YoungBoy Never Broke Again says that he feels remorse for the kind of music and lyrics he made in the past as he now understands the power and influence he has on people.
The artist sat down in an interview with Billboard which named him among its Power 100 people in the world. In the interview, YoungBoy opens up and gets vulnerable like never before as he reflects on becoming famous and rich at an early age and the music that he made that he now views as not the kind of legacy he wants to leave behind.
In the video, NBA YoungBoy spoke from his Salt Lake City, Utah home, where he remains on house arrest since 2021. He spoke about reflecting on how he became famous at 16 and how his lyrics, in hindsight, now make him regret not being more responsible.
“I do want to feel positive about myself though. One day like ‘you did it. Nothing’s wrong with you. You okay to walk this earth, you’re not a bad person, you’re not someone who is f**king it up’. I’m just curious [about] the man I’m gonna become,” the ‘Kentrell’ rapper says.
“I think I grew out of liking music like the love for it but it’s like it’s therapy, it’s the only way I can express myself and as I sit down behind the mic and let things flow outta my mouth, I feel a relief,” he says about loving music.
NBA YoungBoy also said he isn’t proud of his past music that evolved into real-life beef and violence and which has conjured up a sort of cult-like fan base he now feels responsible for.
“I was flooded with millions of dollars from the time I was 16, all the way to this point in my life and I woke up one morning, like damn!, they got me, man, like look at s*it I spoke about, look at the sh*t I put in these people ears. Man, I feel very wrong about a lot of things, how many lives I actually am responsible for when it comes to my music? How many kids and people I’ve got caught up or put this sh*t in their ears or actually hurt someone?” he asked rhetorically.
NBA YoungBoy is the second most streamed rap artist for 2022, just behind Drake. Now 23 years old and a husband and father of 10 children, he’s vowing to do better in the future.
“I’m now I’m sitting back like I can’t do it all in one day but I promise to clean whatever I can clean but it’s gonna take time,” he said.
The rapper is also making changes in his personal life, not only in music, as he shared with Billboard that he planned to get rid of all of the cars he has in his garage and will replace them with antique cars. He also shared a light moment as he burst into a smile while telling Billboard that a woman speaking in the background was his accountant who ensures he manages “the money I was blessed with” properly.
The accountant Quintina Ricks also doubles as his business manager as she shares that she supports the artist in whatever ways he requires.
NBA YoungBoy also spoke about how the loss of his grandmother impacted him and left him feeling “empty.”
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Still, the rapper, who is known for being a recluse and not mixing up in the industry, appears at ease as he plays in the snow with his friend and producer Kris’ XO’ James, who shared how they met and are now “brothers.”
“I’m terrified of people. I am very scared of people. Like on my kids, I am terrified of people and I’m very shy,” he says, noting that he still manages to show up on stage and perform for his fans despite being a social recluse.
“People are cruel. It’s like we can’t control ourselves so you never know what someone will do to you,” he added.
YoungBoy’s imprint Never Broke Again LLC recently signed a multimillion-dollar deal with Motown Records as he goes fully independent following the end of his label deal with Atlantic Records. His A&R Kenoe Jordan says the rapper’s success is impressive, and he is one of the hardest-working people in music.
As for NBA YoungBoy, his first and only goal in life was to be a rapper, but he doesn’t want to be on top forever as the video cuts to a scene of him and his wife, Jazlyn Mychelle, and their baby girl standing in their kitchen.
“There will never be another YoungBoy. I will not be provoked, I will not be broken and I am not going back to who I used to be. Accept it or not, I don’t going back. It will only get groovy from here,” he says, smiling.