Last week, NLE Choppa stirred the pot with his new single and video KO, calling out what he sees as toxic influences in hip hop. In the video, he uses an NBA YoungBoy lookalike shown doing drugs while rapping directly to him:
“You poison the youth, nothin’ positive you do.
You the reason n—s beating b*tches thinking that it’s cute.
You send n—s to do what you wouldn’t even do.
Role model, you will never fit the shoe.”
Before anything else, NLE deserves his credit. KO is blunt, creative, and the industry could use more of that. The music video feels intentional, from the homage to different artists to the layered storytelling; it’s clear NLE put thought into it. Whether people agree with his approach or not, it takes guts to go against the grain in a space where most artists play it safe. That alone deserves respect. It was a bold move that sparked plenty of opinions.
Some people said NLE was jealous of YoungBoy’s success. Others said he was right for speaking up. Then there were those in between, saying, “It’s the right message, just the wrong messenger.” Honestly, all of them had a point.
NLE didn’t say anything we haven’t all noticed. He just picked one face to represent a much bigger problem. He’s not wrong for speaking on it, but truth be told, a lot of artists could’ve been on that board. The glorification of violence, fast money, and self-destruction is everywhere right now. The beats hit, the hooks stick, and the message slips right through with it. We’ve built a culture where shock value and entertainment outweigh substance. So when someone like NLE calls out a fan favorite, backlash is guaranteed. Not because he’s wrong, but because he’s questioning what people find enjoyable. When the music that entertains you is the same music being called toxic, it forces listeners to face what they’ve been celebrating, and most people don’t want to do that.
Is It Jealousy?
NLE Choppa used to be one of NBA YoungBoy’s biggest supporters, or at least that’s how it looked. Whether it came from admiration or influence, the respect was obvious. Back in 2019, NLE dropped Free YoungBoy, showing love while YoungBoy was behind bars. On that track, NLE rapped about dropping opps, robbing plugs, and doing drugs.
Then, in February 2025, he released Free YoungBoy 2. Fans thought it was a diss, but NLE said it wasn’t, claiming he was just paying homage. Still, in that song, he talked about guns and “taking souls.” So when KO dropped, it threw people off. You made two songs praising someone, glorifying the same behavior, then turned around and dissed him. To many, it came off less like a genuine call for change and more like a move driven by clout and envy. Why call out YoungBoy specifically, instead the entire industry?
Before his “spiritual awakening,” NLE was on the same timing he’s now calling out. He has plenty of songs that glorify violence and drugs, and his own past hasn’t exactly been spotless. In 2020, he went viral after a public argument with the mother of his child on Twitter, where he reportedly admitted he tried to shoot her but the gun jammed. In 2021, he was arrested after hopping a fence at a tow yard while wearing a ski mask. When police stopped his car, they found weapons and drugs inside. He claimed the drugs were planted, and in 2023, he took a plea deal for probation while the drug charges were dropped.
Change is awesome, but when your history looks like that, how you show it matters. You can’t act like you were never part of the same problem. NLE has spoken in interviews about wanting to be a positive influence, but the message doesn’t always match the music. Maybe he’s giving fans what they expect, but if you’re trying to be a voice for change, your body of work should start showing that. Instead of calling out someone else, that moment in KO could’ve been NLE speaking to his own past self. That would’ve hit harder, showing real accountability instead of redirecting the spotlight.
“Den of Kings”
Last month, NLE sat down on Kirk Franklin’s Den of Kings with Ray J, KevOnStage, Dr. Jay Barnett, and actor Jonathan Majors. What started as an honest conversation about manhood, accountability, and healing quickly went off track.
NLE kept jumping in, giving “wisdom,” and cutting people off mid-sentence. Instead of listening, he wanted to lead the conversation. You could see Jonathan Majors’ patience wearing thin, and eventually Ray J tried to calm things down. When Ray J gave NLE his props, NLE interrupted, assuming Ray J was trying to “lil boy” him. Out of frustration, Ray J asked, “Do you think you can give these grown men advice?” NLE said yes. When Ray J asked again, NLE replied, “I can only give what a man is willing to receive.” At that point, Ray J walked out of the interview.
KevOnStage tried to ease the tension, explaining that how you feel changes with age and experience. Not that NLE hadn’t been through things, but that perspective grows as you do. Still, NLE couldn’t take that in. He felt that because he already has kids and life experience, he already knows.
When the interview hit the internet, people called NLE out for being hardheaded and always thinking he’s the smartest one in the room.
NLE clapped back in the comments, saying Jonathan Majors was intimidated by him and that the men weren’t trying to hear him because of his age. But as a viewer, it didn’t look like that. The men were patient, they listened, and they gave him grace. He just wasn’t ready to extend the same in return.
During that same interview, Dr. Jay asked NLE what actually sparked his change. NLE didn’t have a clear answer. That was the perfect moment to say something real, like, “I was doing dumb stuff, rapping about the wrong things, and realized I had to change for my kids, for my fans, for myself.”
Instead, it came off like he went on a retreat, found peace, and came back with all the answers. But that’s not how change works. Growth is messy. It’s not about acting like you’ve got it all figured out. It’s about being honest about who you were and showing how you’re working to become better.
The message NLE Choppa is pushing is good. The culture needs people willing to speak up about negativity. But the same kids you’re trying to reach might look at your video and think, “Bro, you were just doing the same thing not too long ago.”
If you’re going to put someone else under the spotlight, make sure you’re standing in it too.
