NBA YoungBoy, who in 2025 surpassed E-40 to become the most decorated hip-hop artist in Billboard 200 history, sat down for a recent interview and in a revelation that may surprise fans, said that he has “one or two” albums and one tour left in his colossal career.
In a special Open Thoughts podcast held in Korea, where YoungBoy now lives, host Funny Marco (known for his deadpan approach) asked if there was ever a time during his early performances that the artist felt like pulling back.
“On tour, a doctor told me the left side of my heart was swollen and I never told nobody,” YoungBoy shared. “I never told anybody. I just kept doing every show. I finished my tour out like that.”
The 26-year-old rapper didn’t disclose any further details about the specifics of his condition, but added that the issue hasn’t completely faded.
“My heart kind of still is enlarged on this little side,” he continued, before alluding to the impact it has had on his songs. “That explains the music though, right?” he continued, clutching the left side of his chest. “She’s hurting.”
In January, shortly after the release of his ninth studio album, Slime Cry, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) announced that YoungBoy earned more certifications than any other rapper ever — having made more Gold and Platinum songs and albums than Kanye West, Drake, Jay-Z, and anyone else in the genre.
The LP after his August 2025 mixtape Deshawn, hosted by DJ Khaled, further cemented YoungBoy’s reputation for dropping new music at a dizzying speed, having put out at least dozens of other bodies of work (mostly mixtapes) and more than 100 singles.
Earlier in the interview with Marco, when asked how many more albums he had in him, YoungBoy replied, “One or two.”
Marco followed up by asking if there were any tours in his future “One for sure,” YoungBoy said. “I go on tour one more time throughout my whole life and that’s it.”
A series of legal troubles have also followed Youngboy’s rise in the music industry. In December 2024, the star pleaded guilty to one count linked to his 2020 gun-possession arrest in Louisiana and a separate count tied to a gun charge filed in Utah. The rapper, born Kentrell Gaulden, was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison with credit for time served dating back to at least May 2024.
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A month prior to his sentence, Youngboy also pleaded guilty to his involvement in a fraudulent prescription drug scheme while he was on house arrest in Huntsville. As part of the deal, his four felony charges were reduced to Class A Misdemeanors and he avoided prison time in exchange for a $25,000 fine.
In May 2025, President Trump pardoned YoungBoy. “This moment means a lot,” YoungBoy said in a statement posted to Instagram Stories at the time. “It opens the door to a future I’ve worked hard for and I am fully prepared to step into this.”
When asked on the podcast if he would consider moving back to the United States, Youngboy answered, “Never in my life.”