The Life Of Kentrell Gaulden: NBA Youngboy

The Life Of Kentrell
Kentrell Gaulden is known professionally as “Youngboy Never Broke Again” or “NBA Youngboy”. He goes under the stage name “NBA Youngboy”, which stands for Never Broke Again. He later changed it to Youngboy Never Broke Again do to copyright with The NBA Basketball. He was born originally in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on the 20th of October 1999. During his childhood, he came in contact with some very critical injuries. At the age of four Kentrell broke his neck in a wrestling accident with his cousin, and three deep scars still mark his forehead from wearing a halo brace. The injury requiring a head brace until his spin healed. 

Kentrell was raised mainly by his grandmother due to his maternal father being sentenced to 55 years in prison. After he was released from the detention center, Kentrell’s grandmother died of Heart failure, later Gaulden moved in with his friend and fellow Baton Rouge Rapper, NBA 3Three ( also known as OG 3Three). When his grandmother passed away a few years ago, Kentrell was left to fend for himself. He dropped out of school in the 9th grade and, shortly after, he was arrested for robbery, also after dropping out, he told his mom that he only wanted to just focus on his music career and shortly after that he was arrested again. 

The Early Years of his Carreer 
Youngboy began performing music with a microphone he brought from Walmart when he was only fourteen. He released his first mixtape * Life Before Fame* in 2015. Shortly after he followed that with a string of mixtapes including Mind of a Menace, Mind of a Menace 2, and Before I Go. Youngboy attracted attention with his October 2016 mixtape *38 Baby*. Youngboy’s quick rise to popularity included many problems with other fellow rappers, for example, he had “song-for-song rap beef” with Scotty Cain on December 2015, which in both songs included death threats. Although no real violence really occurred. 

In November 2016, U.S Marshals arrested Youngboy before a concert in Austin, Texas accusing him jumping out of a vehicle and opening fire on a group of people on a South Baton Rouge Street. Youngboy was charged with two counts of attempted murder. Youngboy was in jail from December 2016  to August 2017 for attempting first-degree murder. Speaking on his incarceration, he said: “I don't think they really target, but if you got a name, they know who you are, you do something they gonna come get you, and whoever your with and whatever they do, you're accountable for it just cause you got the biggest name.” While in jail in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, Youngboy released two mixtapes * Before I Go reloaded, and Mind Of A Menace. Youngboy was released from prison May 2017 after taking a plea deal and posting bail. A week after prison Kentrell released the single “Untouchable”. Also in August 2017, Youngboy announced the A.I Youngboy tour.   

On August 23, 2017, a Baton Rouge judge sentenced Youngboy to a suspended 10-year prison term and three years of active probation for his involvement in a drive-by shooting. Jackson had given Gaulden a suspended 10-year prison term in August 2017 and put him on probation for three years after he pleaded guilty to aggravated assault with a firearm in the 2016 shooting. If all goes well, he has about one year left on probation. Youngboy was arrested before a concert at The Moon night club in Tallahassee on February 25, 2018. Youngboy had a warrant in the state of Georgia for allegedly committing assault, weapons violations, and kidnapping. Hotel surveillance footage leaked shortly following his arrest showing Gaulden assaulting his then-girlfriend Jania. On March 15, 2018, he was released from prison on $75,000 bail. Youngboy has four sons with three mothers. The children are named Kayden, Kamron, Taylin, and Kamiri. In June 2018, he stated that “Baby K” isn't his biological son and that he will remain taking care of him.    

How’s Kentrell Doing Now
August 29th, 2019 Kentrell was released from a Louisiana Jail where he was being accused of violating his probation. He also was arrested this earlier this year over shoving a woman at a Georgia hotel. The judge considering the possible violations sentenced him to 90 days in jail and banned from performing for 14 months. Gaulden and is crew was reportedly on the receiving end of bullets on Mothers Day outside the Trump Resort near Miami. Shots rang outside near the beachside hotel, where YB and his entourage were later identified as being on the scene. It's unclear at this point what NBA YoungBoy's exact involvement might've been -- but multiple eyewitnesses say someone opened fire on him. YoungBoy was NOT shot himself, but his girlfriend, Kay Marie, was injured with a gunshot wound. The only thing cops are saying at this point is that one person was left dead in the shootout.

September 6th Gaulden released two new songs “Slime Mentality” and “Self Control”. Throughout “Self Control,” the 19-year-old Baton Rouge superstar uses his melodic flows to reveal how he dealt with loved ones losing their lives, the temptations of substance abuse and more. “When my grandma died, I had to beat the odds and it wasn’t easy.” and “When Boozilla died, I almost lost my mind, it broke me to pieces. We was slangin’ iron for Dump and the rest, it ain't no secret. 38 round my neck, we be them boys you don't want to smoke with.” Youngboy raps during the first verse of “Self Control,” opening up about past trials and tribulations. The judge is "not trying to keep him from doing his art, his business and supporting his children," Manasseh said. "He's doing really well. I think he really wants to show the judge he's taking responsibility." Manasseh says attorneys can submit requests for Gaulden to leave his house for important reasons only, such as doctor appointments, church and counseling. ​

Story by De’Maya Timpson

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