NBA YoungBoy: The Phenomenon Our Kids Chose
When we talk about influence in hip hop, the names change with the times, but the story doesn’t. For my generation, it was Boosie. For many of us, Lil Wayne had just as much pull. Even for myself artists like, Lloyd Banks, in those early G-Unit days shaped how we talked, dressed, and carried ourselves. That’s the truth. The music, the imagery, the bravado — it was all a reflection of our environment. We saw our lives mirrored in the bars, so naturally we imitated it. We copied the slang, the fashion, the attitude. That was adolescence, growing up in a world where hip hop wasn’t just entertainment — it was survival training.
But this NBA YoungBoy era? This is different.
This isn’t just another rapper hot for a few summers. YoungBoy has managed to capture an entire generation and crown himself their leader — without asking for the title. He’s 24 with more kids than some men twice his age, multiple baby mamas, countless arrests, stints in jail, public beefs with half the industry, and confessions of addictions and scars most wouldn’t survive. He’s admitted to carrying an incurable STD. And yet? He’s loved. Not just tolerated — adored. Young women scream his name, young men mirror his mannerisms, and he’s selling out arenas on the MASA tour.
And let me be clear — this isn’t hate. I’m actually a fan.
I respect the honesty in his music. I respect his fight. I’m glad to see him overcoming struggles and stacking wins. But as a father — as a millennial parent raising a teenage son in a suburban neighborhood far removed from “the trenches” — I can’t ignore what this means. My 14-year-old, with no ties to the streets, no business in the drill or sliding lifestyle, is a die-hard YoungBoy fan. He sees YB’s scars as stripes. He celebrates his success not just because of the music, but because it’s proof that survival is possible. That’s heavy.
So the question becomes: what exactly is resonating with our kids?
• Is it the authenticity?
• The raw pain in his delivery?
• The fact that he openly wrestles with demons in a world that pretends to be perfect?
• Or is it the “I did it my way” mentality — the rebellion against an industry and a system that tried to box him in?
Maybe it’s all of it.
And as parents, we’ve got two choices: ignore it and let our kids interpret it however they want, or study it and understand what draws them in. Because influence is currency, and YoungBoy is cashing out. If we don’t recognize that he’s shaping their worldview, we’re setting ourselves up to be out of touch and out of reach.
Here’s where I stand: I’m happy for YoungBoy. I hope his success story continues to grow. But I also know the same raw energy pulling my son toward him can either build or break. Our job is to use that connection, that influence, as a doorway. Not to tear it down, not to clown him for being a fan, but to help him translate the lessons. If YB can admit his struggles and still rise, then my son needs to know that resilience matters more than recklessness. That overcoming is more valuable than spiraling.
The phenomenon is real. NBA YoungBoy is their Boosie. He’s their Wayne. He’s their G-Unit era. He’s the one they chose. The least we can do is pay attention.
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