Nationwide — President Donald Trump has granted rapper NBA YoungBoy a full pardon, weeks before his scheduled release from prison in July 2025. The decision clears his record and allows him to move forward with his first headlining tour this September. NBA YoungBoy, whose real name is Kentrell DeSean Gaulden, had been serving time for a gun possession case in Utah. He reached a plea deal that set his release for July next year, but Trump’s clemency means he is now free.
The White House confirmed the pardon on May 29, according to Fox 8 Live. Eight others also received clemency, including former Congressman Michael Grimm.
In a statement posted to Instagram, NBA YoungBoy thanked Trump, criminal justice reform advocate Alice Marie Johnson, and his attorney Brittany K. Barnett.
“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,” he wrote in an Instagram post. “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.”
Known as one of the most streamed rappers worldwide, NBA YoungBoy has built a huge fan base despite limited mainstream exposure. He is set to kick off his first headlining tour, the MASA Tour, on September 2. The tour includes two back-to-back shows at New Orleans’ Smoothie King Center on October 19 and 20.