NBA Youngboy, real name Kentrell Desean Gaulden, for a long time has been one of the most notable names in hip hop. Rising to fame in the mid 2010’s with his gritty, street inspired music, Youngboy quickly built one of the most loyal fanbases in the industry. However, legal troubles and personal issues kept him away from the stage for a while. After a long break from the public eye, with his MASA (Make America Slime Again) tour he will be making his return to the stage, performing and giving back to his fans that have been waiting.
The Rise Of NBA Youngboy
Youngboy was born October 20, 1999 and grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He started making music at a young age and quickly gained attention in the mid 2010’s when he was just 16 years old. His breakthrough came in 2016 when he released his mixtape 38 Baby, which quickly shot him into the spotlight. In 2017, he went viral for his mixtape AI Youngboy, making hits like “Untouchable” and “No Smoke” which were fan favorites. But fame brought new challenges. Legal issues, house arrest, and constant headlines followed him everywhere. For some artists, that might have been the end. For YoungBoy, it was fuel. Youngboy did not let these challenges bring him down and he kept recording – releasing over twenty projects in less than a decade. His work ethic built a fanbase so loyal that even during his years trapped in his home, his music still topped streaming charts. Even during his lowest moments, he remained one of the most streamed artists in the world.
MASA Tour
After a five-year absence from headlining the stage, NBA Youngboy returns on his 2025 Make America Slime Again (MASA) Tour that reasserts his presence in hip-hop while also giving the fans the live experience they’ve been waiting years for. It was originally announced as a 27 date arena tour that increased almost immediately to 45 shows due to overwhelming demand. The opening show kicked off on September 1st in Dallas, Texas and is scheduled to conclude on November 12, 2025, in Seattle Washington and along the way hitting major cities/states such as LA, New York, Miami, Atlanta, New Orleans, and many more. Youngboy so far has already sold out at least 9 shows this year including 4 in Texas, New Orleans with pre-sale, Atlanta with pre-sale, Kansas with pre-sale, and Los Angeles with pre-sale tickets. All shows are being performed in arenas as well which makes it even more impressive. A fan who went to the show in Los Angeles said the energy when Youngboy hit the stage was wild: “The crowd went crazy the second he hit the stage. It seemed like everyone in the arena had their phones out recording. During the opening acts the crowd wasn’t really paying attention and everyone was just waiting for Youngboy to come out. While he was performing you couldn’t even hear your own voice, that’s how loud everyone was.”
Closing Thoughts
From Baton Rouge to the top of the charts, and now to sold-out arenas across the country, NBA YoungBoy’s journey has been anything but ordinary. This tour is a reminder of how far Youngboy has come. MASA isn’t just about an album, it’s about resilience, growth, and the connection between an artist and the people who always believed in him, it’s about giving back to his fans that have waited so long for him. For NBA Youngboy it isn’t just a tour, it’s a way of giving back to his fans and celebrating a new chapter in his life.
