exclusive.

Through Billboard, on October 24, 2022, it was announced that following the completion of YoungBoy Never Broke Again's contract with Atlantic Records, YoungBoy would sign a joint venture contract between Motown Records and YoungBoy's own label Never Broke Again. The joint venture deal was signed just over a year prior in September 2021, prior to the announcement of YoungBoy's addition to the label.

On November 25, 2022, YoungBoy teamed up with Never Broke Again signee, Quando Rondo for their collaborative mixtape, 3860. The mixtape was preceded by four singles, "Give Me a Sign", Cream Soda" (performed by Quando Rondo), "Keep Me Dry", and "It's On". Despite the project being uploaded to YoungBoy's YouTube channel, on the day of the mixtape's release, YoungBoy revealed that he did not want the mixtape to be released due to his past disputes with Atlantic Records, the label under which the mixtape was released under, subsequently leading to the removal of the mixtape from YoungBoy's YouTube channel. YoungBoy further noted that Quando respected his wishes for the mixtape to not be released, however, Atlantic Records proceeded to release the project.

On December 23, 2022, YoungBoy released the compilation album Lost Files which purely consisted of leaked songs from 2018 onwards. The project marked his final release of the year. The project peaked at number 45 on the Billboard 200 selling over 18,000 copies in its first tracking week.

2023–present: I Rest My Case, Don't Try This at Home, and I Just Got a Lot on My Shoulders

On January 3, 2023, Gaulden's label released the official artwork for his fifth studio album I Rest My Case on their Instagram. On January 4, 2023, Gaulden released a series of promotional singles, most notably "Black" which peaked at number 93 respectively on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was released on January 6, 2023, and is his first project under a new artist deal with Motown Records. The album peaked at number nine on the Billboard 200, marking Gaulden's lowest charting studio album. Through Billboard, on February 1, 2023, Gaulden was announced to appear on the magazine's cover which was released alongside an interview. Appearing on the cover marked his first in five years since his October 2017 appearance on The Fader. Through the interview, it was noted that Gaulden's sixth full-length studio album titled Don't Try This at Home was in the works.

On February 24, 2023, Gaulden appeared as a feature on Yeat's third studio album Afterlyfe on the second track, "Shmunk". Weeks later, on March 17, 2023, he would appear as a feature on "I Don't Mind", the fifth track on Lil Pump's third long-awaited studio album, Lil Pump 2.

On February 27, 2023, Gaulden released "Next", a promotional single leading up to his sixth studio album, Don't Try This at Home. Just days later on March 2, 2023, he issued another single, "Demon Party". Weeks later, through Motown Record's official Instagram, it was announced that the album would drop on April 21, 2023, and it would consist of thirty-three songs. The album's single "Rear View" with the Atlanta singer Mariah the Scientist was released on April 14, 2023. The album was released according to plan on April 21, 2023, featuring guest appearances from Mariah the Scientist, Nicki Minaj, Post Malone, and the Kid Laroi. The album debuted at number 5 on the Billboard 200 after selling 60,000 album-equivalent units in its first week. Furthermore, Gaulden became the youngest artist in Billboard history to chart 100 songs on the Hot 100 after "Big Truck" debuted at #100 on the chart.

On May 8, 2023, Gaulden announced a mixtape titled Richest Opp and its release date of May 12, the original release date of rival Lil Durk's album, Almost Healed. The mixtape released as planned while Almost Healed was pushed back to release the following week. Richest Opp debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 with 51,000 album-equivalent units in its first week.

On June 12, 2023, record producer F1lthy, alongside the executive producer of Carti's upcoming solo album, Music had taken to Twitter to tweet, "004KT", further creating discussions about a new album between the two.

On October 26, 2023, Gaulden released the music video for "Deep Down". A day later, on October 27, 2023, YoungBoy released two more singles, "Now Who" and "My Body". The singles would appear on YoungBoy's twenty-first mixtape, Decided 2, the sequel to his September 2018, Decided, which was later released on November 10. At the end of 2023, YoungBoy became the most streamed rap artist on YouTube for the fifth year straight in the United States and was the second most streamed artist overall behind Peso Pluma. YoungBoy was the sixth best-selling artist in the US in 2023 with 4.2 million album units sold.

