A resurfaced clip of NBA YoungBoy casually asking his mom if he can smoke inside the house has reignited conversations about hip-hop’s smoking culture. The now-viral video, which surfaced on January 9, 2025, shows a very intimate side of the rapper and has come at a time when the topic of smoking in public spaces has just become highly debated within the industry.
In the video, YoungBoy, whose real name is Kentrell Gaulden, can be heard asking his mother, Sherhonda Gaulden, for permission to light up inside the house. While she doesn’t, the camera cuts away before she interacts, which has renewed praise for Sherhonda’s reputation as a supportive yet strict, maternal figure in the rapper’s life. Given her history of speaking her mind and defending her children, her possible response has been the subject of much speculation among fans on social media.
The clip resurfaces when other hip-hop artists, Lil Tjay and Fivio Foreign, are controversial over their disregarding requests to not smoke during a livestream at an Airbnb rental. This incident, where PlaqueboyMax repeatedly asked the pair to respect the no-smoking policy of the property, drew criticism from some over what many believed was a lack of consideration for others.
These events have quickly compared YoungBoy’s respectful move and Tjay and Fivio’s more inflammatory actions. Several have come out in praise of the rapper for an act of respect in privacy, in contrast to his public-disobedient peers. Such comparisons have engendered continued discussions around generational respect, personal accountability, and smoking culture in the hip-hop world.
Adding another layer to the conversation is the legal troubles that follow NBA YoungBoy. In March, the 23-year-old was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison following his gun-related case stemming from a 2020 incident in Baton Rouge. Once his time was served, he was given five years of supervised probation. He faces these challenges, yet YoungBoy remains one of the most prolific artists, always having music out and staying relevant to major changes within the hip-hop community.
YoungBoy’s respectful plea to his mom is a radical contrast to his peers’, spurring arguments about how artists balance their decisions between public and private.
