Inside NBA YoungBoy’s Life Outside of the United States
NBA YoungBoy is using his pardon from President Donald Trump to change his life entirely. The 26-year-old rapper was pardoned in May 2025, part of a sweeping wave of clemency grants. He used his free pass to board a plane and leave the United States for good. He just opened up about his decision to leave the U.S. behind on a podcast. Here is everything we know.
NBA YoungBoy has left the United States and doesn’t plan to return
NBA YoungBoy took his presidential pardon and packed up his life in the United States for a completely different culture. Instead of returning to his hometown of Baton Rouge, he’s opted to set down roots in South Korea. During an appearance on Open Thoughts, he explained his rationale.
The 26-year-old rapper told host Funny Marco that he wanted a fresh start in life. He also noted that news he was dealing with a heart condition changed his perspective on life, his career and what he was hoping to do moving forward. While he insists that music is no longer where his heart is, he has plans for a couple of albums and perhaps one more tour before he packs it in for good.
As for life in South Korea, the rapper is content. When asked if he plans to ever return to life in the United States, he didn’t hesitate to answer, telling Funny Marco that it is absolutely not in his plans. He noted that the “out of the way” country jives with his own energy, and that he feels safe in the Asian nation. It might not be that simple, though. The rapper noted that he can’t say it’s officially his home until they offer him a visa to stay. That appears to be an ongoing process.
NBA YoungBoy was serving a two-year term for weapons possession
NBA YoungBoy, whose real name is Kentrell Gaulden, has faced a string of legal issues dating back years. His most famous legal drama stemmed from a federal gun charge. In April 2024, he was arrested in Utah after being identified as a suspect in a large-scale prescription fraud ring. During that investigation, he was also found in possession of a firearm. Already a felon, YoungBoy could not legally possess a firearm. He pleaded guilty to that charge and was sentenced in December 2024 to nearly two years in prison, along with five years of probation.
Separately, in connection with the prescription fraud case, he pleaded no contest to two counts of identity fraud, two counts of forgery, and six counts of unlawful pharmacy conduct. Those charges resulted in an order to pay a $25,000 fine. The plea deal helped him avoid a litany of other charges that could have landed him behind bars for many more years.
After serving part of his sentence, including time in home confinement, NBA YoungBoy received a full pardon from President Trump in May 2025. With the slate swiped clean, YoungBoy publicly thanked the president for granting him a pardon. Still, he had no plans to stick around in the United States, hoping to put some distance between himself and his old, legally precarious lifestyle.
YoungBoy might not wish to live in the United States, but he’ll have to travel back from time to time. After all, he has 13 children who all live stateside. He said that, despite the distance, he remains connected to his children and will continue to be present in their lives, noting that that is what they invented planes for.
