The album is receiving lots of love, just not from YouTube.
NBA YoungBoy is currently locked up due to a federal firearm possession charge, but that hasn’t stopped the rapper from releasing new music and keeping people talking. On Friday, the 21-year-old dropped Sincerely, Kentrell, a featureless 21-track project that his fans have since been streaming obsessively.
Many artists count on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music to promote their work, while others prefer to use video-based apps like YouTube. According to NBA’s manager, Alex Junnier, YouTube actually refused to promote his client’s music.
“YouTube told us they can’t promote YB because of his image,” Junnier wrote on his Instagram story, referring to the fact that the rapper is currently behind bars.
He continued, “weak ass platform. Your #1 artist 3 years in a row.”
Junnier has also been reposting all the love that Sincerely, Kentrell has been receiving thus far, and even included a statistic that points out if he goes #1 with this album, he’ll be the third rapper to do so while in jail, following in the footsteps of Lil Wayne and 2Pac.
Since dropping, the album has climbed to the top of the Apple Music charts, and has been receiving plenty of love from listeners on Twitter.
Days before releasing, YB penned a poem titled “Deep In Me” from his jail cell, in which he’s obviously feeling very introspective. The father of seven has had plenty of time to reflect on his life while out of the spotlight, and it shows in his writing.
How do you feel about YouTube’s decision to not promote NBA YoungBoy because of his image? Let us know below.