Baton Rouge-based rapper YoungBoy Never Broke Again is one of the most popular artists on the planet. There is no denying that. With a stronghold on YouTube’s music audience, the 22-year-old superstar has remained consistent over the last three years, keeping his spot as the platform’s #1 trending artist.
Fans have flocked to YoungBoy because of the street-friendly melodies making up his signature sound, which is often shaped by producers Jason Goldberg, Dmac, TayTayMadeIt, Mike Laury, and others. However, just as quickly as he can shoot some major threats to his opposition, YoungBoy has shown that he can also be introspective, and speak vulnerably about his emotions, life experiences, and psychological state.
A few weeks ago, Kool Moe Dee’s “rap report cards” from the early 90s resurfaced on social media, sparking hip-hop fans to rate some of today’s mainstream rappers on their skills. Artists were ranked on their creativity, voice, versatility, innovative rhyme schemes, articulation, and more.
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YoungBoy’s report card would likely show high grades in the voice, originality, and innovation categories. While many of his critics would argue otherwise, his strength in being painfully self-aware in his music – often singing about failed relationships, self-destruction, and drama with the mothers of his children – would also give him some extra points in the versatility department.
The heavily-misunderstood rapper has the ability to jump between polar opposite lyrical themes through trigger-happy songs, like the recent “Bring The Hook,” and emotional recollections of his hardest times, like on “Heart & Soul.”
Anybody arguing that YoungBoy is a one-dimensional artist should take a quick look through this list to hear some of the songs that the breakthrough talent has opened up on.
Stay tuned for the rapper’s brand new mixtape, Colors, which comes out on Friday.
"Heart & Soul"
One of the core songs that inspired this list, "Heart & Soul" is one of the most recent examples of YoungBoy Never Broke Again getting emotionally vulnerable in his music. Released as part of his new collaborative mixtape with Birdman, "Heart & Soul" dropped a few weeks following YoungBoy's release from a six-month stint in jail. The 22-year-old rapper speaks introspectively about wanting to change his life now that he's home, chastising himself with lyrics including, "Went to jail, came home, time passed, went back again/All the pain I felt inside myself, thought it would never end" and "Kentrell, you got to man up, you done had all these kids/I'm like, 'Kentrell, you got to stand up, it's your time, I see it'/I'm like, 'DeSean, thuggin', you just hustlin' backwards/N***a, you done won/I just fail to accept that you not good for anyone."
This is one of the most vital songs from YoungBoy's recent discography, giving the listener a look into the mind of one of the most misunderstood rappers in the world.
"Better Man"
Arriving as part of YoungBoy's 2017 project, Ain't Too Long, the 38 Baby speaks about heartbreak, death, and the perils of fame on "Better Man." Working to become an improved version of himself, the rapper spoke about the difficulties in his life that arose from his popularity, saying, "Could see the pain in my eyes but I always smile." At the time of the song's release, YoungBoy was still a teenager, rapping that he's "too young" to have lived through "so much pain."
"Foolish Figure"
Releasing "Foolish Figure" as a teaser track ahead of his Colors mixtape, YoungBoy was as self-critical as we have heard him throughout his discography, arguing that he is not a superstar in the emotional record. Speaking to himself in the chorus and referring to himself by his government name, as he does in "Heart & Soul," the rapper says that he's not as strong as he appears, describing himself as "broken down." YB also admits that despite all of his success, he doesn't feel much pride with regard to his musical journey.
"Life Support"
"Life Support" was released as part of YoungBoy's 2021 album, Sincerely, Kentrell, and it features multiple instances of the rapper recounting his family life with both of his grandparents, as well as his suicidal thoughts. Noting that he misses his grandfather's home and wishing that he had never taken to the streets, the song is filled with regret from the artist, who was incarcerated at the time of its release.
In the chorus, YoungBoy also seemingly speaks about his situation with his many baby mothers, saying that "they don't respect" or love him anymore, taking his kids away from him "during the storm."
"Kacey Talk"
If there's anything you should know about NBA YoungBoy, it's that he loves his kids more than anything in the world. Despite misconceptions formed by critics and negative media coverage, the 22-year-old is always making room in his schedule to spend one-on-one time with his children. On "Kacey Talk," YB gave his son Kacey his first publishing credit by featuring him on the record, and he also makes an appearance in the music video.
YB doesn't have any qualms about exposing parts of his personal life to his fans. While the lyrics in this song are far less introspective than other entries on this list, "Kacey Talk" deals mostly with the rapper's success, but his son's appearance on the record makes this a very personal record for obvious reasons.
"To My Lowest"
One of the most impassioned songs from YoungBoy's 2020 album, Top, comes at the tail end of the tracklist. "To My Lowest" is one of the last songs on the album but it's easily one of his most vulnerable moments on the project. Rapping about a failed relationship, YoungBoy alludes to being cheated on when he "needed" love.
"You hurt me deep when I was down to my lowest/I needed you, you ain't give a f*ck 'bout me growing," he says to start off the song, accusing his girlfriend of being intimate with another man during their relationship.
