YB Is Free: Trump Pardons NBA Youngboy, Social Media Reacts

Source: Gary Miller / Getty

Rapper Kentrell D. Gaulden, better known by his stage name YoungBoy Never Broke Again or NBA YoungBoy, received a presidential pardon from Donald Trump on Wednesday

The 25-year-old Louisiana native, who has become one of the most streamed artists of his generation, expressed appreciation for the opportunity to move forward without the weight of his legal troubles. “This means everything to me,” Gaulden said in a statement. “It gives me the chance to grow—not just as an artist, but as a father and a man.”

YB also gave special recognition to Alice Marie Johnson, a key figure in Trump’s clemency efforts. Johnson, whose own drug-related life sentence was commuted by Trump during his first term after public advocacy from Kim Kardashian, has since played a central role in reviewing pardon cases. YoungBoy’s pardon comes after years of legal complications stemming from gun-related charges. He pleaded guilty in December to being a felon in possession of a firearm, closing a long chapter of legal entanglements that stretched across multiple states and interfered with his rising career.

Despite the setbacks, he has maintained a massive fanbase and consistent commercial success.

With this legal hurdle now behind him, Gaulden can focus on his music and personal life without the looming threat of past charges. The pardon represents more than just legal relief—it marks a clean slate for an artist whose story continues to evolve in the public eye.

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