NBA Youngboy Says He’s Stepping Back From Music Due To Heart Health Complications

BY Aron A.
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NBA YoungBoy: MASA TOUR - Atlanta, GA
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 15: NBA YoungBoy performs onstage during the MASA TOUR at State Farm Arena on October 15, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Julia Beverly/Getty Images)
NBA Youngboy's interview with Funny Marco drops tomorrow.

There’s no other rapper out right now releasing music at the same pace as NBA YoungBoy. While these projects aren’t always major Billboard successes, they continue to show that his fanbase is eating good. However, his output hasn’t been the same as of late, and fans might also need to give him some grace in the near future as he slows down. During a recent interview with Funny Marco, which is expected to be released on Tuesday, August 11th, NBA Youngboy revealed that he’s not focused on music at the moment because of health issues.

“Music is not something I’m focused on,” he replied when asked how many more albums he has left in him. “The doctor told me the left side of my heart was swollen. That explains the music, though.”

It’s certainly a scary thing to encounter, especially for someone who will be turning 27 later this year. The rapper’s 2026 run hasn’t seen him release as much music as in previous years. In June, he dropped his project, ML2, and a few months before that, he released Slime Cry. We’re sure that YB has a vault filled with unreleased music that he could drop off whenever he feels like it. However, whether that vault gets an update during this period of his life remains to be seen.

NBA Youngboy Slows Down Music

The upcoming interview on Funny Marco’s Open Thoughts will mark a rare media appearance for YB. And despite Marco’s more comedic approach, the trailer indicates that it will be a wide-ranging interview where NBA Youngboy opens up emotionally, from the significance of certain tattoos to feeling hopeless. Check out the clip above and sound off with your thoughts in the comments below.

About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.