During Gaulden's Million Dollaz Worth of Game interview, he stated that his next full-length release would be his last with Motown. On January 27, 2024, Gaulden took to his Instagram to tease a new album that would drop on April 19. After releasing several singles in the first quarter of 2024, on March 17, Gaulden shared the official artwork and title for his next release, I Just Got a Lot on My Shoulders, expected to release in 2024.

Following a series of leaks while incarcerated, consisting of music, music videos, vlogs, behind-the-scenes footage, and text messages, in November 2024, Gaulden released five music videos on YouTube: "Never Stopping", "Catch Me", "Missing Everything", "Sneaking", and "Killa Season". On December 6, Gaulden's seventh full-length studio album, I Just Got a Lot on My Shoulders was released while he was incarcerated, marking his final release under his contract with Motown.

Artistry

Influences

Gaulden's artistry has been compared to Lil Wayne (left) and Tupac Shakur (right).

Gaulden has been compared to several artists throughout his career including Boosie Badazz, Kevin Gates, Lil Wayne, and Tupac Shakur. Despite the several comparisons, Gaulden cited the late Lil Phat as his primary influence in his 2016 interview with The Fader. In December 2022, Gaulden cited Yeat, Young Thug, French Montana, Shy Glizzy, and Soulja Slim as his top five favorite rappers.

Musical style

Gaulden has been described as "one of the hardest working rappers" in the music industry due to his high musical output. He is known for his consistency in releasing music, with his work ethic described as being of a "rapid fire pace". He has released over twenty-six studio albums, EP's, and mixtapes since 2015. In 2023, he described his tendency to release music constantly as a "disease".

The music is therapy, but I can't stop it when I want, and the lifestyle is just a big distraction from your real purpose.

His musical creativity and lyrical content derive from his own lived experiences. In his music, Gaulden is "brutally honest, which is a result of what he's seen and experienced at a young age". His music is described as "raw" and "spiritual" due to the way he "evokes emotion". Gaulden has been noted for his melodic vocals and "signature aggressive punch and high energy". Gaulden's often praised by music critics for his vulnerability in his music, ranging from the death of his loved ones to broken relationships.

Gaulden will often pay homage to his Louisiana roots in several of his songs. Gaulden's April 2018 track, "Diamond Teeth Samurai" samples Lil Wayne's "Tha Block Is Hot", a southern hip hop track. Songs like "Carter Son", "On My Side", and "Deep Down" will also incorporate Southern melodies and instrumentals. Gaulden has experimented with southern hip hop and hardcore hip hop sounds on his eighteenth solo mixtape, 3800 Degrees (2022), which pays homage to Juvenile's 400 Degreez and Lil Wayne's 500 Degreez. Songs like "Toxic Punk", "2Hoo", and "Bestie" are reminiscent of pop rock and rage songs, further embodied in Gaulden's experimental rage album, I Rest My Case (2023). Gaulden has also experimented with rap rock in songs like "Guitar Hero".

Philanthropy

In 2017, following the release of YoungBoy's seventh solo mixtape, AI YoungBoy, he gave away $20,000 in cash in the neighborhood he grew up in. Just a year later, in October 2018, YoungBoy gave a fan what seemed to be $10,000 for graduating high school in order to push more of his younger fans to stay in school.

In April 2019, YoungBoy headed down to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, his hometown, to feed the homeless in the area and set up a shelter for people in need while handing out food to the public. In August of the same year, while incarcerated, YoungBoy and his team funded an annual "Back to School Drive" in order to give children school supplies, backpacks, clothes, alongside other necessities which may be hard for them or their families to acquire. Through a phone call from jail, YoungBoy stated, "I hope everybody has fun. Thank you for coming". In 2020, following the release of YoungBoy's chart-topping sophomore studio album, Top, on behalf of the artist due to his legal circumstances, Mr. Gerald Gaulden, Cameron Brown, and Ms. Monique, all who have been around YoungBoy since his childhood would donate school supplies funded by YoungBoy to Capitol Elementary in Sacramento, California.

