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Baton Rouge native Kentrell Desean Gaulden, also known as NBA Youngboy, rose to fame at just 17 years old when he dropped his first mixtape 38 Baby on his personal Youtube channel in October of 2016, garnering millions of views. The mixtape featured Baton Rouge natives Boosie Badazz and Kevin Gates and the tape has just recently gone gold. It’s been uphill from there for the 17 years old. After a handful of mixtapes and two rap beefs (Tee Grizley and Scotty Cain) later, NBA Youngboy was able to land a record deal with the notorious Atlantic Records.
On his way to success, NBA Youngboy assembled one of the most loyal fan base an artist can have- similar and as delusional as that of XXXTentacion. With multiple charges of assault and kidnapping as well as shootouts, Youngboy lives his life vicariously through a black Air Force 1. But that’s who his music caters to, black air force wearers and only those people can truly feel Kentrell’s music. As cringy as I think his music is, there is no denying that Youngboy was meant to rap. Gaulden is able to rap about his struggle of raising three kids at 18 on a softer, more melodic beat and quickly switch to a rough trap beat and go on a verbal killing spree- this somewhat made for a fun listen when going through his discography.
This is me I am wearing black af ones
As previously stated, I never got into NBA Youngboy despite his videos being marketed all over Youtube and seeing other talented and big-name rappers co-signing him, but his latest mixtape seemed to have been a year-long wait so I decided to take a listen. Not to mention, his 14 month-long house arrest made for an even more exciting release.
His teaser track House Arrest Tingz solidified the album’s eventual success. A week after the initial 11th of October release, the album debuted at number one on the top 200 Billboard. The album exemplified the traditional rap pattern that I previously spoke on. With the amount of charges racked up by NBA Youngboy this year alone, he is able to express them on tracks like In Control and Slime mentality.
He balances that with a braggadocious flow on a softer beat like the one on Rich As Hell. I’m not saying I’m suddenly an NBA Youngboy stan, nor will I ever get hyped for a mixtape of his that sounds the same (despite being a Pusha T fan) but I can definitely see the appeal. Youngboy doesn’t actually sound like any other rapper out there but you can find similarities. Kodak Black and Youngboy have similar sounds when approaching a softer and hold a lot of the same views. Add a bit of 21 Savage’s bleakness and you got yourself a Youngboy song.
Again, Youngboy has a sound of his own and is recognizable (something that is rare for a lot of southern-ish rappers these days) and is not even close to reaching his potential. In order for NBA Youngboy to capitalize on his potential, he has to follow the advice of Philly rapper Meek Mill, who in the Untouchable video tells to leave his city. The same thing was said by Boosie, a Louisiana native. Gaulden is putting himself in danger by not only putting music out and growing as an artist, but keeping street affiliates with him. Only at 19 years old, NBA Youngboy serves a role model but also a cautionary fairy tale.
Kentrell if you’re reading this, keep piling up those assault charges!
Look at his kids in matching foams omg
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