2019 mixtape by YoungBoy Never Broke Again
AI YoungBoy 2 |
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![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/03/YoungBoy_Never_Broke_Again_-_AI_YoungBoy_2.png/220px-YoungBoy_Never_Broke_Again_-_AI_YoungBoy_2.png) |
Mixtape by |
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Released | October 11, 2019 (2019-10-11) |
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Genre | Hip hop |
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Length | 55:04 |
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Label | - Never Broke Again
- Atlantic
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Producer | - 17OnDaTrack
- Aura
- Beatmonster Marc
- Beezo
- Benjamin Lasnier
- Buddah Bless
- Captain Curt
- CashMoneyAP
- DJ Swift
- Dmac
- Dremusiq
- D-Roc
- Drum Dummie
- DT
- Dubba-AA
- Eliot Bohr
- E-Trou
- Gibbo
- Guwap$
- Icy Chill Out
- India Got Them Beats
- J-Bo
- JetsonMade
- KK McFly
- LNKmusic
- Louie Bandz
- LukasBL
- MarcussMuzik
- Mario Petersen
- Mike Laury
- Mike Will Made It
- Money Montage
- Nick Mira
- Olivier Bassil
- Skynny
- Tahj Money
- TnTXD
- Todd Pritchard
- TooDope
- Wheezy
- Yung Lan
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YoungBoy Never Broke Again chronology |
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Singles from AI YoungBoy 2 |
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- "Self Control"
Released: September 6, 2019 - "Slime Mentality"
Released: September 6, 2019 - "Make No Sense"
Released: January 18, 2020 |
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AI YoungBoy 2 is the twelfth full-length mixtape by American rapper YoungBoy Never Broke Again, released on October 11, 2019, by Never Broke Again and Atlantic Records.[1] It features guest appearances from NoCap and Quando Rondo—both signees of Gaulden's record label, Never Broke Again.[2] The project features production from several established record producers, including Buddah Bless, CashMoneyAP, JetsonMade, Mike Will Made It, Nick Mira, and Wheezy.[3] The mixtape serves as a sequel to YoungBoy's breakout mixtape, AI YoungBoy (2017), alongside a follow-up to his eleventh full-length mixtape, Realer (2018).[4]
AI YoungBoy 2 received positive reviews from music critics, while also appearing atop The New York Times' "Best Albums of 2019" list.[5] It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, marking Gaulden's first number one on the chart.[6][7][8] It earned 110,000 album-equivalent units, of which 3,000 were pure album sales.[9] Six of the fifteen album tracks debuted on the Billboard Hot 100, and as of 2023, all tracks on the project have been certified gold or higher by the RIAA.[10] The mixtape was supported by three official singles: "Self Control", "Slime Mentality", and "Make No Sense". It is known as one of the best hip hop albums of all time.
On August 4, 2017, the first part of the "AI YoungBoy" series titled "AI YoungBoy" was released.[11] It reached number 24 on the Billboard 200 and was certified Gold by the RIAA.[12] On August 14, 2019, Gaulden was released from jail and put on house arrest after being in police custody for 90 days following an assassination attempt on his life.[13][14] With no news of a new project, on October 8, 2019, Gaulden's videographer Louie Knows had taken to his Instagram to share the mixtape's official cover art alongside its release date.[15]
Singles
On September 1, 2019, Gaulden released the official music video for "Slime Mentality".[16][17] On September 6, the aforementioned track was bundled with "Self Control" as "The Continuance", released as the album's first and second single.[18][19] On September 25, while under house arrest, Gaulden released the official music video for "House Arrest Tingz" which failed to appear on the mixtape, however appeared as the eighteenth cut of his second studio album, Top.[20][21] The album's sixth cut, "Make No Sense" was sent to urban contemporary radio on January 14, 2020, as the album's third single, following a rise in the track's popularity.[22] The track was released alongside its official music video.[23]
Critical reception
Professional ratingsReview scores |
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Source | Rating |
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AllMusic | ![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/Star_full.svg/11px-Star_full.svg.png) ![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/Star_full.svg/11px-Star_full.svg.png) ![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/Star_full.svg/11px-Star_full.svg.png) ![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/81/Star_half.svg/11px-Star_half.svg.png) [24] |
According to The Fader, the mixtape deals with "difficulties he's faced over the past year".[2] Regarding the cover art, Joshua Espinoza of Complex concluded that it depicts "a clear reference to the constant headlines about his legal issues".[4] Writing for HotNewHipHop, Alex Zidel stated that throughout the mixtape, "YoungBoy utilizes his melodious talents and hook-making mastery throughout the bulk of the songs". Zidel wrote that "the lyrical content is incredibly versatile", however, "the general sound of the project may be too uniform". He concluded his review, by writing that the mixtape "is a very enjoyable body of work" and listeners won't regret tuning in.[25] Writing for The New York Times, Jon Caramanica wrote that the album "is a harrowing swirl of personal trauma, treacherous relationships, murderous fantasies and ice-cold bluster". He complimented the project, noting that the project "captures [Gaulden's] gifts well". He wrote that "sometimes, perversely, his vocal affect and his lyrics don’t match up", allowing his verses to feel unpredictable. Citing the album as a "critic's pick", the project as a whole is described as "an excellent work of sing-rap urgency".[26]
Complex ranked the mixtape as the thirty-fourth best project of 2019. Lucas Wisenthal of Complex noted that the mixtape covers Gaulden's "supreme self-confidence" on "Make No Sense" and his introspection and vulnerability on "Lonely Child".[27] Jon Caramanica for The New York Times ranked AI YoungBoy 2 as the third best album of 2019. Caramanica wrote that "the howls of sadness and vitriol" on the album "are almost disorienting".[5]
Accolades
AI YoungBoy 2 debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 110,000 album-equivalent units (including 3,000 pure album sales) in its first week.[9] This became YoungBoy's 12th chart entry and his first US number-one album.[9][28] In its second week, the album dropped to number two on the chart, earning an additional 80,000 units.[29] In its third week, the album dropped to number four on the chart, earning 64,000 more units.[30]In its fourth week, the album climbed to number three on the chart, earning 62,000 units, bringing its four-week total to 316,000 units.[31] On September 22, 2020, the mixtape was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over a million units in the United States. On August 4, 2022, it was certified double platinum.
