The urge came, and this time he had the drugs in hand. YoungBoy shared the moment on an Instagram Story from his verified account, framing the six-month mark as something he’s still testing rather than a milestone he’s reached.
The rapper, whose legal name is Kentrell Gaulden, has talked about his relationship with drugs for years. In a December 2023 interview with Bootleg Kev, he acknowledged the perception that he does a lot of drugs, said he’d spent time in rehab, and told Kev he wanted to focus on therapy. He also said he wanted to quit cigarettes: “I wanna stop smoking them so bad.”
Weeks after those comments, in February 2024, he posted an image showing himself near prescription pills and a drink appearing to be lean, and other artists urged him to take care of himself.
His history with prescription drugs ended up in court. Per the Associated Press, Gaulden pleaded guilty in November 2024 to his role in a prescription drug fraud operation tied to his Utah home, resulting in a $25,000 fine and no additional state prison time. Pitchfork reported he received a 23-month federal sentence in a separate gun case as part of an agreement that also covered the fraud charges.
The context now is different. Donald Trump pardoned Gaulden in May 2025, and the AP reported the pardon removed his remaining federal probation requirements, including mandatory drug testing. No one is testing him anymore, which makes flushing what he had a choice he made on his own.
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