From humble beginnings in Baton Rouge to chart-topping albums and tens of millions of streams, NBA YoungBoy’s rise in the rap game has been nothing short of meteoric. Despite a troubled past and relentless legal issues, the 24-year-old artist (whose real name is Kentrell DeSean Gaulden) has emerged as one of hip-hop’s biggest young stars and built an impressive $10 million net worth along the way. Let’s take a closer look at NBA YoungBoy Net Worth In 2024.
The Mixtape Grind Pays Off
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Like many rappers before him, YoungBoy first made a name for himself in the underground mixtape circuit during the mid-2010s. Between 2015-2017, he steadily released six independent projects like “Mind of a Menace” and “AI YoungBoy” to build an initial cult following. While these early tapes didn’t make him rich by any means, they laid the vital groundwork for his eventual mainstream breakthrough.
That big break arrived in 2018 with the single “Outside Today” off his debut studio album “Until Death Call My Name.” Peaking at #31 on the Billboard Hot 100, it marked his first major chart entry and kicked off a streak of hugely successful albums and singles that YoungBoy has sustained ever since.
Streaming Numbers = Big Money
In today’s music industry, racking up billions of streams across platforms like Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Music is the key to achieving rap superstardom and the lucrative paydays that come with it. And when it comes to generating gargantuan streaming numbers, YoungBoy has been in a league of his own the past few years.
His 2019 mixtape “AI YoungBoy 2” debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 with a staggering 144 million on-demand audio streams in its first week alone. Follow-up projects like “Still Flexin, Still Steppin,” “38 Baby 2,” and “Top” all replicated that chart-topping, streaming success. Subsequent albums “Sincerely, Kentrell” (2021) and “The Last Slimeto” (2022) continued his dominance.
Given the fractions of a penny an artist earns per stream, running up those massive streaming totals week after week ensures a steady flow of income. While hard figures are private, analysts estimate YoungBoy likely earns $5-10 million annually just from streaming royalties for his prolific music output.
Record Deals and Masters Ownership
With his undeniable record of hits, YoungBoy has been able to negotiate extremely lucrative record deals with his various label homes over the years. In 2017, he signed to Atlantic Records after coming up through the ranks of underground labels like Never Broke Again and AP Music Group.
While the terms of these label contracts are not public, it’s assumed that as his popularity and leverage grew over time, YoungBoy renegotiated for higher advances and greater ownership over his master recordings. Many top-tier artists these days are able to secure master ownership as part of their deals, ensuring they maintain control over their music rights and sound recording royalties.
Even taking a conservative estimate of owning 25-50% of his masters, YoungBoy could sell that valuable catalog for tens of millions down the road if he chooses. For now, he continues collecting the lucrative royalties while still at the peak of his creative powers.
The Touring Windfall
Though YoungBoy hasn’t yet reached global touring superstardom on the level of artists like Drake or Bad Bunny, he’s certainly made millions from his live performances over the past few years. His 2022 tour in support of “The Last Slimeto” was a smash success, with shows routinely selling out arenas across the country.
Data analytics firm Pollstar reports the tour grossed over millions across just 25 shows. After paying his crews, promoters, and venue costs, YoungBoy likely walked away with $5-10 million as his personal cut from that single tour run.
Like all the biggest rappers, his live show revenue is heavily augmented by meet & greet fees, merchandise sales, and other lucrative revenue streams. As he continues growing his global brand and drawing power, YoungBoy will likely be able to command even larger tour guarantees and higher percentages of profits.
Other Income Sources
Beyond his core music business revenue, YoungBoy has wisely capitalized on his fame through various business deals and endorsements:
YouTube Content: YoungBoy not only dominates YouTube with his official music videos and streams, he’s inked a lucrative content deal to regularly release exclusive videos, interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and more directly to his 13m YouTube subscribers.
Merchandise Empire: Like most top artists these days, YoungBoy maintains an extremely lucrative merchandise line selling branded apparel, accessories, and more through his online store and tour offerings.
Endorsements: Though still relatively nascent in the endorsement game compared to the biggest rap icons, YoungBoy has already secured deals with brands like Reebok, Rappers Grill Cosmetics, and the infamous Reese’s Puff partnership.
Looking ahead, expect to see YoungBoy leverage his platform and transcendent popularity among younger fans for even bigger sponsorship deals across categories like beverages, video games, fashion, and more. He has the “it” factor brands covet.
Legal and Personal Troubles
Unfortunately, YoungBoy’s consistent success and earning power has often been disrupted by an endless string of personal and legal issues stemming from his troubled past growing up. He’s faced charges including assault, weapons possession, kidnapping, domestic violence, and more over the past several years alone.
In fact, YoungBoy was only recently freed from a Utah home confinement sentence in 2023, putting a pause on his touring and some music releases. However, he still found ways to remain prolific and profitable by recording projects like “The Last Slimeto” and doing endless promotion from home.
Clearly, YoungBoy has squandered untold millions paying legal fees and posting bail over the years. However, his hunger for rap success and business savvy have always allowed him to recover and resume his relentless grind. As long as he can finally move beyond his past transgressions, the heights of his earning potential remain unlimited.
The Road to Becoming a Billionaire Rapper?
Looking at the fortunes and career trajectories of modern rap icons like Jay-Z, Diddy, and Dr. Dre, there’s certainly a plausible path for NBA YoungBoy to one day achieve billionaire status himself. He’s already accumulated a formidable $10 million net worth before even turning 25 years old.
If he can build on his streaming/touring/endorsement empire while also establishing business ventures like his idols did with clothing lines, spirits brands, TV network ownership, etc., there’s no reason YoungBoy’s personal wealth couldn’t multiply exponentially over the next couple decades. Consistent smart investing and business deals could make him the next titan of hip-hop’s nouveau riche.
But for YoungBoy to get there, he’ll need laserlike focus on his art while finally putting his personal troubles permanently behind him. It’s a tall task, but one well within his reach if he continues defying the odds like he has from day one. The foundation for a billion-dollar legacy has already been poured. I sincerely hope you find this “NBA YoungBoy Net Worth In 2024? Full Breakdown Inside” article helpful.
We are thrilled to feature Dory Larrabee Zayas, a NYC-based beauty, fashion, and parenting writer with a keen eye for celebrity news and biography journalism. Dory’s insightful contributions appear in renowned publications such as Allure, Well+Good, Forbes, and RealSelf. Known for her fresh perspective on midsize fashion, beauty trends, and parenting, she brings a wealth of expertise and diverse viewpoints to CelebrityPlus.net.
Follow Dory’s latest updates and engaging content on Instagram:
- Instagram: @doryzayas
- Followers: 4,792
- Following: 1,828
- Posts: 2,446
Explore Dory’s in-depth features and cultural insights that celebrate the rich backgrounds and unique experiences of celebrities.