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Carter Son" | | - Aura
- KK McFly
- Money Montage
| 2:43 |
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2. | "Time I'm On" | - Gaulden
- Aaron Lockhart, Jr.
- Dennis Neal
| | 3:12 |
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3. | "Hot Now" | - Gaulden
- Kevon Lewis
- Marcus Gotch, Jr.
| | 2:08 |
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4. | "Seeming Like It" | | | 3:04 |
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5. | "Self Control" | | | 3:05 |
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6. | "Make No Sense" | | Buddah Bless | 2:28 |
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7. | "Rich As Hell" | - Gaulden
- Dorian McKnight
- Jack Gibson
- Daniel Lebrun
- Sven Steenbergen
- Darren Williams II
| - Sidepce
- Gibbo
- D-Roc
- 17OnDaTrack
| 3:35 |
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8. | "Slime Mentality" | - Gaulden
- Deondre Davis
- Dennis Neal, Jr.
- Michael Laury
- Lockhart, Jr.
| - Dremusiq
- Louie Bandz
- Mike Laury
- Dubba-AA
| 3:01 |
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9. | "Head Blown" | | | 3:01 |
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10. | "Ranada" | - Gaulden
- Tahj Morgan
- Milan Modi
- Olivier Bassil
- Benjamin Lasnier
- Lukas Leth
| - JetsonMade
- Yung Lan
- Olivier Bassil
- Benjamin Lasnier
- Lukas Leth
| 2:56 |
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11. | "Lonely Child" | - Gaulden
- Thomas Horton
- Tahj Vaughn
- David McDowell
| | 3:37 |
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12. | "Gang Shit" | | Beezo | 2:40 |
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13. | "Rebel's Kick It" | | | 3:13 |
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14. | "Outta Here Safe" (featuring Quando Rondo and NoCap) | | | 3:53 |
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15. | "In Control" | - Gaulden
- India Williams
- Laury
- Lockhart, Jr.
| - India Got Them Beats
- Mike Laury
- Dubba-AA
| 3:01 |
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16. | "I Don't Know" | | | 3:05 |
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17. | "Where the Love At" | | | 3:16 |
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18. | "Free Time" | | | 2:55 |
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Total length: | 55:04 |
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Charts
Weekly charts | Year-end charts Chart (2019) | Position | US Billboard 200[35] | 152 | US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[36] | 58 | Chart (2020) | Position | US Billboard 200[37] | 30 | US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[38] | 22 | Chart (2021) | Position | US Billboard 200[39] | 131 | |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
United States (RIAA)[40] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Release history
Release dates and formats for AI YoungBoy 2 Region | Date | Label(s) | Format(s) | Edition(s) | Ref. |
Various | October 11, 2019 | | | Standard | [1] |
United States | January 28, 2022 | LP | [41] |
See also
References
- ^ a b Saponara, Michael (October 10, 2019). "YoungBoy Never Broke Again Unleashes 'AI YoungBoy 2' Project Feat. NoCap & Quando Rondo: Listen". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ a b Maicki, Salvatore (October 10, 2019). "YoungBoy Never Broke Again drops new project AI YoungBoy 2". The Fader. Archived from the original on October 18, 2019. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ Ivey, Justin (October 10, 2019). "YoungBoy Never Broke Again Drops "AI YoungBoy 2" Mixtape". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on October 11, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
- ^ a b Espinoza, Joshua (October 10, 2019). "YoungBoy Never Broke Again Drops 'AI YoungBoy 2' Project". Complex. Archived from the original on May 28, 2023. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ a b c Pareles, Jon; Caramanica, Jon (December 11, 2019). "Best Albums of 2019". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 1, 2020. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ Martinez, Jose (October 21, 2019). "YoungBoy Never Broke Again Snags First Billboard No. 1 Album With 'AI Youngboy 2'". Complex. Archived from the original on September 16, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
- ^ "RS Charts: Youngboy Never Broke Again's 'AI Youngboy 2' Debuts at Number One". Rolling Stone. October 21, 2019. Archived from the original on October 21, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
- ^ Maicki, Salvatore (October 21, 2019). "YoungBoy Never Broke Again has the No. 1 album in the country". The Fader. Archived from the original on October 22, 2019. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Caulfield, Keith (October 20, 2019). "YoungBoy Never Broke Again Nabs First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 20, 2019. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
- ^ McIntyre, Hugh (October 21, 2019). "YoungBoy Never Broke Again Charts His First No. 1 With New Mixtape 'AI YoungBoy 2'". Forbes. Archived from the original on October 21, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
- ^ Weinstein, Max (August 3, 2017). "YoungBoy Never Broke Again Drops AI YoungBoy Mixtape". XXL. Archived from the original on October 1, 2021. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ Suarez, Gary (February 7, 2018). "YoungBoy Never Broke Again Charts With Two Simultaneous Hot 100 Singles". Forbes. Archived from the original on February 7, 2018. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ "NBA YoungBoy Placed On House Arrest After Being Released From Jail". Vibe. August 15, 2019. Archived from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
