NBA Youngboy Explains Why He Gave Atlantic More Albums Than Required

NBA Youngboy shares details about his move to Motown and overdelivering music with Atlantic Records.

BYAron A.Feb 17, 202360.6K Views

NBA Youngboy began his contract with Motown Records earlier this year, which already seems to be working out for him. In the midst of claiming that he’s been blackballed, Motown’s opened the gates for mainstream publications to enter his world. Earlier this year, he invited Billboard Magazine to his home for an insightful interview that detailed everything from family life to his musical career. It marked one of the first times since the beginning of YB’s career that he allowed the media to enter his world.

Most recently, the Louisiana star sat down with B.Dot and Elliot Wilson to discuss his upcoming project, the state of hip-hop, as well as his move to Motown Records. Following his tenure with Atlantic, reports emerged in late 2022 that his contract with Motown would begin in 2023. However, during his time with Atlantic, he delivered an abundance of projects beyond his contractual obligations with the label including The Last Slimeto, Realer 2, Ma’ I Got A Family, and 3800 Degrees.

NBA Youngboy On Atlantic Records & Moving To Motown

Despite the contract, NBA Youngboy over delivered with the number of projects he dropped on Atlantic Records. Some would consider it generous, while others feel as though it was not in his best interest business-wise but YB explained that it had more to do with his work ethic. “It wasn’t a favor, it wasn’t nothin’ planned. I just dropped music. It brings some type of good feeling to put together a tape and just release it” he said.

In terms of his move to Motown after years with Atlantic, NBA Youngboy said he just wanted to expand further. “You know, just try something new. See if I could get more out of a label situation,” he said. Interestingly enough, he said that Motown wasn’t just a specific label that he wanted to sign. The leverage he’s gained in his career apparently allows him to release music with any label under the Universal umbrella. “It ain’t actually just my specific label. With each tape, I can go anywhere on Universal I want to go and drop,” he said. Check out YB’s full interview with Rap Radar above.

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Aron A.

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.