If you are a big fan of rap you probably have listened to or at least heard of the artist Youngboy Never Broke Again or NBA Youngboy. Youngboy has been making music since 2016, ever since then he has rocketed to the top of the rap game and has easily in my opinion earned the title of one of today’s best rappers. When your music is as good as Youngboy’s fame comes easily and when you have loads of fame as a musical artist it drives to to create and  publish amazing songs for everyone to listen to and enjoy, and Youngboy has done just that. In this article i’m going to state why I firmly stand behind my decision of placing NBA Youngboy at the top of the list of best rappers today. 

        Before we get into all that though you need to understand where Youngboy came from and who he is. Born Kentrell DeSean Gaulden, Youngboy has grew up with a tough lifestyle that no child should have to go through. Youngboy was born in raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. At the age of four, Youngboy broke his neck in a wrestling accident, which he had to wear a brace around his neck and head to keep it stable so it could heal properly. He was just eight years old his dad was sentenced 55 years in prison for a “robbery gong bad.” At the age of four, Youngboy broke his neck in a wrestling accident, which he had to wear a brace around his neck and head to keep it stable so it could heal properly. The three deep scars in his forehead still show today 20 years later. When Youngboy’s grandmother passed away in 2010 due to a heart failure he was sent off to a group home where he was constantly being beaten up by the other boys in the home. In 2013 Youngboy got sent to a juvenile detention center. In there he started to write lyrics to pass time. When he got out one year later he released his first mixtape. Youngboy continued with music and in 2016 he dropped his first big hit song “Untouchable,” which depicts and breaks down all his struggles as a child. 

          Millions of people grew up with a hard childhood, but what makes NBA Youngboy so special is even through those difficult times,  he found a way to turn all that pain and suffering into pride and passion. He is a prime example of why you should always follow your dreams and never give up because 9 times out of 10 it’ll always work out in the long run.

        With all the fame Youngboy has, it grants him even more money. According to a tweet sent from DJ Akademiks, who is close with NBA Youngboy, his YouTube page generates 292 million views a month, which translates to approximately $1.4 million dollars in streaming revenue. That means his yearly numbers are just under $17 million from YouTube alone, clocking in at around $16.8 million. Making NBA Youngboy one of the highest paid hip-hop artists.

       Throughout his career, NBA Youngboy has had many followers supporting him. As of 2023 NBA Youngboy has been crowned most streamed hip-hop artist, earning this title for the fifth years in a row. He is also the second most streamed artist from all music genres in the United States. His albums have also seen the No.1 spot on the top 200 billboard four times. On Spotify he has over 300 million streams alone. Youngboy is also the first rapper in the  history of hip-hop to have 27 solo songs over 100 million views. His most streamed song is “Bandit” with Juice Wrld having 912,199,509 streams with 273,200 daily views. His studio albums have three platinum’s, the compilation albums have one platinum certification, and his mixtapes have three, of which one is a double platinum certification. 

        Youngboy has topped many other artists in stats even the legendary rap icon Jay-Z. He’s not only on the path of being the best rapper of this decade, is also paving the way for being the best rapper of all time. One of the reasons for this is his consistency. It feels like every time you go on youtube or any music streaming platform he always has a brand new song to listen too. NBA Youngboy has released a total of 16 mixtapes, 2 studio albums, and 3 collaborative projects. The album “38 Baby” released by NBA Youngboy in 2016 has garnered millions of streams as of 2021. His album “Until Death Call My Name” debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 chart. 

     In conclusion NBA Youngboy is simply the best rapper in my opinion for the sheer fact that his aggressive passion, thugged-out persona, and “me against the world” attitude have catapulted him to heights that most in the music industry did not see coming. At only 24 years of age, Youngboy’s sheer volume of music available online, and the influence he has on the youth, is amazing. With his professed fervor for retaliation, Youngboy has earned a rep as a single-minded aggressor, but his more confrontational songs are blunted by a soft side. He also has a seemingly inexhaustible work ethic—he has released nineteen full-length solo projects in just under eight years, which is incredible and just proves why he’s the greatest rapper today.