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Louisiana rapper NBA YoungBoy, born Kentrell DeSean Gaulden, was pardoned by former President Donald Trump on Wednesday, ending his legal battles over federal gun charges.
Gaulden had been sentenced in 2024 by a federal judge in Utah to just under two years in prison after admitting to possessing firearms despite being a convicted felon.
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His plea deal resolved Utah state charges and two federal cases, resulting in a 23-month prison sentence and five years of probation with a $200,000 fine.
Gaulden was released from federal prison in March and sent to home confinement, which ended last month; the pardon now frees him from probation terms including drug testing.
The rapper publicly thanked President Trump, Alice Marie Johnson—Trump’s “pardon czar”—and his attorney Brittany K. Barnett for their roles in securing the pardon.
Gaulden said in a statement, “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. 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”.
His attorney Drew Findling expressed relief that Gaulden’s legal struggles, spanning Louisiana to Utah, had ended, allowing him to focus on family and his career.
The gun charges stemmed from Gaulden’s possession of a Glock 21 .45-caliber pistol and a Masterpiece Arms MPA30T 9mm handgun while filming a music video in Baton Rouge, and a Sig Sauer 9mm semi-automatic pistol found at his home in Huntsville, Utah, all of which he agreed to surrender.
Gaulden had prior convictions including aggravated assault with a firearm in Louisiana and pleaded guilty to involvement in a prescription drug fraud ring operating from his Utah home, for which he paid a fine without prison time.
Now free, NBA YoungBoy is preparing for a 32-date U.S. tour titled “The MASA tour,” set to begin in Dallas this September.
The rapper has achieved four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 and earned a Grammy nomination in 2022 for Best Melodic Rap Performance for his feature on Tyler, The Creator’s song “Wusyaname”.
President Trump’s pardon of NBA YoungBoy was part of a broader clemency wave that included a former New York congressman, a labor union leader, and reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, who were convicted of fraud and tax evasion.
The pardon was confirmed by two White House officials who spoke anonymously, as it had not yet been formally announced before the rapper’s public statement.
