Following in the footsteps of Louisiana legends like Boosie and Kevin Gates, YoungBoy Never Broke Again makes autobiographical rap that touches on pain, paranoia, and trauma. Over melancholy pianos and guitars, the 20-year-old sings and raps in a choked voice that sounds like he wants to cry, but doesn’t know how. He’s incredibly blunt, and listening to his music can be as brutal as immersing yourself in early Chief Keef. “Red dot and head shots for who wanna do me/Homicides, mamas cry, it ain’t nothing to it,” he wails on “Solar Eclipse.” Often he’ll mention his family and friends by name. The emotional immediacy is undeniable, even if the headlines swirling around him remain unsettling.
Since the release of early mixtapes like 38 Baby and AI YoungBoy, the Baton Rouge, Louisiana-raised rapper has built a massive and loyal fanbase who have consistently made him the no. 1 streamed artist on YouTube. YoungBoy is almost always involved in a legal issue, but with every one, he only gets more popular. The hip-hop tabloids have responded by following his every move like he’s their Paris Hilton, though the only time you’ll likely hear him speak is through Instagram Live. On that platform, tens of thousands of fans watch him faithfully like they’re at a megachurch, as he angrily rants, gives life updates, and runs through cigarettes like a bag of candy.
His new album, 38 Baby 2, isn’t that much different from any other YoungBoy project, but part of YoungBoy’s appeal is consistency. Throughout much of the album YoungBoy is in his comfort zone, reflecting on his struggles over mournful production: “My mama cars ain’t never had AC ever since I was little/Thank God every card I got in my pocket hold at least one million,” he sings on the intro, followed by a verse from his own mother. Next to his mother, YoungBoy sounds sweeter than he ever has, but that doesn’t last long.
YoungBoy has become defined by his menacing personality, as someone who can say, “I’m down to kill a whole house when my feelings involved,” like he does on “Rough Ryder,” and then quickly move onto something else. Typically he’s hostile and unpredictable; it’s made his relationships the source of endless social media debate and it’s reflected in his purest love songs. “Let me love you in my own way, that’s from a distance/I said ‘Fuck you,’ I was on them drugs and I was trippin’,” he sings on “Treat You Better.” It’s honest, but paired with real-life stories it’s hard to listen to. The best YoungBoy songs balance his lovesick attitude with his never-ending struggle.
No other rapper has mood swings this extreme: He can sound like a typical madly in love 20-year-old and a madman who is a liability every time he leaves the house. It’s what made YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s connection with his fans so personal; whether it’s good or bad, YoungBoy lets them into his life. And now he’s not just another rapper who sings about pain, but the rapper who sings about pain.
