Who Is NBA YoungBoy—And Why Did Trump Pardon The Rapper?
DALLAS, TX - MAY 03: YoungBoy Never Broke Again performs during JMBLYA at Fair Park on May 3, 2019 ... More in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by)
Louisiana rapper NBA YoungBoy is back in the headlines, this time after receiving a pardon from President Donald Trump. Here's what to know about the rapper, including what he was charged with and Trump's recent decision to pardon him.
Trump has spent the week issuing a range of high-profile pardons, including those for a former New York congressman, a labor union leader and Todd and Julie Chrisley of the reality show Chrisley Knows Best, who were serving federal prison sentences for conspiracy, bank fraud, wire fraud and tax evasion.
NBA YoungBoy marks another major hip-hop pardon by Trump. In 2021, during the final days of his first term, Trump pardoned or commuted the sentences of several figures in the music industry, including rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black; Desiree Perez, the CEO of Jay-Z's company Roc Nation; and Michael 'Harry-O' Harris, a founder of Death Row Records and a friend of Snoop Dogg who had been in prison for 30 years, according to The New York Times.
ATLANTA, GA - NOVEMBER 29: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Rapper NBA YoungBoy performs onstage during Lil ... More Baby & Friends concert to promote the new release of Lil Baby's new album "Street Gossip" at Coca-Cola Roxy on November 29, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by)
NBA YoungBoy, whose legal name is Kentrell DeSean Gaulden, is a 25-year-old rapper, singer and songwriter from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Since 2015, NBA YoungBoy has released six studio albums, 26 mixtapes, and three compilation albums. Four of his albums have reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, while his song with Juice WRLD, "Bandit," became his first Hot 100 top 10 song in October 2019, according to Billboard.
He's collaborated with a range of top rap acts, including Migos, Ty Dolla $ign, Lil Yachty, DaBaby, and more. Gaulden earned his first Grammy nomination in 2022 for Best Melodic Rap Performance for his feature on Tyler, the Creator's 'WUSYANAME.'
People reported that Gaulden is the father of 10 children with eight different women, including Iyanna 'Yaya' Mayweather, the daughter of Floyd Mayweather. His kids have made cameos in several of his music videos, including 'death enclaimed,' 'Purge Me' and 'Kacey Talk.'
The rapper will embark on his first-ever headlining tour starting in September. The 27-city U.S. tour kicks off on Sept. 2 in Dallas and will make stops in Houston, Los Angeles, Oakland, Phoenix, Denver, Chicago, Brooklyn, Boston, Philadelphia, Detroit, Orlando, Miami, Atlanta and more.
SUNNY ISLES, FLORIDA - MAY 12: Sunny Isles Beach police officers stand near a van where an ... More individual was found shot to death after a shooting close by that reports say involved rapper NBA Youngboy on May 12, 2019 in Sunny Isles, Florida. Police continue to investigate both of the scenes near the Trump International Beach Resort. (Photo by)
In December 2024, a federal judge in Utah sentenced NBA YoungBoy to just under two years in prison on gun-related charges after he acknowledged possessing weapons while being a convicted felon.
The rapper admitted that while filming a rap video in Baton Rouge, he was in possession of a Glock 21 .45-caliber pistol and a Masterpiece Arms MPA30T 9mm handgun. He also admitted to possessing a Sig Sauer 9mm semi-automatic pistol at his home in Huntsville, Utah, The Associated Press reported.
Gaulden pleaded guilty to one count related to his 2020 gun possession arrest in Louisiana and a separate count tied to a more recent gun charge filed in Utah. He reached an agreement that resolved Utah state charges and settled two sets of federal charges. One carried a 23-month sentence, and the other ordered five years of probation and a $200,000 fine, per AP.
In April 2024, Gaulden was apprehended for his involvement in a massive prescription drug fraud ring while under house arrest in Huntsville, Utah. Agents raided his multimillion-dollar home after receiving a complaint that he had posed as a doctor in an effort to obtain prescription painkillers.
Seven months later, he pleaded guilty to 10 state charges, including two counts of third-degree felony identity fraud, two counts of third-degree felony forgery and six counts of misdemeanor unlawful pharmacy conduct. He was sentenced to time served and fined $25,000.
According to ABC4, the rapper has also faced arrests and charges for attempted murder, drug and gun offenses, assault, and kidnapping. He was under house arrest for his alleged involvement in a 2019 Miami shooting outside Trump International Beach Resort. He was relocated to Utah in 2021 as part of a courtroom deal in which his lawyers said that 'moving to Utah would keep YoungBoy out of trouble.'
WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 06: U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a swearing-in ceremony ... More for Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff in the Oval Office at the White House on May 06, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump provided an update on the Houthi conflict in the Middle East. (Photo by)
In a statement posted on his Instagram story, NBA YoungBoy thanked Trump, "pardon czar" Alice Marie Johnson and his lawyer, Brittany Barnett, for helping make the pardon possible.
'I want to thank President Trump for granting me a pardon and giving me the opportunity to keep building – as a man, as a father, and as an artist,' Gaulden wrote. 'This moment means a lot. It opens the door to a future I've worked hard for and I am fully prepared to step into this,' he continued. "And thank you to everyone who believed in me. I'm grateful. I'm Focused. I'm Ready."
Two White House officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the artist's pardon on Wednesday evening, according to ABC News.
Drew Findling, a lawyer for Mr. Gaulden who briefly represented Trump in a criminal inquiry into election interference in Georgia, said in a statement: 'I am thrilled for Kentrell that his legal journey has come to a conclusion. From Louisiana to Utah the battles have been endless, and now he can concentrate on first and foremost his family, and then, of course, his amazing career.'
Findling confirmed to Rolling Stone that he was not the one who submitted the pardon application. 'I did not do the pardon application, but can confirm he was pardoned,' he said.
Gaulden was released from federal prison in March 2025 and returned to Utah, local news station KUTV reported. According to Findling, the pardon means the young rapper won't have to follow the terms of his probation, including drug testing.
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