After receiving a Trump pardon, rapper NBA Youngboy reveals he’s left the US and will ‘never’ move back
“Never in life,” the 26-year-old dad of 13 said about coming back to the United States
NEED TO KNOW
- Rapper NBA YoungBoy has permanently moved to South Korea
- The rapper, who has 13 children, says his kids remain a top priority, despite the distance
- His move follows a 2025 pardon from President Donald Trump after serving time for weapons-related charges
NBA YoungBoy is starting a new chapter thousands of miles from home.
The 26-year-old rapper, whose real name is Kentrell Gaulden, revealed that he has permanently left the United States and is now living in South Korea.
During a Tuesday, Aug. 11 appearance on Funny Marco’s Open Thoughts podcast, he was asked why he chose South Korea as his new home. The musician joked that he picked the country because it was “out the way,” before explaining that he was drawn to the atmosphere.
“It’s very safe here and very clean,” he said.
Moving halfway around the world meant putting significant distance between himself and his life in the U.S. When asked whether he could ever see himself returning, he gave an unequivocal answer.
“Never in life,” he said.
That decision comes despite the rapper having 13 children. When asked about his family, he acknowledged that they are a major priority.
“There’s nothing there for me at all. The most important thing is probably my kids,” he said, adding, “That’s what they have planes for.”
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NBA YoungBoy’s move to South Korea comes a year after President Donald Trump intervened in his legal troubles.
He was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison in December 2024 for weapons-related charges and was released in March 2025 after receiving credit for time already served, according to The Associated Press. The following month, he was ordered to serve the remainder of his sentence under home confinement.
Trump pardoned the rapper in May.
Following the pardon, he expressed gratitude, saying, “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.”
