Rapper Kentrell DeSean Gaulden, better known as NBA YoungBoy, has been granted a full presidential pardon by President Donald Trump, just weeks before he was scheduled to be released from prison.
What We Know:
- The White House confirmed the pardon in a statement to news outlets on Wednesday (May 29). The news was also reported by CNN’s Jasmine Wright, who said, “President Trump has also issued a full pardon to rapper NBA YoungBoy… one of the most streamed rappers.”
- Eight others, including former GOP Congressman Michael Grimm and real estate entrepreneurs Todd and Julie Chrisley, have been granted clemency.
- YoungBoy, a Baton Rouge native, was set to walk out of prison in July 2025 following a plea deal in a Utah gun possession case.
- In a statement shared on his social media pages, YoungBoy thanked Trump and others involved in securing his pardon.
“I want to thank President Trump for granting me a pardon and giving me the opportunity to keep building — as a man, as a father, and as an artist,” he wrote. “This moment means a lot. It opens the door to a future I’ve worked hard for and I am fully prepared to step into this.”
- He went on to thank Trump’s criminal justice reform advocate Alice Marie Johnson, also known as the “Pardon Czar,” and his attorney, Brittany K. Barnett.
- He is currently preparing for hisfirst-ever headlining tour — the MASA Tour — which begins on Sept. 2 and includes back-to-back performances at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans on October 19 and 20.
