NBA YoungBoy’s neighbor wants to bake him cookies as a welcome home gift
NBA YoungBoy’s Neighbor Offers Cookies After Early Release: A Sweet Moment in a Controversial Career
It’s not every day that a neighbor wants to bake cookies for a world-famous rapper fresh out of prison. But for Kentrell Gaulden—known globally as NBA YoungBoy or YoungBoy Never Broke Again—this heartwarming gesture is part of his surprising return to civilian life.
The Baton Rouge-born artist, who was sentenced to 23 months in prison in late 2024, is now home early in Utah. Known for his chart-topping success and a rap sheet almost as long as his discography, Gaulden’s presence has sparked everything from media frenzy to neighborhood curiosity. Yet among the flurry of headlines, it’s one quiet voice that stands out.
From a Mic at Walmart to YouTube Domination
YoungBoy’s journey began far from this quiet suburban kindness. He started making music at just 14, after purchasing a microphone from Walmart. By 2015, his debut mixtape Life Before Fame signaled the start of an unstoppable grind. He dropped a flurry of mixtapes—Mind of a Menace (1, 2, and 3), and 38 Baby—the last of which featured Baton Rouge veterans like Boosie Badazz and Kevin Gates.
His beef with fellow local rapper Scotty Cain in 2015, while purely lyrical, helped draw attention to his aggressive, emotionally charged style. In 2017, after signing with Atlantic Records, he dropped Untouchable and No Smoke, earning his first Billboard Hot 100 placements.
But it was 2018’s Outside Today—peaking at No. 31 and certified quadruple platinum—that cemented his mainstream breakthrough. That same year, his debut studio album Until Death Call My Name reached No. 7 on the Billboard 200, marking him as one to watch.
Legal Woes from Day One
Yet even as his career took off, YoungBoy’s legal troubles became a parallel storyline. In November 2016, U.S. Marshals arrested him on two counts of attempted first-degree murder. He eventually pleaded guilty to aggravated assault with a firearm and received a suspended 10-year sentence with three years of probation.
These incidents didn’t slow him down creatively. Even during stints in jail, he remained prolific. In 2019, Bandit with Juice WRLD became his first top-10 single. A week later, AI YoungBoy 2 debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200—an incredible feat for a mixtape. Every track on the project eventually went gold.
By 2020, 38 Baby 2 and his second studio album Top both hit No. 1. In 2021, while incarcerated, he released Sincerely, Kentrell, making him just the third artist ever—after Tupac and Lil Wayne—to top the charts from behind bars.
House Arrest and Constant Surveillance
From late 2021 through early 2024, YoungBoy was placed under strict house arrest in Utah while awaiting federal firearm trial outcomes. Though he was found not guilty in Los Angeles, a Baton Rouge conviction in late 2024 sentenced him to 23 months in prison.
Even under house arrest, he kept dropping music. In 2022, The Last Slimeto reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200. He later signed with Motown and dropped I Rest My Case and Don’t Try This at Home in 2023—both top 10 albums.
But there was a cost. In court filings, YoungBoy’s legal team cited declining mental health, low music sales, and the psychological toll of isolation as reasons to ease restrictions. The courts refused. In late 2024, his team refiled motions following the emergence of alleged police corruption. Again, denied.
“He’s So Sweet,” Says the Neighbor Who Knew Him as Kentrell
Judy Zone, one of YoungBoy’s neighbors in his Utah residence, wasn’t speaking as a fan or critic. “He calls me ma’am,” she told local reporters. “He’s very respectful. I don’t listen to his music—he told me not to—but he’s so sweet. I want to bake him cookies.”
The moment has gone viral, not because it’s flashy, but because it’s human. In a world where YoungBoy is either glorified as a generational talent or vilified as a habitual offender, Judy’s sentiment cuts through the noise: Kentrell Gaulden is just a young man who came home.
Rappers Who Are Surprisingly Kind in Real Life
While rap is often synonymous with bravado and aggression, many rappers known for their tough lyrics are surprisingly kind and respectful in everyday life. Artists like Snoop Dogg, despite his gangster rap roots, is beloved for his gentle demeanor and mentorship of younger artists. 21 Savage has funded toy drives and financial literacy campaigns for underserved youth. Even DMX, known for his gritty voice and troubled past, was often described by those who knew him as deeply spiritual and generous. YoungBoy’s respectful rapport with his neighbor Judy echoes this duality—a reminder that the personas built in music are often armor, not the full story. Behind the chains and lyrics are real people, many of whom show their truest selves in quiet moments far from the cameras.
Music, Mixtapes, and More Leaks
Despite a flood of legal setbacks, YoungBoy released I Just Got a Lot on My Shoulders—his third compilation album—while incarcerated in December 2024. By March 2025, he followed up with More Leaks, continuing his legacy of relentless output even under pressure.
By now, YoungBoy had accumulated over 15 billion views on YouTube and sold more than 85 million digital records. He became the youngest artist in Billboard history to chart 100 songs on the Hot 100 and the most RIAA-certified rapper of the decade. But the weight of success often mirrored the weight of his legal past.
A Cookie, a Comeback, and a Community Watching
Now back home earlier than expected, YoungBoy finds himself in an unfamiliar kind of spotlight—one that’s gentle. The cookie offer from his neighbor Judy wasn’t just an anecdote; it was a symbol. After years of surveillance, controversy, and courtrooms, a simple act of kindness is shifting the narrative.
His fans—many of whom grew up alongside his music—are hopeful that this return signals something new. Perhaps, with his upcoming projects and the return of creative freedom, Gaulden can redirect the conversation away from jail time and into longevity.
Looking Ahead: What’s Next for NBA YoungBoy?
All eyes are on his next studio album, rumored to be his final release under his current Motown deal. The stakes are high, not just for sales, but for legacy. His story is one of extremes: Platinum records and federal indictments. Mixtapes and mugshots. But through it all, he’s remained remarkably consistent in one way—he never stops working.
And now, thanks to a neighbor who knows him only as “Kentrell,” the world is reminded that behind the headlines is still a young man—one who might just accept a cookie, even if he can’t quite leave his past behind.