If you’ve been tuned in to modern hip hop in the last few years, you’re likely already familiar with the prolific works of NBA YoungBoy. The artist, who is only 24-years-old at the time of this writing, first rose to prominence in 2015 and beyond, releasing numerous rap albums and mixtapes per year ever since.
YoungBoy has also amassed quite a large following through viral marketing techniques. He’s earned a dedicated listenership of just under 16 million users on Spotify alone. This behind-the-mic success gives way to an impressive financial portfolio. Celebrity Net Worth estimates his full net worth to clock in at over $10 million. Despite these major successes, NBA YoungBoy’s career is mired by legal troubles and music industry drama, keeping him from reaching his full financial potential.
In fact, the young rapper has spent a significant portion of his fame on house arrest while awaiting trial for numerous alleged crimes. The situation keeps him from capitalizing on the outlets that many artists use to bolster their income such as touring and endorsement deals. It’s as good a time as any to examine the prolific body of work released by NBA YoungBoy in the last decade or so. Let’s analyze the revenue streams contributing to his nest egg, and get a sense for his overall financial holdings. Without any further preamble, let’s dive right in, and see what we can learn from NBA YoungBoy’s impressive net worth.
Early Life
Long before NBA YoungBoy was topping the charts with tracks like “Tears Of War” and “Make No Sense,” he was born Kentrell DeSean Gaulden to an impoverished family in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. YB suffered numerous health concerns and hardships as a child, including a broken neck which would see him donning a head brace for several years. Raised primarily by his grandmother, his father was sentenced to life in prison. By the time YoungBoy reached his freshman year of high school, he had already dropped out and began taking up armed robbery to pay for studio time.
Throughout his youth, NBA YoungBoy went in and out of the juvenile prison system, and eventually found himself in a group home following the 2010 death of his grandmother, who served as his only guardian. In the group home, he was frequently abused and bullied by the other teens. YB claims that his treatment in the foster care system is what led to him discovering a darker side of himself, and eventually engaging in acts of violence as he grew older. By the time he was 14 years of age, YoungBoy had purchased a cheap microphone from Walmart and began producing low-quality recordings at home with his friend and roommate OG3Three Never Broke Again.
Career Beginnings
Despite the low-budget nature of his early recordings, NBA YoungBoy showed great promise in terms of his lyrics and vocal melodies, inspiring a host of support from other artists in the Baton Rouge area. By 2015, the rising star managed to land features from local celebrities such as Boosie Badazz, Kevin Gates, and several others. The following year, NBA YoungBoy was arrested and put on trial for charges of first-degree murder relating to an alleged drive-by shooting incident in Texas. While such serious charges would put the nail in the coffin for many other budding professionals, the situation actually raised YB’s street cred exponentially, and led to him becoming something of a household name.
While the teen was in prison awaiting his trial, he rereleased some of his earlier works with higher quality mastering, which only broadened his overall appeal to the masses. By the time NBA YoungBoy was released from prison on a plea deal, he had formed connections with other notable artists including Yo Gotti, 21 Savage, Young Thug, and Meek Mill. Shortly after his release, YB inked a 5 album deal with Atlantic Records to the tune of over $2 million. From 2015 to 2017, YoungBoy dropped a staggering 8 mixtapes, resulting in several placements on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, and establishing him as a force to be reckoned with amongst a new generation of listeners.
Major Music Success & Legal Troubles
Since releasing his first official studio album “Until Death Call My Name” in 2018, NBA YoungBoy has dropped a truly staggering quantity of music. The 24-year-old rapper has a catalog which boasts 6 studio albums. He also has dozens of mixtapes and hundreds of single tracks. These do huge numbers with his massive base of fans. NBA YoungBoy has even become the subject of a popular internet trend, in which young fans respond to any mention of other artists with the simple retort “YB better.”
Unfortunately, the young man’s success has not helped him to avoid additional legal trouble, as YoungBoy has been the subject of numerous run-ins with the law. His legal issues include assault, kidnapping, and weapons charges in 2018, involvement with a shooting and association with known felons in 2019, manufacturing and distributing drugs and possessing stolen firearms in 2020, and too many other issues to count. While some of these charges have been dropped, others have landed NBA YoungBoy on prolonged house arrest. Being on house arrest prevents him from capitalizing on his success with a nationwide tour for several years now. YB has also admitted publicly that he struggles with drug addiction, and has recently sought to get help from a rehabilitation center.
Investments & Business Ventures
NBA YoungBoy’s financial portfolio has been stopped up by his inability to tour. Additionally, his public image has made him radioactive to brands seeking celebrity endorsements. That said, the rapper has managed to diversify his funds through a number of keen investment strategies.
For starters, he purchased an expansive property in Salt Lake City, Utah back in 2022 for an estimated sum of over $5 million. Videos of the sprawling estate have showcased the modern interior design choices and open floor plan. This makes the property an excellent investment, almost certain to increase in value. After all, if you’re going to be spending a lot of time on house arrest, it may as well be spent in style.
Other financial ventures headed by NBA YoungBoy include the formation of his label imprint Never Broke Again. The label houses such artists as NoCap, Quando Rondo, Khris James, and Jason “Cheese” Goldberg. Seeking to promote other Baton Rouge acts who came up alongside YB, Never Broke Again shares a distribution deal with Universal Music Group. YoungBoy also collaborated with streetwear brands and sneaker chains, bringing his unique eye for fashion to the forefront of his portfolio. However, both ventures have since fallen by the wayside as the rapper continues combatting his legal woes.
What’s Next For NBA YoungBoy?
NBA YoungBoy went from struggling to a $10 million net worth in the span of only 10 years. It’s clear that the artist still has plenty of growing to do. With any luck, YB will beat his court cases, prevail against his addiction issues, and find a way to continue stacking his money that also brings him peace and happiness. For now, it seems as though this is a goal that YB takes quite seriously. He has publicly expressed his intention to get sober and remain on the straight and narrow. Any way you slice it, his $10 million net worth should provide a healthy jumping off point to move his life in any direction he chooses.
