Few names in modern hip-hop generate as much search interest as NBA YoungBoy, and one of the most common questions fans type into Google is simply “NBA YoungBoy age.” Born Kentrell DeSean Gaulden on October 20, 1999, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the rapper is currently 26 years old, having built his career from a teenager releasing mixtapes on the internet into one of the most commercially dominant artists of his generation.
Understanding NBA YoungBoy’s age matters because so much of his story — his first mixtape, his first child, his first arrest, his first Billboard hit — happened remarkably early in his life, which is part of why he’s known for packing decades of headlines into just one. This article breaks down his early life, education, career timeline, relationships, net worth, and more, all while keeping the focus on the NBA YoungBoy age milestones that fans want to understand.
Early Life and Family
NBA YoungBoy’s story begins in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a city whose sound and struggle shaped much of his early music. Looking at his family background helps explain why his age has always been tied so closely to his public narrative — he was thrust into adult responsibilities and public attention well before most people finish school.
- Birth and birthplace: Kentrell DeSean Gaulden was born on October 20, 1999, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, which anchors every NBA YoungBoy age calculation fans make today.
- Mother: His mother is Sherhonda Gaulden. Detailed information about her profession has not been made public, and NBA YoungBoy has generally kept his mother’s personal and professional life out of the spotlight.
- Father: His father was sentenced to a lengthy prison term (widely reported as 55 years) while Kentrell was still an infant, meaning NBA YoungBoy’s age when his father was incarcerated was essentially zero — he has no early memories of his father being present.
- Primary caregiver: Because of his father’s incarceration, YoungBoy was largely raised by his maternal grandmother in Baton Rouge, an upbringing that heavily influenced the themes of loss and resilience in his music.
- Siblings: He has a brother, Ken Gaulden, another brother who goes by Bway Yungy, and a sister, Teelee Gaulden.
- Childhood injury: As a toddler, Gaulden reportedly broke his neck while wrestling and had to wear a head brace to stabilize his spine, which left permanent scars on his forehead — a detail fans sometimes notice without knowing the story behind it.
- Neighborhood influence: Growing up in Baton Rouge exposed him early to Southern hip-hop and street culture, both of which show up constantly in his lyrics, and shaped how he talks about his own NBA YoungBoy age and upbringing in interviews.
Family Background Summary
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Full birth name | Kentrell DeSean Gaulden |
| Birth date | October 20, 1999 |
| Birthplace | Baton Rouge, Louisiana |
| Mother | Sherhonda Gaulden |
| Father | Incarcerated (reportedly a 55-year sentence) when Kentrell was an infant |
| Primary caregiver | Maternal grandmother |
| Siblings | Brother Ken Gaulden, brother “Bway Yungy,” sister Teelee Gaulden |
| Notable childhood event | Broke his neck as a toddler; wore a head brace, leaving scars |
Education
Unlike many biography subjects, NBA YoungBoy’s educational path was cut short by his early rise in music, and his age at each stage explains why his formal schooling never extended into college.
- Elementary years: He attended school in the Baton Rouge area during his early childhood, where by his own accounts he began writing rhymes as young as fourth grade.
- Middle and early high school: He continued through school until the ninth grade, a stage most students reach around age 14 or 15, which lines up with the NBA YoungBoy age at which he made the decision to leave formal education behind.
- Dropping out: At around 14 to 15 years old, Gaulden left school in the ninth grade to focus entirely on recording and releasing music, a choice that set the trajectory for the rest of his career.
- No college or university: NBA YoungBoy did not attend college or university; his path bypassed higher education entirely in favor of an independent, self-driven music career.
- No formal degree: Because he left school before completing high school, there is no publicly reported diploma or academic degree associated with him.
- “Graduation” from the streets to the studio: Rather than a traditional graduation, the NBA YoungBoy age milestone most associated with this period is around 14, when he purchased a microphone from Walmart and started recording independently, effectively trading a classroom for a home studio.
While there are no academic extracurriculars or degrees to report, his early departure from school is frequently cited in his biography as the turning point that allowed him to release his first project as a teenager rather than as an adult.
Career
NBA YoungBoy’s career timeline is defined by remarkable speed — nearly every milestone happened at a younger NBA YoungBoy age than is typical in the music industry, and that pace has not slowed down even now that he is in his mid-twenties.
