Who Is YoungBoy Never Broke Again? The Untold Life Story of Kodi Capri’s Father

8 8 minutes read

YoungBoy Never Broke Again is one of the most streamed and most talked-about rappers to emerge from the American South in the past decade. Known to his family as Kentrell DeSean Gaulden, he built a career out of raw, confessional street narratives while raising a large family that includes his daughter Kodi Capri. This article looks at his early life, his rise in the music industry, his legal battles, his family life and the fortune he has built despite years of setbacks.

Quick Bio Table

Category	Details
Real Name	Kentrell DeSean Gaulden
Stage Names	YoungBoy Never Broke Again, NBA YoungBoy, YB, Top
Date of Birth	20 October 1999
Birthplace	Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States
Age (2026)	26
Nationality	American
Occupation	Rapper, singer, songwriter, record label founder
Genres	Southern hip hop, trap, gangsta rap
Years Active	2015 to present
Record Label	Never Broke Again, in a joint venture with Motown Records
First Mixtape	Life Before Fame (2015)
Breakthrough Single	Outside Today (2018)
Debut Studio Album	Until Death Call My Name (2018)
Children	Eleven, including Kodi Capri
Spouse	Jazlyn Mychelle Hayes (married January 2023)
Estimated Net Worth	Around 20 to 30 million US dollars
Height	5 feet 8 inches (approximately 173 cm)
Current Residence	St Croix, US Virgin Islands

Early Life and Background

Kentrell DeSean Gaulden was born on 20 October 1999 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a city whose tough streets would later shape much of his songwriting. He was raised largely by his grandmother after his father was imprisoned when Kentrell was still a young child. As a toddler, he suffered a broken neck while wrestling, an injury serious enough to require a head brace while his spine healed, and the brace left lasting marks on his forehead that fans still recognise today.

Money was scarce throughout his childhood, and he has often spoken about growing up without stability or a consistent parental presence. He dropped out of school in the ninth grade to focus on providing for himself and, soon afterwards, for his own children. Inspired by local Baton Rouge artist Lil Phat, Gaulden began writing lyrics as a young teenager, reportedly recording his earliest tracks on a basic microphone bought from Walmart.

His grandmother’s death not long after his release from a youth detention placement left him with few family anchors, so he moved in with a childhood friend to concentrate fully on music. That period of instability became the backbone of his artistic identity: raw, unfiltered storytelling about survival, loss and hustle in Baton Rouge.

Music Career Beginnings

Gaulden adopted the name YoungBoy Never Broke Again, later shortened by fans to NBA YoungBoy, as a personal statement against the poverty he had known growing up. Between 2015 and 2017 he independently released a string of mixtapes, including Life Before Fame, building a devoted online following through sheer volume and consistency rather than major label backing.

His first project to chart on the Billboard 200 was AI YoungBoy in 2017, which reached number 24 and signalled that his grassroots popularity was translating into mainstream numbers. That same year, Atlantic Records signed him, giving his independent hustle the infrastructure of a major label while he retained creative control over his sound.

The single “Outside Today,” released in January 2018, became his commercial breakthrough, peaking at number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100. It served as the lead single for his debut studio album, Until Death Call My Name, which arrived in April 2018 and climbed to number seven on the Billboard 200 despite a mixed critical reception, proving that his fan base was large enough to carry him into the album charts.

Rise to Mainstream Fame

YoungBoy’s ascent accelerated rapidly from 2019 onwards. His collaboration with the late Juice WRLD, “Bandit,” became his first top-ten single on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 2019. A week after that milestone, he released AI YoungBoy 2, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, cementing his status as one of the genre’s biggest new names.

He followed that success with 38 Baby 2 in April 2020, which became his second chart-topping project, and continued the pace with Top in 2020 and Sincerely, Kentrell in 2021, both of which also reached number one. By breaking such records while frequently under house arrest or facing active criminal cases, he distinguished himself as one of the few artists able to dominate the charts from confinement, a feat that added to his mystique among fans.

His catalogue expanded further with collaborations across hip hop, including “Need It” with Migos, “WUSYANAME” with Tyler, the Creator and Ty Dolla Sign, and “Jump” with DaBaby. “WUSYANAME” earned him his first Grammy nomination, for Best Melodic Rap Performance at the 2022 awards, giving him formal industry recognition to match his commercial numbers.

By the mid-2020s he had also expanded into film, with the concert documentary American YoungBoy, chronicling his return to touring on the 42-show MASA Tour, receiving a theatrical release in April 2026.

