Rapper NBA YoungBoy has been pardoned by former U.S. President Donald Trump, months after he was sentenced to prison on federal gun charges.
YoungBoy, real name Kentrell Gaulden, one of hip hop’s most controversial yet popular stars, was among several high-profile names Trump pardoned this week.
The list includes: a former New York congressman, and even reality TV’s scandal-plagued couple, Julie and Todd Chrisley of Chrisley Knows Best, among others.
“I want to thank President Trump for granting me a pardon and giving me the opportunity to keep building, as a man, as a father, and as an artiste,” NBA YoungBoy said in a heartfelt statement shared online.
The 24-year-old Louisiana rapper had been sentenced in 2024 after pleading guilty to possessing firearms despite being a convicted felon.
The charges stemmed from multiple incidents, including YoungBoy holding guns while filming a music video in Baton Rouge and keeping a semi-automatic pistol at his Utah home.
He struck a plea deal that saw him agree to surrender the weapons, serve 23 months, pay a hefty Sh25. 8 million ($200,000) fine, and spend five years on probation.
He had also pleaded guilty in November to his role in a prescription drug fraud ring that operated out of his home in Utah.
YoungBoy had to pay a Sh3.2 million ($25,000) fine and was given no prison time.
The rapper, whose stage moniker stands for “Never Broke Again,” is set to embark on a major U.S. tour in September.
But in a dramatic move, Trump wiped YoungBoy’s record clean with the stroke of a pen, part of a spree of pardons that is making global headlines.
Also walking free are the Chrisleys, who were serving time for masterminding a massive Sh3.8 billion ($30 million) bank fraud scheme, all while flaunting their flashy lifestyle on TV.
Prosecutors had accused them of fabricating documents to secure big loans and hiding their real earnings.