While YoungBoy Never Broke Again's A1 YoungBoy project has been earning the young artist a spot at the table, it's easy to forget that YoungBoy has a darker, violent past. About eight months ago, the Baton Rouge rapper found himself jailed for attempted murder charges over his involvement in a drive-by shooting. While the rapper was eventually released from jail after serving a brief stint, he recently went to court over his aggravated assault charges. There, he was left at the mercy of Judge Bonnie Jackson, and Baton Rouge publication The Advocate provided a detailed analysis of the proceedings.
YoungBoy, born Kendall Gaulden, was given a suspended sentence of ten years, three years of probation, 250 hours of community service, a $5000 dollar fine, and a stern lecture from the Judge. And while Judge Jackson did give YoungBoy a tough but fair sentence, she certainly did not mince words when addressing YoungBoy's violent behavior. "Fortunately, you all were bad shots," said Jackson, before addressing YoungBoy's commitment to his locale. "You know how much killing is taking place in New Orleans. Baton Rouge isn't much better. That's the environment we're living in."
She also showed little interest in the fact that YoungBoy is on the cusp of a promising career; in fact, the Judge took an accusatory tone toward hip-hop in general, warning YoungBoy that his involvement in the genre meant he had a larger social responsibility. "Your genre has normalized violence," she said, according to the Advocate. "People listen to you."
YoungBoy's lawyer James Manasseh claimed that his client was “good-hearted, kind, sweet young man," who was attempting to make amends by buying children school supplies and copping his mother a house. YoungBoy allegedly promised the judge that he was committed to "doing right," but the Judge reiterated that "failure was not an option."
Here's hoping that YoungBoy can live up to his promised expectations, otherwise his career may end before it ever truly blossoms.