YoungBoy Never Broke Again, who’s also known as NBA YoungBoy, is one the most poppin’ rappers in this new generation of hip-hop today.
At just 18-years-old, he’s been solidifying his spot in the game for the past couple years dropping project after project, although most people may know him from memes or his baby mama problems.
Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, he was raised by his grandmother and spent a lot of time in the streets. At the time of his birth, his dad was sentenced to 55 years in prison.
Growing up in his neighborhood was tough and he did not grow up having a lot of possessions. He ended up getting involved in the street life early to try and maintain a certain lifestyle that a lot of rappers portray still to this day.
During high school, his passion for music began to show to the point where he dropped out of 9th grade just to pursue music and also hustle on the side.
In an interview with The Fader, he said,
“ I hate school, I really don’t think its important. I got money without school. You go to school to become somebody and get a job and get some decent money, I got it without it.”
Despite having a very common dislike for school he still got his high school diploma to say that he has it and also to be a good example to his little brother.
Despite trying to set a good example for his brother this do or die attitude to pursue this lavish lifestyle got him in trouble with the police and he was arrested on robbery charges and was sent to a detention center in Tallulah, Louisiana.
While in the detention center he began writing songs for his upcoming projects he was planning to release. When he was released from the detention center his mother passed away due to heart failure.
He had to move in with fellow Louisiana rapper 3Three. They worked together to scrounge up whatever cash they had to pay for studio time.
NBA Youngboy started making music at the young age of 14 using a microphone that he bought at Walmart. He released his first mixtapes Like Before Fame, in 2014. A bunch of mixtapes followed Mind of a Menace, Mind of a Menace 2 and Mind of a Menace 3.
But his mixtape 38 Baby was what really put him on the map the project featured Lil Snupe, Boosie Badazz, and Kevin Gates. What also uplifted the project was an ongoing beef between NBA YoungBoy and another Baton Rouge rapper Scotty Cain.
In 2016, NBA YoungBoy was arrested in Austin, Texas for a first-degree murder charge in connection with a drive-by shooting and he was taken to East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana.
While in prison he kept his momentum going by releasing music. A couple songs that hit included “Win or Lose,” “Don’t Matter,” and “Too Much.” The Louisiana rapper was eventually released from prison in May 2017 after taking a plea deal and posting bail.
A week after leaving prison, the Louisiana rapper released the single, “Untouchable.” The song was a smash hit garnering over 132 million views on YouTube.
The song details of NBA YoungBoy struggles that he had to go through just to get where he is now and how he never changed on the people that were really there for him.
The song peaked at 95 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. On August 3, 2017, he released his mixtape, AI YoungBoy which charted at 24 on the Billboard 200. The second single from AI YoungBoy, “No Smoke” peaked at number 61 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“No Smoke” talks about how none of the rappers are really who they say they are and they don’t want beef with NBA Youngboy because he is really about that action and that life.
YoungBoy announced his debut studio album, Until Death Call My Name in January 2018 and was released later in April. He released the single “Outside Today” on January 6, 2018. The song became his highest charting song, peaking at number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In the track, he raps about not wanting to go out anymore due to the media falling him everywhere because of his status as a rapper. He can no longer have a normal life because of his fame that his accrued and it annoys him.
NBA YoungBoy’s music discusses the struggles of living in the hood and seeing people that you grew up die around you and how there is nothing there to help you cope besides drugs and alcohol.
He describes entering a state of no feeling in order to cope with the pain that he has experienced in his life, along with self-medicating with other substances.
Despite all the tragedies that he born into and had to experience he rose above it all and triumphed and is now able to provide for his family and his kids.
For only being 18-years-old, YoungBoy has accomplished a lot and we can’t wait to see what projects he comes out with next.