NBA YoungBoy Takes Shots and Prays to God on 'Richest Opps'

Soon after releasing his sixth studio album, Don’t Try This At Home, NBA YoungBoy announced he would be dropping the mixtape, Richest Opp, amidst a Twitter rant about longtime rival Lil Durk. 2 projects and 50 new songs in a matter of weeks? It’s a good month to be a YB fan unless you’re Ja Morant.

YB is the polar opposite of artists like Playboi Carti (who moves like he’s allergic to releasing music) but quantity doesn’t always mean quality. For such an impulsive release, Richest Opp has its redeeming qualities, and if it’s the only thing to come out of YB’s never-ending beef with Lil Durk it’s a win for rap fans. Dive deeper into the unhinged disses, unknown samples, and underlying meanings of Richest Opps below.

2023 Album Sales

YB is the only rapper to have already released 3 projects only 5 months into the year and the fast turnaround model pays off. Richest Opp is projected to debut at #4 on Billboard’s 200 chart and YB will officially tie Drake and Future for the third most 10 albums by a rapper in US history, with 15 each. Only Jay-Z and Nas have more, with 16 Top 10 albums each.

Your grandma probably knows who Drake is but has she heard of YoungBoy? It’s an impressive feat to tie Drake and Future given YB doesn’t have the same widespread popularity as them.

Fuck The Industry Pt. 2 Beef

YB wanted all the smoke on “Fuck The Industry Pt. 2” throwing shots at Drake, Lil Durk, J. Cole, Lil Yachty, and J Prince. In simple terms, YB disses Drake for supporting Lil Durk and saying that although he likes YB’s music he can’t collaborate with him out of loyalty to Durk.​

In March 2021, YB had a studio session with J. Cole and never showed up. When asked about it in an interview, YB said he was going through something personally and knew he wasn’t in the headspace of collaborating so he didn’t go. YB’s diss doesn’t take accountability for how his actions may have contributed to J. Cole’s distaste and menacingly says it’ll be nice if they ever meet.

The J. Prince line is more of a mention than a diss but the so-called Godfather of Rap Music isn’t a person whose name you drop like an NBA player because it rhymes.

Soon after the mixtape’s release, J. Prince paid a visit to YB in Utah with Birdman and respectfully discussed what was said in the song but warned YB about beefing with Drake. Calling Drake his “son” and speaking on both their behalf, Prince said they have nothing but love for Durk and YB but they shouldn’t be dragged into the beef.

The Lil Yachty diss is the most random and seems unassociated with the Lil Durk beef. Yachty himself was confused and posted a hilarious tweet in response shown below.

Overall the song communicates that while YB doesn’t want a cease-fire with Durk, the collateral damage of their beef, with people in the industry refusing to work with him, is getting under his skin. In true YB fashion, he releases these emotions in a rage rap flow over an aggressive and bass-filled beat.

The Roddy Ricch Sample

The hardest beat on the whole mixtape is “Perspective” and if something about the flow or production caught your ear it’s probably because you’ve heard Roddy Ricch’s “Start Wit Me” feat. Gunna. It’s not credited as a sample or interpolation but you’ll see the producer jetsonmade, who made “Start Wit Me”, in the credits.

On “Perspective”, YB’s flow has a nice bounce to it, he finds a synergy between his signature aggressive mumble rap and the beat—letting each syllable rebound off the 808s like a reverb. It’s reminiscent of the melodic delivery Gunna and Roddy know how to body but in a way that’s true to YB’s style.

Listen to “Perspective” (Spotify & Apple Music) and “Start Wit Me” (Spotify & Apple Music) and see if you can hear the similarities.

Standout Songs

In terms of production and cadence, there are a few songs worth mentioning. “I Got That Shit” has a catchy hook and an energetic flow that’s exemplary of YB’s braggadocious raps at their best.

“Father” is an off-brand introspective track for YB, his version of a prayer asking for forgiveness from a higher power for his violent actions amid the battlefield of life. He relies on his faith acknowledging that his upbringing in an environment of adversity has given him a kill-or-be-killed mentality.

It’s the lyrics and wordplay in “Free Meechy” that stand out, with a minimal hook YB delivers two hard verses packed with clever rhymes. “I’m on three R’s, call it Reese’s Pieces / Gravedigger, no Jesus pieces” is a reference to Revenge, Respect, and Riches (YB’s motto).

How does it rate?

Production 3.5 out of 5

The beat selection is solid and fits the cadence and delivery of YB on every song. There are the chilling piano-driven beats for the slower songs like “Hurt My Heart” and the loud 808s, hi-hats, and kicks for the songs where each verse packs a punch. It’s not groundbreaking in terms of rap or YB’s typical style but the production understood the assignment.

Lyricism 4 out of 5

Out of the 3 projects YB’s released this year, Richest Opp is the best and most cohesive. He’s always displayed the duality of a deeply intense soul, who feels extreme pain and extreme anger but his music, more often than not, leans into his murderous side. On Richest Opp, he balances the explosive slaughter songs (that any YB fan loves) with softer melancholic raps that explore his internal battle with his demons.

Reddit joke aside, the subject matter is decisively appropriate for a release born out of rap beef and it reflects YB’s psychological state. He’s frustrated with the industry and other rappers, he doesn’t understand why some people don’t fuck with him, that makes him feel confused and hurt which turns to rage and eventually murder.

It makes sense given YB’s dark and distressing upbringing because when you’re taught that life is about killing or being killed—you always go on the defense. The emotions felt on Richest Opp are not all about rap beef but the release came at the perfect time.

Visuals 3.5 out of 5

The front cover is aesthetically pleasing and follows the same stylistic approach as Don’t Try This At Home. It’s a far cry from the heavily edited covers of 3800 Degrees, Lost Files, and Still Flexin, Still Steppin which were giving Photoshop 2000s era. It represents the state of his life in Utah, his wife and kids are in the driveway with armed guards, expensive cars, and a barber who makes house calls.

Best Song and Beat: “Perspective”

For all the reasons listed in the Roddy Ricch sample section above, “Perspective” is the most unique song on the project. YB explores a dynamic flow over a beat that’s not typical for him and he bodies it.

Throwaway song: “Chopstick” ft. Ten

Neither the beat nor lyrics did much on this song and it sounded as if both were fighting for attention but couldn’t compromise and work together.

Overall Rating 3.75 out of 5

YB deserves his flowers, not many rappers can match his output. Even though he can be repetitive, there are always gems and when a YB song slaps—it really slaps. This project had fewer skips and more saves than usual and the quality was there.