"Overdose"
Attempting to rewrite his narrative on the introductory track from his 2018 project, Until Death Call My Name, YoungBoy told his critics that he's not a bad person, a killer, or a gangster. He's simply himself, reminding his listeners that everybody makes mistakes.
At the time of the release, YoungBoy's career was being threatened with numerous criminal cases against him. He was also in the news for allegedly attacking his girlfriend at the time, Jania. Feeling as though the world wasn't getting his full story, "Overdose" helped to paint a better idea of who YoungBoy sees himself as.
"Self Control"
The music video for "Self Control" shows YoungBoy returning to his family after spending some time in jail. Arriving as part of his AI YoungBoy 2 project, the song has gone on to become one of YB's most popular hits, including lyrics reflecting on his grandmother's passing, why he "needs" to smoke marijuana for his mental anguish, and more.
"The Bigger End"
Another one of Top's more recent offerings, "The Bigger End" sees the rapper dig deeper into themes involving heartbreak, loyalty, and more, touching largely on the music industry's negative perceptions about him. YoungBoy claims that he's "fighting for [his] soul" on the song, discussing his volatile emotions and complaining about how hating on him has become a trend among hip-hop fans.
"Valuable Pain"
A fan-favorite record from his discography, "Valuable Pain" was released on YB's Realer mixtape at the end of 2018. It marks one of the first instances where the rapper discusses his high-profile relationship with Iyanna Mayweather, the daughter of famous boxer Floyd Mayweather. He speaks about their communication issues while revealing that he loves her and tells her that he'll do absolutely anything for her.
"Love Is Poison"
"Love Is Poison" shows a different side of YoungBoy's vulnerability in his music, as far as it pertains to love. The song, which was released at the beginning of 2018, is about the rapper's ex-girlfriend, who passed on a sexually-transmitted infection to the superstar.
"I gave my all to you, this is how you repay me/I put my trust in you, this is how you replace it," he sings in the chorus. "Your love is poison so no more I can't take it."
YoungBoy discusses the pain he's felt through being loyal to his ex, fans' reaction to him catching an STI, and not wanting to break up with her despite knowing it was the right thing to do.
"Emotional Torn"
On "Emotional Torn" from the 2020 project, Until I Return, YoungBoy expresses doubt in his relationship and wonders if his loyalty is being wasted. He theorizes about who will stick by his side when his fame and money run out, praying that there are still people rocking with him aside from his immediate family. Like a true Libra, YoungBoy is in people-pleasing mode on "Emotional Torn," calling out to his loved ones and challenging the legal system that has tried to take him down so many times.
"Sincerely"
The rapper's loneliness and pain are perhaps clearest on "Sincerely," a song on his 2021 self-titled album. The chorus appears to be inspired by a disagreement YB had with one of his girlfriends, waking up the next morning only to find himself all alone. He goes on to disavow all of the material belongings he has built up over the years, saying he simply wants to "lose this cold heart" and apologize for all of the pain he's caused in his partner's life.
"How I Been"
"How I Been" was written as a sort of confessional record from YoungBoy to his fans, who hadn't heard from the rapper in weeks after he deactivated all of his accounts on social media. Letting his supporters know everything that he had been working on at the time, Top spends time talking about many of his ex-girlfriends, including Jania ("Your name could make me tat three times on my face"), Kaylyn ("She tried to fake a baby, I ain't trippin' 'bout that girl, I want your love"), and Iyanna ("In May, you know I'll change the weather").
"Lonely Child"
Admitting that he simply wants to be loved, YoungBoy spends much of "Lonely Child" speaking about being misunderstood by the public. With his sun sign in Libra, YoungBoy can deal with the hate, but he strives for a healthy balance. "Lonely Child" is the eleventh song on his project, AI YoungBoy 2, and it features the rapper addressing many of the misconceptions formed against him.
"The way I came in the game, the image that I had put out, they wouldn't expect me to have feelings," he sings. "Know it probably don't seem like it, that’s why they talk about me like I ain't human, but we all is, but I'm still being me."
NBA Youngboy with Jania - Prince Williams/Wireimage/Getty Images
He starts his first verse with an apology to his mother before continuing to speak about his relationship with Jania, the mother of his son Kacey. "I never knew this fame would take the ones I love from ‘way from me/I wanna see Kacey bad, but I can't seem to call Nene," he raps. In the second verse, he speaks about his relationships with girlfriends Kaylyn and Iyanna, as well as missing his father, his deceased partners, and more.
"All In"
A great example of YoungBoy's strong ability to vulnerably open up about his emotions on wax, "All In" sees the rapper reflecting on his legacy, praying for his father's return home so he could teach him important lessons man-to-man, and discussing his issues with substance abuse. Top concludes that he ended up taking the correct route in life, mentioning that if he had cleaned up his act, he might not have ever witnessed such high levels of success.
Stay tuned for YoungBoy Never Broke Again's new mixtape, Colors, which comes out on Friday. Let us know your favorite vulnerable moment from the 22-year-old rapper in the comments.