NBA YoungBoy Talks Mormonism, Addiction to Prolific Release Strategy, and His Music’s Impact in Rare Interview

What should easily go down as one of the strongest profiles of the year was released on Wednesday, providing truly rare insight into the life and creative process of YoungBoy Never Broke Again.

While the expansive piece by Meaghan Garvey for Billboard is best experienced in full, a number of highlights have started making the rounds among fans on social media, including a particularly vulnerable moment in which YB opens up about the positive influence the Book of Mormon and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have had on his life as of late (YB is currently residing in the Salt Lake City area of Utah).

According to YB, he at first declined to speak with a group of Mormon missionaries who showed up outside his home weeks before the interview was conducted. But after a realization that he “wanted help very badly” and “needed a friend,” YB made the decision to invite them into his home for an impactful conversation when they next showed up at his door.

“It was just cool to see someone with a different mindset that had nothing to do with business or money—just these wonderful souls,” he said of these personally valuable discussions.

As a sign of his commitment to the teachings, YB revealed to Billboard he’s planning to further this part of his life with a baptism ceremony, although he’s waiting until he no longer has to wear an ankle monitor to take this next step.

Elsewhere in the piece, YB tapped into a similarly vulnerable perspective when reflecting on his uniquely prolific creative output, which he likens to both a “disease” and an addiction.

“I wish I knew when I was younger how unhealthy this was for me. Whatever type of energy I had inside me, I would’ve pushed it toward something else,” he said.

Reflecting more on his music, namely what he perceives as its potential impact on listeners, YB expressed a change in how he looks at his work now versus how he viewed it when he was younger. Specifically, when discussing “the shit I put in these people’s ears,” the artist touched on a sense of responsibility he now feels and his desire “to clean whatever I can clean” in the years ahead.

“I think about how many lives I actually am responsible for when it comes to my music,” YB said before diving into several hypothetical scenarios, including asking “How many people have put this shit in their ears and actually went and hurt someone?”

Deeper into his candor on this topic, which also saw him touching on having been “brought up around a lot of fucked-up shit,” YB shared an apology.

“I was wrong,” he said. “And I’m sorry.”

To experience this must-read piece in in its entirety, head to Billboard for the full read.

NBA YoungBoy last expanded his vast discography with I Rest My Case, released in January and marking his first studio effort through Motown. The post-Atlantic Motown deal was first confirmed to the public back in October.