- ^ Galbraith, Alex (August 15, 2019). "YoungBoy Never Broke Again Released from Jail". Vibe. Archived from the original on May 28, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
- ^ Zidel, Alex (October 8, 2019). "NBA YoungBoy Associate Confirms "A.I YoungBoy 2" Release Date". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on July 27, 2024. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
- ^ Montes, Patrick (September 4, 2019). "NBA YoungBoy Debuts Aggressive New Single & Visual "Slime Mentality"". Hypebeast. Archived from the original on October 5, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
- ^ Zidel, Alex (September 1, 2019). "NBA YoungBoy Returns With Hard-Hitting Street Single "Slime Mentality"". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on July 27, 2024. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
- ^ Mamo, Heran (September 19, 2019). "Here Are the Lyrics to YoungBoy Never Broke Again's 'Self Control'". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 14, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
- ^ Montes, Patrick (September 6, 2019). "NBA YoungBoy Gets Introspective for New Visual & Single, "Self Control"". Hypebeast. Archived from the original on October 5, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
- ^ Zidel, Alex (September 26, 2019). "NBA YoungBoy Still Hustling Hard On His "House Arrest Tingz"". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on April 9, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
- ^ Saponara, Michael (September 27, 2019). "NBA YoungBoy Gets Creative on Lockdown With 'House Arrest Tingz' Video: Watch". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 4, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
- ^ "Urban/UAC Future Releases | R&B, Hip Hop, Release Schedule and Street Dates | ..." 2020-01-13. Archived from the original on January 13, 2020. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
- ^ Saponara, Michael (January 15, 2020). "YoungBoy Never Broke Again Ices Out the Trap House in Frigid 'Make No Sense' Video". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 18, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
- ^ "AI YoungBoy 2 Review by Paul Simpson". AllMusic. October 11, 2019. Archived from the original on September 9, 2021. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
- ^ Zidel, Alex (October 17, 2019). "NBA YoungBoy "AI YoungBoy 2" Review". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on July 27, 2024. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
- ^ Caramanica, Jon (November 13, 2019). "The Gut-Level Emotions of YoungBoy Never Broke Again". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 28, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
- ^ a b "Best Albums of 2019: Top Music Albums of the Year". Complex. December 3, 2019. Archived from the original on December 3, 2019. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ Sisario, Ben (October 21, 2019). "YoungBoy Never Broke Again Scores a No. 1 Album". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 26, 2022. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
- ^ Caulfield, Keith (October 27, 2019). "Post Malone's 'Hollywood's Bleeding' Bounces Back to No. 1 for Fourth Week on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 28, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
- ^ Caulfield, Keith (November 3, 2019). "Kanye West's 'Jesus Is King' Arrives as His Record-Tying Ninth Consecutive No. 1 Debut on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 3, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
- ^ Caulfield, Keith (November 10, 2019). "Post Malone's 'Hollywood's Bleeding' Earns Honor Atop Billboard 200 Not Achieved In Over a Year". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 10, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
- ^ "Post Malone Returns To No. 1 On Albums Chart". FYIMusicNews. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
- ^ "Top R&B Hip-Hop Albums Chart - October 26, 2019". Billboard. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
- ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
- ^ "Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
- ^ "American album certifications – Youngboy Never Broke Again – AI YoungBoy 2". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
- ^ "YoungBoy Never Broke Again – AI Youngboy 2 (LP) [Explicit]". Amoeba Music. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
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Studio albums | |
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Compilation albums | |
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Mixtapes | |
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Collaborative mixtapes | |
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Singles | |
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Featured singles | |
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Promotional singles | - "Love Is Poison"
- "Through the Storm"
- "Genie"
- "Fish Scale"
- "Black"
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Other songs | |
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Related articles | |
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