Three weeks after delivering his 33-track album Don’t Try This at Home, YoungBoy Never Broke Again is back with an impromptu mixtape, Richest Opp, emphasizing his consistency when it comes to dropping projects. On the eve of his mixtape’s arrival (May 11), YB hopped on the phone with XXL from Utah and unloaded his thoughts on topics outside of the music, but also addressed his latest effort, sentiments on rapping and Lil Durk.
The tape, which Top announced on Monday (May 8), was set to arrive the same day as Lil Durk‘s eighth LP, Almost Healed. Last Friday (May 5), Durkio announced his new album would be released on May 12. Two days later, news that YoungBoy Never Broke Again was dropping a new mixtape on the same day as Durk began circulating. However, the verdict is still out on whether or not this was an accidental occurrence, but presumably not.
“It really wasn’t something that I just had planned,” YoungBoy tells XXL about Richest Opp. “I felt disrespected about something that went on. It was then just for somebody else to be promoted. So I felt like, s**t, b***h, don’t play with me. I stay ready. So, I’m just laying down my law and letting a n***a know I’m here to stay. It’s my game and my rules.”
While it’s unclear who struck this particular chord with the Baton Rouge, La. rapper, he did expound on DJ Akademiks’ prior comments regarding YB’s record sales for DTTAH. For reference, Ak tweeted on April 28, “NBA Youngboy ‘Don’t Try This At Home’ sells 62k first week.”
“It’s really like this when it comes to the numbers,” YoungBoy began. “I feel like, man… Music don’t even sell all that s**t it used to sell anymore. Man, it’s so much s**t behind this internet, behind the DSP, and sales and all that s**t. It’s so much s**t behind that s**t that people don’t even know ’bout that I ain’t even finna explain because I don’t even give a f**k about it.”
Touching on what rap actually means to him, YB continued, “I rap. Man, rapping is my therapy and that’s how I feed my family. That’s what I do it for. I don’t give a f**k about no sales and I just had to let him know that… That you can’t even manipulate me with that s**t. So, stop even trying to throw that statement out there, n***a. I’m paid.”
So the question stands, is YoungBoy Never Broke Again and Lil Durk‘s album release date a reincarnation of when 50 Cent was dropping Curtis while Kanye West‘s Graduation was due to arrive on the same day back in 2007? Not exactly.
“Aye, it’s us never them,” YoungBoy replied when asked if the release was a coincidence. “Focus on who matter. F**k that n***a album. Ya heard me? Tell ’em Top coming and that’s all that matters, mane.”
Lil Durk’s album never dropped last night, so there won’t be a race to see who hits No. 1 first or sells the most product. Instead, he released the new single “All My Life” with J. Cole, and moved Almost Healed to May 26.
NBA’s initial decision to drop when he thought Durk was releasing could raise brows since there was a recent claim that YoungBoy Never Broke Again and Lil Durk squashed their beef. Last week, DJ Akademiks confidently stated while on his livestream that the static between the two rappers had been neutralized. Lil Durk liked a tweet featuring a video of Ak stating they were no longer at odds as well.
According to YoungBoy, he’s actually been the one to promote less violence first. He firmly told XXL, “When it comes to my Stop the Violence campaign, I look at a n***a like Lil Durk like this… Don’t speak on that ’cause you not a part of that, b***h. You don’t support that. So, as all this going on, man, don’t bring up my Stop the Violence campaign. ’Cause at the time I’m on it, wasn’t nobody with that s**t, bruh.”
“So, I’m still in my own lane,” he adds vehemently. “And I’m still with my campaign, ya heard me? But I’m… aye, man… It’s gotta be known, stay the fuck out my way and don’t mention my name. It’s my game, my rules.”
Regarding YB’s Stop the Violence campaign, he shared with Billboard earlier this year that he’s apologetic for the volatile impact his music has had on fans and vowed to “clean whatever I can clean, but it’s going to take time, just like it took time for me to get it to that point.”
NBA YoungBoy also posted a video on social media where he was promoting his anti-violence campaign in November of last year. He captioned the clip, “I’m dead serious that s**t for the birds focus on winning in life bro !!! #StopTheViolence #please if you support me.”
YoungBoy and Durk’s longstanding beef dates back several years, presumptively around 2020, prior to the Nov. 6, 2020 death of King Von, who was signed to the Chicago rapper’s OTF label and was killed by Lul Tim, an affiliate of rhymer Quando Rondo. Rondo is a signee on YB’s Never Broke Again label. As time progressed, the feud brewed into subliminal disses from Durkio. Many believe his 2022 track “Ahhh Ha” takes aim at YB and his Never Broke Again collective. YoungBoy aggressively fired back on the song “I Hate YoungBoy,” referencing Durk’s late cousin OTF Nunu.
Lil Durk‘s girlfriend India Royale and YoungBoy also traded shots at one another via social media in March. At the time, Durk and India were on the outs, but that didn’t stop her from defending the father of her child.
Just last week, following Akademiks stating that Durk and YB’s beef was no more, Durkio posted on social media, “I ain’t friends with no n***as [unamused face emoji] stop it.” No name was mentioned, so the message was an apparent subliminal. Days later, YB sounded off on both Durk and Ak on Instagram Live.
“@lildurk you a b***h & yo nasty a*s h*e and it’s shown and @Akademiks you a pure Fat h*e who mouth gone be the reason. you from now on (‘invalid’),” YB wrote. “@lildurk lol you ever realized you only get a buzz when one of your friends die. Think about it scary bum b***h you know I ain’t lying ha ha #fact.”
Despite the blistering jabs tossed back and forth—whether subliminal or direct—fans of both YoungBoy Never Broke Again and Lil Durk will be tuning in to both of their respective efforts and offering unwavering support.
Listen to YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s Richest Opp Album Below
Here Are the Monumental Moments Rappers Squashed Beef
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