Rapper NBA YoungBoy, whose real name is Kentrell Gaulden, was sentenced by a federal judge in Utah to 23 months in prison on gun-related charges.

What Happened?

The sentencing of nearly two years in prison comes after Gaulden of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, reached an agreement that resolved Utah state charges against him and settled two sets of federal charges.

One charge carries a 23-month sentence and the other orders five years of probation and a $200,000 fine.

As part of the deal, finalized in September and signed by Gaulden and his legal team on Tuesday, Gaulden acknowledged that while filming a rap video in Baton Rouge he was illegally possessing several firearms, including a Glock 21 .45-caliber pistol and a Masterpiece Arms MPA30T 9mm handgun.

Additionally, he admitted to having a Sig Sauer 9mm semi-automatic pistol at his Utah residence in April. The rapper has agreed to relinquish all the weapons.

“This has been a long road that involved extensive litigation and ultimately extensive negotiation,” Atlanta attorney Drew Findling said in a statement Wednesday. “Kentrell’s defense team is very happy for Kentrell and we look forward to his many future successes.”

NBA YoungBoy’s Music Career

Gaulden, who is known professionally as YoungBoy Never Broke Again in addition to NBA YoungBoy, has been releasing music since 2015. He has released six independent mixtapes between 2015 and 2017 and was signed to Atlantic Records in late 2017.

In an interview with XXL Mag, Gaulden said he began writing music at the age of 7.

“I wrote my first song in the first or second grade,” the rapper told XXL Mag. “I was on and off from there.”

The Rapper’s Legal Troubles

Gaulden’s legal troubles stem from a prior conviction in Louisiana for aggravated assault with a firearm, according to his statement released in advance of the plea agreement.

In addition, Utah agents raided Gaulden’s home in April amid a complaint that he had posed as a doctor in an effort to obtain prescription painkillers, multiple news outlets reported. In that case, as part of a federal plea deal, he would plead guilty to 10 state charges and be sentenced to time served plus a $25,000 fine.

He later apologized to the court and his family during the sentencing hearing, expressing remorse for his actions.

“I let my situation get the best of me,” Gaulden said.

He added, “I take full responsibility.”

Federal Judge Howard Nielson, who presided over the case, spoke about the importance of rehabilitation, noting that Gaulden must “walk the straight and narrow” and get to a place where he can make decisions that are “totally unfettered” by substances by completing court-ordered substance abuse treatment and mental health evaluations.

Gaulden faced further legal troubles in 2022 when a home owned by the rapper was raided by a SWAT team.

A spokesperson for Harris County Sheriff’s Office previously confirmed to Newsweek that three men were arrested at the house in Texas owned by NBA YoungBoy.

At the time, TMZ reported that the musician did not use the home but his mother lived there, though she was not believed to have been at the residence at the time of the raid.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.