Trump Pardons NBA YoungBoy, Clearing Path for Rapper’s Comeback Tour

On Wednesday, May 28, former President Donald Trump granted a fresh wave of pardons and among those unexpectedly freed was rapper NBA YoungBoy.

Kentrell Gaulden, better known by his stage name, didn’t waste time expressing his gratitude. Taking to social media, the rapper thanked his supporters and acknowledged the pardon, marking a dramatic turn in his legal saga and a rare lifeline extended by presidential clemency.

The gesture has sparked widespread reaction across the music world and beyond, as fans and critics alike weigh in on the surprise decision.

“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,” NBA YoungBoy said

He added in a statement posted to Instagram stories on Wednesday.

“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.”

“I did not do the pardon application, but can confirm he was pardoned,” Drew Findling, an attorney for NBA YoungBoy, tells Rolling Stone.

In December 2024, rap artist NBA YoungBoy (Kentrell Gaulden) pleaded guilty to two federal charges one stemming from a 2020 gun possession arrest in Louisiana, and another linked to a more recent firearm offense in Utah. He was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison, receiving credit for time served beginning in May 2024, when he was detained following a raid on his Utah residence.

On April 16, 2024, while under house arrest in Huntsville, Utah for federal weapons charges, the 24-year-old was taken into custody in connection with what authorities described as a fraudulent prescription drug ring. Ten days later, he was hit with further charges, including a second-degree felony for possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, and two Class A misdemeanors for distributing a controlled substance.

According to the plea deal, Gaulden admitted to being a convicted felon in possession of firearms during two separate incidents. The first occurred on September 28, 2020, while filming a music video outside his grandfather’s home in Baton Rouge — he acknowledged having a Masterpiece Arms 9mm and a Glock Model 21 .45 caliber pistol. The second involved a Sig Sauer 9mm semi-automatic pistol discovered in his Utah home while he was under house arrest related to the Louisiana case