In November 2022, while on house arrest in Salt Lake City, Utah, YoungBoy partnered up with NAACP in order to donate 500 turkeys to Baton Rouge families in need for Thanksgiving. Furthermore, he funded a Thanksgiving buffet at Boil & Roux in Baton Rouge during his "Stop The Violence" movement in order to stop violence within black communities.

"Aye! Stop the violence. Look at me! I could promise you it's a bigger side of life. Stop the violence."

Just a month later, in December 2022, YoungBoy partnered up with his long-time rivals Fredo Bang and TG Kommas alongside NAACP and Metro Health Education in order to give back to their community in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to donate thousands of toys to the youth for Christmas alongside donating toys to the children's sector of Baton Rouge's Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center. They also hosted a private diner to provide food and gifts for people who recently lost their homes in house fires.

Business ventures

Never Broke Again

Following YoungBoy's signing with Atlantic Records in 2017, his music had begun to be released under Atlantic and Never Broke Again, a record label founded by YoungBoy, Rodrick "OG 3Three" Jeanpierre, and Kyle "Montana" Claiborne. YoungBoy's aim was to guide his friends into the music industry and give upcoming artists a platform to share their music. Never Broke Again's music would originally be distributed through UnitedMasters, however, on September 8, 2021, it was announced, that Never Broke Again would sign a global joint venture deal with Motown who would distribute their music and release compilation albums under the joint venture. Despite YoungBoy being a co-founder and the face of the label, it's run by Kyle "Montana" Clairborne. When asked about the inspiration behind the label, YoungBoy noted, "I felt like I had a responsibility to my artists to make sure to find the right partner for my label. I'm looking forward working with Ethiopia, Kenoe and Motown Records."

The label has been home to several artists such as YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Quando Rondo, and NoCap, as well as record producers and engineers such as Jason "Cheese" Goldberg and Khris James.

Amp talk show

On December 8, 2022, it was announced through the Never Broke Again Instagram that YoungBoy would ink a deal with Amazon's Amp. Following the announcement of the partnership, each Friday YoungBoy would host the radio show at 8 PM Central Time. Each episode would feature popular guests and celebrities such as Blueface, Rich the Kid, and Ja Morant; YoungBoy would interview his guests following their arrival. Despite Ja being announced as an official guest, the show was canceled on the same night and stopped airing since. On October 4, 2023, Amp was deprecated and all of its content (including YoungBoy's radio show) was discarded from Amazon.

Fashion

In 2020, YoungBoy collaborated with ASAP Bari's popular streetwear brand, VLONE to bundle with his newest studio album at the time, Top.

In July 2023, YoungBoy released his own sneaker chain under his Never Broke Again Clothing as the "Grave Digger". This was followed by a collaboration with Supreme in which he was announced as the face of the Fall/Winter 2023 Series. Ahead of YoungBoy's 21st solo mixtape, Decided 2, released on November 10, 2023, YoungBoy announced his collaboration with the popular streetwear brand, Guapi. The mixtape's 16th cut titled "Guapi" is an ode to the brand.

Personal life

Family and relationships

At 25 years old, Gaulden is the confirmed father of ten children with seven different women. Two of his sons, Kayden and Kacey, appeared in the video for his single, "Kacey Talk".

In October 2021, after being released on house arrest from Baton Rouge, Gaulden moved to Millcreek, Utah in the Salt Lake County with his then-girlfriend, Jazlyn Mychelle Hayes. On January 7, 2023, Gaulden married Hayes while on house arrest. In late 2023, Gaulden purchased another home in Utah atop several acres of land, which he dubs "Grave Digger Mountain". In March 2024, it was revealed that Gaulden listed the property in Milcreek for sale at $5.5 million. Gaulden currently resides in Huntsville, Utah.

Discography

Studio albums

• Until Death Call My Name (2018)
• Top (2020)
• Sincerely, Kentrell (2021)
• 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)

Awards and nominations

See also

In Spanish: YoungBoy Never Broke Again para niños

• List of highest-certified music artists in the United States