Never heard of NBA YoungBoy (aka YoungBoy Never Broke Again)? This rising star from the south has now become the object of intense scrutiny. Why? On Sunday, Feb. 25, he was arrested in Tallahassee, Florida. And the allegations he’s facing are pretty serious: assault, kidnapping and a weapons charge. Soon after, a clip surfaced from TMZ that allegedly shows him body-slamming his girlfriend Jania in a hotel in Georgia. In light of this news, let’s take a closer look at this 18-year-old rapper.
1) NBA YoungBoy’s real name is Kentrell DeSean Gaulden. He’s originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was mostly raised by his grandmother. He started rapping around age 15. He dropped out of 9th grade to pursue music. However, he quickly found himself in trouble. He was arrested for theft and sent to a youth detention center. While there, he reportedly began seriously writing lyrics for what would be become his debut project.
2) That wasn’t YoungBoy’s only run-in with the law. In 2017, he was sentenced to a suspended 10-year sentence and 3 years’ probation for somehow participating in a drive-by shooting. Head here to see which celebrities have arrest mugshots.
3) He released his first new music in 2014. It was a mixtape titled Life Before Fame. He followed that up with several more mixtapes including 3 installments of Mind of a Menace. In no time, YoungBoy’s star began to rise. One reason for his meteoric rise was his supposed rap beef with Scotty Cain. In several songs they trade death threats but no actual violence ever occurred between them.
4) Fader magazine called YoungBoy a “prodigy” in the hip-hop world. That’s quite an endorsement for a then-16-year-old performer!
5) Despite the video, YoungBoy’s girlfriend claims that they were just messing around in the hotel. “I was pulling him. That’s just us. That’s how we like to play… Has he ever put his hands on me? F**k no. Do we play a lot? F**k yeah. We 18. We’re 18, what do ya’ll expect… Mind ya’ll business.”
HollywoodLifers, are you a fan of YoungBoy? Does this arrest or video turn you off his music? Share your thoughts and reactions in the comments section below.
