NBA YoungBoy continues to rack up the accolades for his latest album Sincerely, Kentrell — from behind bars. The 21-year-old rapper’s fourth project in less than two years arrived on September 24 and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, with over 137,000 total album-equivalent units earned in its opening week. But according to a recent article from the New York Times, it’s no thanks to radio.
NBA YoungBoy’s music has been streamed over six billion times since September 2020 but received only 55,000 radio airplay spins in the same time period. Despite consistently outpacing Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande on YouTube, he doesn’t benefit from the same kind of airplay pop stars enjoy.
But YoungBoy’s content is typically littered with violent, street tales that don’t exactly fit in with Ariana Grande’s bubblegum pop or Justin Biebers’ musings on relationships. Still, some are wondering if YoungBoy is being blackballed by radio intentionally.
NBA YoungBoy’s legal troubles continue to plague him. In 2017, YoungBoy was facing two counts of attempted first-degree murder for his role in a drive-by shooting. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of aggravated assault with a firearm and received a suspended 10-year prison sentence, plus probation.
But a domestic violence arrest in 2018 and subsequent Florida shootout landed YoungBoy back in jail for 90 days, and he was forced to finish his probation on house arrest. (He later pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery for the 2018 incident.)
“You have a choice to make,” a judge reportedly told him at the time. “You can either be Kentrell or NBA,” to which he replied, “I feel the same way. I can’t be both.”
YoungBoy Never Broke Again Reportedly Indicted On 2 Weapons Charges Following Dramatic FBI Arrest
He ran into trouble again in March when he was picked up on a warrant in Los Angeles and taken into custody by federal agents following a dramatic foot chase. The warrant stemmed from an arrest in Baton Rouge last September, in which he and 15 other people were accused of possessing guns and drugs at a video shoot.
YoungBoy’s attorneys called the F.B.I.’s pursuit a “massive and wildly unnecessary militaristic display of force and intimidation.”
As NBA YoungBoy awaits his fate, fans have started a “Free NBA YoungBoy” petition, which has already amassed over 105,000 signatures. Find it here.
so almost half the world dont even with internet access but 6 outta 7 people on the planet streamed his ish suuuuuure thats the ticket those indian chinese warehouse heavy on the repeat lol worlstar number real too i swear
Yeah I wouldnt be suprised if those streams was paid for. I dont trust streaming like physical sales. Just leave your shit on repeat. I heard the album. It was okay but the lil wayne/rich the kidd album is way better. NBA Youngboy is kinda like the black Justin Beiber.
But he’s retard tho so that’s pretty accurate.It’s pretty much a fact that I/4 of the American population is mentally handicapped so I’m not surprised at all at his streaming numbers one bit. Most these his listeners can’t even spell NBA YoungBoy correctly let alone attempt to recite any of his garbage lyrics anyways because their CPU is at 99 percent already. I’m afraid if you told his fans they had to read and recite the lyrics from Rakim’s “Know The Ledge”, their rest of their brains would overload and collapse inward on itself lol.
You’re soo smart and yet you still don’t know how to proof-read. Hop off your high horse a minute and return to 5th Grade English there, Johnny Boy.
No, parts of pac and bits catalogue were too gangsta for radio. This is just mumbled garbage people can’t even understand.
Busta Rhymes ft Janet Jackson What’s it gonna be!?
Not really. I heard the new album and while he does some rapping, theres fucking singing all over the place. Whats so gangsta about that ? He literally sounds like the black justin beiber.
Criminals and woman beaters are too wack even for the radio. Cut his tongue out already.
6 billion and I don’t know anyone who listens to him. He sucks. There has been plenty of music that is far more violent on the radio than his, the only issue with him is that he’s trash. That’s all.
It’s too shitty for radio.
Numbers don’t lie he beat out drake he is a young ? and if u can’t relate to him or his music then that’s he shitty don’t expect u to get it but hey