NBA Youngboy is back on Instagram with a message for his label and is celebrating having a record number of platinum records.
NBA Youngboy keeps proving time and again that he is the one to watch when it comes to the younger generation of hip-hop artists. His career has exploded over the short time that he’s been rapping, and that’s only been enhanced by his accolades. If he continues on this trajectory, he definitely will achieve G.O.A.T status in the future.
At just 22-years-old, he now has more certifications than two rappers in the game who many already consider to be greats, and that’s J. Cole and Future. He was able to surpass them at such a young age by earning thirteen new platinum and gold certifications this week from the RIAA.
The incredible feat came as fans vibe to his new mixtape, Colors. It’s a big accomplishment when you tally all of his RIAA certifications because he’s just one away from 100. That’s right; he has 99 RIAA certifications at just 22-years-old.
What’s even more amazing is that he’s been in the game for about seven years now, meaning he started when he was still a 15-year-old teen. He emerged on the scene somewhere between 2015 and 2017. He announced his arrival in hip-hop in grand style, releasing six independent mixtapes.
Those releases raised many eyebrows, and he soon developed a loyal fan base. His phenomenal lyrical skill and youthful appeal would eventually attract Atlantic Records in late 2017. January 2018, he released the track “Outside Today,” which did well for a debut for the label as it peaked at No. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. That track would later become the lead single for his debut studio album Until Death Call My Name, which peaked at number 7 on the US Billboard 200.
From that point, he consistently released music that charted on the Billboard. Some of that work included the single “Bandit” featuring Juice Wrld. That was his first top-ten single. He followed that up just a week later, with his fourteenth mixtape AI YoungBoy 2, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.
There was no looking back for the “Bring The Hook” rapper who would go on to release his second studio album Top in 2020. Last September 2021, Sincerely, Kentrell showed he had what it took to dominate the charts once again as even though it was released from prison, it topped the charts. He joined some elite company with that project becoming just the third artist besides 2Pac and Lil Wayne to have a chart-topping album while incarcerated.
Since then, he’s sold a certified 62.5 million units over the course of his career, which is also more than J. Cole and Future.
If we compare the stats, according to the RIAA reports, Future has sold about 58 million units over his career while J. Cole follows with about 55.5 million units. Besides sales, you also have to take into consideration the fact that NBA YoungBoy has more platinum certifications than both rappers with 28 plaques. Future is not far behind with 24, and Cole has 23.
When it comes to gold certifications, YoungBoy is in a league of his own when compared to the two rappers. He has 71 plaques while Future has 30 and Cole has 42. Future surpasses him in one area, and that’s the fact that he is the only artist of the three to have a diamond-certified song.
There’s no doubt that YB is going to dominate in the near future if he keeps finding the Midas touch that he’s seemed to have developed.
Meanwhile, NBA YoungBoy is back on Instagram, and already he is causing quite a stir with his first message to his fans and fellow rappers. “Don’t sign to Atlantic,” he wrote while adding in the caption, “Trust me.”
