Pardoned Rapper Now Rakes in Millions on Tour

YoungBoy Never Broke Again—better known as NBA YoungBoy—is riding a massive career upswing less than six months after receiving a pardon from President Trump. The 26-year-old rapper, born Kentrell Gaulden, is now headlining a sold-out tour projected to pull in around $70 million. He was sentenced in December to nearly two years in prison after pleading guilty to weapons charges, according to the Wall Street Journal. Even so, YoungBoy built a huge online fanbase, particularly on YouTube, where his numbers recently surpassed major stars like Drake and Taylor Swift. Until now, his ongoing legal issues had prevented him from proving his reach as a live performer.

His team had been crafting the tour for two years, waiting for the moment when he could take the stage again; TPi Magazine reported that the concept was originally imagined while he was behind bars. Live Nation’s Colin Lewis told the Journal that the tour’s explosive performance—more than 500,000 tickets sold across 40-plus arenas—shows YoungBoy is far more than a digital streaming sensation. The production includes an attention-grabbing opener featuring YoungBoy rising from a coffin suspended above the stage, with choreography by actor and creative director Teyana Taylor. Fans have described the concerts as intense, high-energy experiences.

“He’s not even supposed to be a free person right now,” one concertgoer remarked, referencing his recent legal history. The tour has also boosted YoungBoy’s streaming numbers significantly, with his catalog growing from an average of about 133 million weekly plays earlier this year to around 181 million since the tour kicked off in September. Not every date has gone according to plan—shows in Detroit, Atlanta, and Chicago were abruptly canceled, with YoungBoy’s agent attributing the decisions to issues with the venues.

YoungBoy’s pardon was secured with help from attorney Brittany Barnett, known for her work on notable clemency cases such as that of Alice Marie Johnson, a great-grandmother imprisoned on a drug-related conviction. Barnett describes YoungBoy’s trajectory as a story of transformation and redemption, adding, “I’m proud to see him using his freedom to create art that inspires millions.” The rapper himself has called the pardon an opportunity to continue growing “as a man, as a father, and as an artist.”

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