Summary
TL;DR: Complex sits down with NBA YoungBoy (NBA YB) in Utah for a wide-ranging Cover Story interview covering his 2025 tour, new album Slime Cry, his relationship with fame, the music industry, and his personal outlook on life.
Verdict: WATCH — fans of YoungBoy or anyone curious about his unfiltered, low-key personality will find genuine and candid moments, even if his reserved nature keeps some answers brief.
Key Takeaways
- Complex's Best Rapper Alive 2025: YoungBoy was named Complex's best rapper alive for 2025, placing him in the lineage of Hov, Wayne, and Kanye — though he responded with characteristic indifference, saying he doesn't think in those terms.
- Tour Success & Future Plans: His Make America Slime Again tour was described as the highest-grossing rap tour, but cities like Atlanta and Chicago canceled on him. He confirmed a future European leg is coming and hinted at another tour announcement.
- New Album Slime Cry: The album was recorded largely after the tour wrapped. He originally considered naming it "Massa" but felt the music didn't match that message. He was still considering adding one feature at the time of filming.
- Masters Ownership: YoungBoy confirmed he still owns 100% of his masters and said he would consider selling them — a notably pragmatic stance compared to many artists who guard ownership fiercely.
- Music Industry & Being "Blackballed": He acknowledged the concept of being blackballed but says he no longer thinks it applies, attributing industry distance to his own actions and the fact that not everyone is compatible with him.
- Personal Growth & Emotional Maturity: He noted that things that used to hurt him and fuel his music no longer affect him the same way — he's "just older now" and prefers to let things go rather than respond emotionally or make diss tracks.
- Advice to Young Artists: His single piece of advice to up-and-coming artists navigating the industry: "Save your money."
- Looking Ahead to 2026: He plans no more than four albums in 2026 (counting Slime Cry), is headlining Rolling Loud, and is most excited about his newborn baby.
Insights
- He tried therapy but it didn't work for him. Despite previously saying he'd never do it, he confirmed he gave it a shot — it just didn't stick. This is a rarely admitted detail from someone so publicly guarded.
- Fame doesn't register internally the way it does externally. He flat-out said he still walks through malls and therefore doesn't consider himself a star — a striking disconnect given his cultural footprint and tour scale.
- His emotional detachment is intentional and self-protective. He directly connected his shift away from deeply emotional music to the fact that things no longer hurt him enough to write about — suggesting his artistry has always been fueled by real pain, not performance.
- He deflects entirely on the Trump pardon topic. When asked about Trump getting him off house arrest, he said "I don't know nothing about that" — a deliberately evasive answer that stands out given that his tour was literally named "Make America Slime Again."
Key Topics
- Fame, Stardom & Self-Perception — YoungBoy's complicated, detached relationship with being a celebrity
- Make America Slime Again Tour — Behind the scenes, city cancellations, Birdman's presence, and future legs
- Slime Cry Album — Recording process, title origin, potential features, and sonic direction
- Music Industry & Independence — Masters ownership, blackballing, working with others, and industry politics
- Personal Life & Mental State — Life in Utah, family on the road, therapy, emotional growth, social media hate
- Future Plans — European tour, Rolling Loud headline, 2026 album output, and his newborn
Key Moments
0:22 - Intro: Jordan Rose introduces YoungBoy as Complex's Best Rapper Alive 2025 4:11 - YoungBoy reveals his life feels "perfect" but he's not happy, and can't identify what makes him joyful 14:50 - Discussion of the tour being the highest-grossing rap tour in its category; future tour announcement teased 20:28 - Album title Slime Cry discussed; original name "Massa" scrapped because the music didn't match the message 25:06 - YoungBoy opens up about when music started feeling like a job — when money became too central to it 34:52 - He reflects on seeing hurtful things about himself on social media and how he copes by simply moving past it 38:00 - Final advice to young artists: "Save your money" — delivered with full seriousness
Notable Quotes
"I just don't think I've been paying attention to it. I think so much I just be going with the flow. I never like stop and pay attention to the moment or something."
"When I let money become an important thing inside of whatever this is — that's when it started feeling like a job."
"Save your money."
Best For
NBA YoungBoy fans, hip-hop culture followers, and anyone interested in the psychology of fame, artistic independence, and what it looks like to navigate superstardom on your own terms.
Action Items
- Stream Slime Cry upon release and listen with context from this interview — particularly the emotional restraint YoungBoy describes as his current artistic headspace
- Follow Complex for the European tour and Rolling Loud 2025 headlining set announcements
- If you're an emerging artist, take his one piece of industry advice seriously: protect your money and, ideally, your masters