Record Label and Business Ventures

In 2015, while still an independent artist, Gaulden founded his own imprint, Never Broke Again, using it as a platform to develop young talent from his home region. The label has signed and mentored artists including NoCap and Quando Rondo, extending his influence beyond his own discography.

In 2021, Never Broke Again entered a global joint venture with Motown Records, a partnership designed to release music and develop new artists under the NBA banner while giving Gaulden greater ownership over his output. This deal marked a shift from simply being a recording artist to becoming a label executive shaping the next generation of Southern hip hop.

His business interests have also touched fashion and merchandise, most notably his own sneaker line named “Grave Digger,” and real estate, including a multimillion dollar property in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he later relocated before moving again to St Croix in the US Virgin Islands.

Legal Challenges

Few major artists have faced as long or as public a list of legal troubles as YoungBoy Never Broke Again. His first serious case arose in 2016, and further charges followed almost every year afterwards, including allegations of assault, kidnapping, weapons possession and involvement in a shooting. Several of these cases were later dropped or resolved, while others resulted in extended periods of house arrest that restricted his ability to tour or perform.

By his mid-twenties he was reportedly facing dozens of charges in Utah, a period during which loyal fans famously crashed federal court Zoom hearings to show support. Despite these restrictions, he continued to release new mixtapes and albums at a striking pace, often recording from home studios while confined, which only added to the narrative of an artist who could not be silenced by the justice system.

His legal history has undeniably shaped his public image, drawing both criticism for the seriousness of the allegations and sympathy from fans who view his story as a product of the environment he grew up in. The tension between his creative success and his legal setbacks remains one of the defining threads of his career.

Personal Life and Family

YoungBoy Never Broke Again is the father of a large family, with reports indicating he has eleven children by nine different women, making his personal life almost as widely discussed as his discography. His first child, a son named Kayden, was born in July 2016 when Gaulden was just sixteen years old, meaning fatherhood began at nearly the same moment as his music career.

Among his children is Kodi Capri Gaulden, born on 26 November 2020, his daughter with model and actress Drea Symone. The couple were never married, but Drea has spoken publicly about raising Kodi and has described her as a lively, spirited child. Kodi Capri has become a recognisable name among fans largely because of her father’s fame, despite maintaining a private, largely social media free childhood so far.

In January 2023, Gaulden married his long-term partner, Jazlyn Mychelle Hayes, with whom he already shared two children at the time. The couple welcomed a third child together in February 2026. He has spoken candidly in interviews and on social media about the pressures of supporting such a large family, often describing his children as his primary motivation for continuing to work despite his legal and personal struggles.

Net Worth

Estimates of YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s net worth vary considerably depending on the source, largely because his touring income has fluctuated due to ongoing legal restrictions. Celebrity Net Worth, one of the more frequently cited industry sources, places his fortune at around 30 million US dollars, while other outlets offer figures ranging from roughly 10 million to 45 million dollars.

His income streams include music streaming royalties, YouTube advertising revenue, album and mixtape sales, his Never Broke Again record label, and real estate investments such as his former Salt Lake City property. Legal costs and periods of house arrest have periodically slowed his earning potential by limiting live performances, yet his streaming numbers have remained consistently high enough to offset much of that loss.

Whatever the precise figure, there is broad agreement that YoungBoy has become a multimillionaire through an unusually prolific release schedule, often issuing several projects a year even while dealing with court cases, home confinement or personal loss.

Awards and Recognition

Although his relationship with mainstream awards bodies has been more limited than his streaming numbers might suggest, YoungBoy Never Broke Again has earned meaningful industry recognition. His 2022 Grammy nomination for “WUSYANAME,” in the Best Melodic Rap Performance category, remains a standout moment in his career.

He has also received an ASCAP Rhythm and Soul Music Award and has broken numerous Billboard chart records, including topping the Billboard 200 with multiple projects within a short span of time, a rare achievement for any artist, let alone one facing significant legal restrictions during much of that period.

Conclusion

YoungBoy Never Broke Again has turned a difficult upbringing in Baton Rouge into one of the most prolific careers in modern hip hop, all while navigating fatherhood, marriage and a long list of legal battles. As the father of Kodi Capri and ten other children, his personal life continues to draw as much attention as his music, yet his consistent chart success shows no sign of slowing down.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s real name?

His real name is Kentrell DeSean Gaulden.

2. When and where was YoungBoy Never Broke Again born?

He was born on 20 October 1999 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in the United States.

3. How old is YoungBoy Never Broke Again in 2026?

As of 2026, he is 26 years old.

4. Why is he called YoungBoy Never Broke Again?

The name reflects his determination to escape the poverty he experienced growing up in Baton Rouge, functioning as a personal statement against financial hardship.