- Beginning to record (2014): At around 14, Gaulden began writing and recording using inexpensive home equipment, uploading his earliest work online under the name NBA YoungBoy.
- First mixtape (2015): At 15 or 16, he released his debut mixtape, Life Before Fame, which introduced his raw, melodic street-rap style to a growing regional audience.
- Legal setback and jail (2016–2017): While his career was picking up steam, he was jailed on serious charges connected to a shooting incident. He continued to write and record while incarcerated, and songs like “Win or Lose” became hits even before his release.
- Release and breakthrough single (2017): He was released from custody in May 2017 and quickly followed up with “Untouchable,” which charted on the Billboard Hot 100 and confirmed there was real commercial demand for his music.
- Mainstream hit (2018): “Outside Today” became his biggest song to that point, debuting in the Billboard Hot 100’s upper reaches and eventually earning multiple platinum certifications, cementing his commercial breakout at a still-young NBA YoungBoy age of 18 or 19.
- First Top 10 hit (2019): His collaboration with the late Juice WRLD, “Bandit,” gave him his first Top 10 single on the Billboard Hot 100.
- Chart dominance through his early twenties: Across the early 2020s, YoungBoy repeatedly topped or landed near the top of the Billboard 200 with mixtapes and albums, including projects released or promoted during periods of legal restriction.
- House arrest and release (2024): After a period of house arrest tied to prior legal issues, he was released, freeing him to return to touring and public performances.
- Return to touring (2025): He launched the Make America Slime Again (MASA) Tour in September 2025 in Dallas, Texas, his first major arena run since being freed from house arrest.
- Industry record (2026): In January 2026, at age 26, NBA YoungBoy became the most RIAA-certified rapper in history, surpassing artists like Drake, JAY-Z, and Kanye West with more than 120 certified plaques — a striking achievement given the relatively short number of years, measured against his NBA YoungBoy age, that he has been active.
Career Timeline Table
| Year | Milestone | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Started recording | Began writing and recording music at home around age 14 |
| 2015 | Debut mixtape | Released Life Before Fame, his first independent project |
| 2016–2017 | Incarceration | Jailed on serious charges; continued writing and recording music |
| 2017 | Released from custody | Released “Untouchable” shortly after his release in May 2017 |
| 2018 | Mainstream breakout | “Outside Today” became his first major charting hit |
| 2019 | First Top 10 single | “Bandit” with Juice WRLD reached the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 |
| 2020–2023 | Chart dominance | Multiple albums/mixtapes reached the top of the Billboard 200 |
| 2024 | Released from house arrest | Regained freedom to tour and perform publicly |
| 2025 | MASA Tour launch | Kicked off the Make America Slime Again arena tour in Dallas |
| 2026 | RIAA record | Became the most certified rapper in RIAA history at age 26 |
Relationships and Controversies
NBA YoungBoy’s personal life has drawn nearly as much public attention as his music, in large part because major relationship milestones happened at a notably young NBA YoungBoy age compared to most public figures.
- Early fatherhood: He became a father for the first time as a teenager, with his son Kayden born when NBA YoungBoy’s age was reportedly around 16, an early start to parenthood that has stayed part of his public story ever since.
- Past relationships: Over the years he has been publicly linked to several women, including Jania Bania and Young Lyric, relationships that were widely covered by hip-hop media and fan communities.
- Relationship with Iyanna Mayweather: In January 2021, he and Iyanna Mayweather (daughter of boxer Floyd Mayweather) welcomed a son together, a relationship that received significant media attention given both families’ public profiles.
- Marriage: NBA YoungBoy married Jazlyn Mychelle Hayes in January 2023. The couple has multiple children together and are among the few of his relationships to result in a legal marriage.
- Large, blended family: He has been widely reported to have around ten to eleven children with multiple mothers, a fact that is frequently discussed alongside his music career and often referenced directly in his lyrics.
- Legal controversies: Throughout his career, he has faced numerous legal issues, including firearm-related charges, assault allegations, and probation violations, several of which led to jail time or house arrest at different points in his twenties.
- Public perception: Fans see him as one of the most authentic and prolific voices in modern rap, pointing to his enormous streaming numbers and RIAA certifications, while critics point to his repeated legal troubles as a complicating factor in his public image.
