Artist Spotlight: NBA YoungBoy

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Kentrell DeSean Gaulden better know as (N)ever (B)roke (A)gain YoungBoy was born on October 20, 1999 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and raised by his grandmother. In the ninth grade, NBA dropped out of school and told his family he wanted to pursue his music career but ended up getting into a situation that led to his arrest and detainment in a detention center. However, this wasn’t too bad because this is where he began to write the lyrics for his first project.

After his jail release, YoungBoy’s grandmother died of heart failure and he moved in with his friend and former Baton Rouge rapper 3Three.

He began producing music with a microphone he bought from Walmart and released his first mixtape ‘Life Before Fame’ in 2014 following with several other mixtapes entitled ‘Mind of a Menace’, ‘Mind of a Menace 2’, and ‘Mind of a Menace 3′. Youngboy started to gain attention in October 2016 when he dropped his mixtape entitled ’38 Baby’ which featured Baton Rouge natives, Boosie Badazz, Lil Snupe and Kevin Gates. Two month later, NBA was arrested in Austin, Texas on suspicion of attempted first-degree murder in connection with an alleged drive-by shooting. While in jail, YoungBoy released several songs, including “Win or Lose”,”Don’t Matter”, and “Too Much”. He was released from prison in May 2017 after taking a plea deal and posting bail. A week after leaving prison, YoungBoy released a hot single, “Untouchable” which charted at #95 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In July of 2017, YoungBoy 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. On August 3, 2017, he released his mixtape, ‘AI YoungBoy’ which charted at 24 on the Billboard 200. Also in August 2017, YoungBoy announced the AI YoungBoy tour. NBA announced his debut studio album, ‘Until Death Call My Name’ in January 2018. The album was released on April 27, 2018. He released the single “Outside Today” on January 6, 2018.The song became NBAs highest charting song, peaking at number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Youngboy has three sons named Kayden, Taylin and Kamiri and currently is living in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.