“That needs to be destroyed,” the father erupted, bursting into the room of his son in utter disbelief. “That musician is one of the worst there is. All he sings about is cursing, doing dirty stuff, sexual things. All degrading things.” There was an icy silence for a moment, the only sound the new, viral video that would go on to fuel an unprecedented global debate on parenting, young people, and the impact of music during the age of the internet.
The 45-second clip, which first appeared on X , captures a heated moment many parents may relate to. In it, the father berates the presence of a poster of NBA YoungBoy, one of today’s most streamed yet polarizing rappers.
“That’s all he talks about money, drugs, sex, and violence,”
the father continued.
“A 10-year-old should not even have the money to buy that, let alone bring it into the house.”
Kentrell DeSean Gaulden, who performs professionally under the moniker NBA YoungBoy or YoungBoy Never Broke Again, is no stranger to controversy or success. The rapper, who was born on October 20, 1999, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, boasts: more than 85 million U.S. digital sales, 15 billion YouTube views, and more than 100 appearances on the Billboard Hot 100, including on the Juice WRLD record “Bandit,” which reached the top ten.
Much of his music, typically branded as trap and gangsta rap, deals with surviving on the street, trauma to the emotions, violence, and celebrity. Some of the same activities contained in his criminal background he sings about in his songs: juvenile robbery charges in 2014, attempted murder charges in 2016, gun and drug charges in 2020, and a house arrest stint that lasted all the way through to 2024. He had been pardoned by President Donald Trump in April of 2025 in a move that proved very controversial
The video of the father quickly circulated on platforms including TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook, receiving millions of views. #NBAYoungBoy, #Parenting, and #MusicAndKids trended for several days.
Supporters of the father praised his passion.
“This is EXACTLY what we need—parents paying attention,”
one X user wrote. Another chimed in,
“Streaming gives these kids access to everything. There’s no filter anymore.”
But not everyone agreed. “He speaks for us—parents don’t get it,” a teen fan commented, defending YoungBoy’s lyrics as honest portrayals of a hard life. Others noted the artist’s openness about mental health and trauma as reasons for his appeal among younger fans.
This incident has reignited conversations about the tension between artistic freedom and parental responsibility. Should kids be shielded from adult content—or does that only make it more appealing?
At its heart, this father’s outburst is not about one poster but about a widening generational gap. To many children, artists such as NBA YoungBoy provide a gritty, unvarnished depiction of the world. To parents, they embody all that they’re working to shelter their children from.
The video concludes with the father questioning:
“If that’s his hero at the age of 10, what does that say about the direction we’re going?”
It’s one that many families find themselves questioning and one that does not necessarily have an easy solution.
