YoungBoy Never Broke Again

Not to be confused with Never Broke Again, the record label imprint founded by YoungBoy Never Broke Again.

YoungBoy Never Broke Again
YoungBoy Never Broke Again in 2023
Background information
Birth nameKentrell DeSean Gaulden
Also known as
  • NBA YoungBoy
  • Top
  • Lil Top
  • YoungBoy
  • YB
  • AI YoungBoy
  • AI
Born (1999-10-20) October 20, 1999 (age 25)
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • singer
  • songwriter
DiscographyYoungBoy Never Broke Again discography
Years active2015–present
Labels
Spouse
Jazlyn Mychelle Hayes
​
​
(m. 2023)​
Children12
Websiteyoungboynba.com

Kentrell DeSean Gaulden (born October 20, 1999), known professionally as YoungBoy Never Broke Again[1][2] 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).[3][4] 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.[4] 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 songs.[5] 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.[a][6] 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.[7][8][9] His fourth album, The Last Slimeto (2022) peaked at number two on the chart and served as his final release with Atlantic.[10][11] Gaulden then signed with Motown to release his fifth and sixth albums, I Rest My Case (2023)[12] and Don't Try This at Home (2023), both of which were met with trailing critical and commercial reception.[13]

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.[14] Gaulden is also the youngest artist in Billboard history to chart 100 singles on the Billboard Hot 100.[15] 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 Awards and one BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards. 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.[16]

  1. ^ C.M., Emmanuel (November 18, 2016). "The Break Presents: YoungBoy NeverBrokeAgain". XXL. Archived from the original on November 19, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
  2. ^ "20 of the Best Lyrics From YoungBoy Never Broke Again's 'AI YoungBoy' Mixtape". XXL. August 7, 2017. Archived from the original on August 7, 2017. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
  3. ^ "NBA Youngboy Signs 5-Album Contract With Atlantic Records. Deal Worth $2M?". Kollege Kidd. August 25, 2017. Archived from the original on August 30, 2017.
  4. ^ a b "YoungBoy Never Broke Again – Chart history (Billboard Hot 100)". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 17, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Caulfield, Keith (September 20, 2020). "YoungBoy Never Broke Again Achieves Third No. 1 Album in Less Than a Year on the Billboard 200 Chart With 'Top'". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 21, 2020. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference SK Number 1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Keith Caulfield (October 4, 2021). "YoungBoy Never Broke Again Earns Fourth No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 With 'Sincerely, Kentrell'". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 26, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  9. ^ Harris, Christopher (October 4, 2021). "YoungBoy Never Broke Again's 'Sincerely, Kentrell' takes Drake's 'Certified Lover Boy' No. 1 spot on Billboard 200". Revolt TV. Archived from the original on October 4, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference TLS NYT was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Stutz, Colin (October 24, 2022). "YoungBoy Never Broke Again Signs With Motown". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  12. ^ Mamo, Heran (January 6, 2023). "YoungBoy Never Broke Again Drops New Album 'I Rest My Case': Stream It Now". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 6, 2023. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  13. ^ Price, Joe (April 21, 2023). "YoungBoy Never Broke Again Unleashes 33-Track Album Don't Try This at Home f/ Nicki Minaj and Post Malone". Complex. Archived from the original on April 21, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  14. ^ Zidel, Alex (November 26, 2022). "NBA YoungBoy Passes 10 Billion YouTube Video Views, Has Been Platform's Top-Ranked Artist All Year". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on July 27, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  15. ^ Zellner, Xander (May 1, 2023). "YoungBoy Never Broke Again Becomes Youngest Artist to Score 100 Career Hot 100 Entries". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 1, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  16. ^ McKinney, Jessica (March 23, 2021). "YoungBoy Never Broke Again's Federal Investigation and Legal Situation, Explained". Complex. Archived from the original on March 23, 2021. Retrieved May 13, 2023.


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