Net Worth
Because NBA YoungBoy’s finances are private, there is no single confirmed figure for his net worth, and estimates from different outlets vary considerably. Most credible mid-range estimates place his fortune in the low-to-mid eight figures as of his mid-twenties.
- General estimate range: Public estimates for 2026 generally fall between $10 million and $20 million, though some sources report figures as low as $6 million and others as high as $35–45 million.
- Primary income source: The bulk of his income reportedly comes from music streaming royalties, particularly from YouTube and Spotify, given his billions of cumulative streams.
- Record deals: He has signed multiple major contracts over his career, reportedly worth tens of millions of dollars combined, including advances and distribution partnerships.
- Touring income: Touring has historically been inconsistent due to periods of legal restriction, but his 2025 MASA Tour marked a significant return to a major source of live-performance revenue.
- Assets: Reported assets include a multi-million-dollar mansion in Utah (cited around $5.2 million in some reports), luxury vehicles, and jewelry, though exact figures are not independently confirmed.
- Volatility: His net worth has reportedly fluctuated over the years due to legal expenses, missed touring opportunities during legal restrictions, and high personal spending, which is common among artists with his level of public exposure.
Net Worth Summary Table
| Category | Amount/Details |
|---|---|
| Estimated net worth (2026) | $10 million–$20 million (commonly cited range) |
| Low-end estimates | Around $6 million–$8 million |
| High-end estimates | Up to $35 million–$45 million (less common) |
| Primary income | Music streaming royalties (YouTube, Spotify) |
| Secondary income | Record deals, touring, merchandise |
| Reported major asset | Utah mansion (~$5.2 million, per public reports) |
| Note | Figures are public estimates only; exact finances are private |
Other Ventures
Beyond music, NBA YoungBoy has built a broader brand presence, much of it centered on his massive digital footprint rather than traditional celebrity endorsements.
- Never Broke Again label: He operates under the Never Broke Again (NBA) brand, which functions as both his artist identity and an imprint connected to his music releases.
- YouTube dominance: His YouTube channel has amassed billions of cumulative views, making it one of the largest single revenue and visibility drivers of his career.
- Merchandise: He sells branded merchandise tied to his “Never Broke Again” and “38 Baby” identities, which are recognizable symbols among his fanbase.
- Social media presence: Despite periods of legal restriction limiting his public appearances, he has maintained a large and active social media following that keeps engagement high between releases.
- Music-industry influence: His approach to prolific, streaming-first releases — rather than a traditional radio or touring-first model — has influenced how other young artists think about building a career.
- Limited traditional brand deals: Compared to many mainstream artists his age, NBA YoungBoy has largely avoided conventional corporate endorsement deals, keeping his public ventures centered on music and his own label.
Charitable Work
Compared to the extensive public record of his music career, there is limited publicly documented information about formal philanthropic initiatives connected to NBA YoungBoy. He has not been widely reported as running a dedicated charitable foundation, and detailed information about structured giving or nonprofit partnerships is not consistently available in public sources. What is documented is that he has spoken about financially supporting his large family, including his children, though this is generally described as personal financial support rather than organized charitable work. Readers interested in verified philanthropic activity should look to his official statements or verified interviews for the most accurate, up-to-date information, since secondhand reports in this area are inconsistent.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is NBA YoungBoy in 2026? As of 2026, NBA YoungBoy is 26 years old. His birthday is October 20, 1999, so his exact NBA YoungBoy age depends on whether the current date falls before or after October 20 in a given year.
Who is NBA YoungBoy married to? NBA YoungBoy is married to Jazlyn Mychelle Hayes, whom he wed in January 2023. He has also been linked to several other partners over the years, including Iyanna Mayweather, with whom he shares a child.
What is NBA YoungBoy’s net worth? Public estimates place NBA YoungBoy’s net worth in 2026 somewhere between $10 million and $20 million, though figures from different sources range as low as $6 million and as high as $35–45 million, since his exact finances are private.
What does NBA YoungBoy do for a living? NBA YoungBoy is a rapper, singer, and songwriter known for his prolific mixtape output, distinctive Southern hip-hop sound, and hits like “Outside Today,” “Untouchable,” and “Bandit.”
Does NBA YoungBoy have any children? Yes, NBA YoungBoy has a large family, widely reported to include around ten to eleven children with multiple mothers, with his first child born when NBA YoungBoy’s age was reportedly around 16.