NBA YoungBoy is not holding back. In his new track ‘Tears of War,’ premiering through Akademiks, he takes direct aim at Birdman, accusing the Cash Money Records co-founder of betrayal. This shocking move comes despite their once close relationship, with Birdman having served as a mentor and collaborator to the Baton Rouge rapper.
In ‘Tears of War,’ YoungBoy raps, ‘Knew that Stunna never loved me, should’ve listened to Carter,’ a direct nod to Lil Wayne’s previous warnings. Wayne had publicly cautioned YoungBoy about Birdman back in 2020 on the track ‘Multiple Flows,’ where he said, ‘And I had told YoungBoy to watch out for old head.’
The song is particularly notable as it is the last one YoungBoy recorded before his recent arrest. Currently, the 24-year-old artist is in jail over an alleged involvement in a drug prescription fraud case in Utah. Prior to this, he was under house arrest for an unrelated federal gun case.
The fallout between YoungBoy and Birdman is unexpected. Their relationship appeared solid, especially after their 2021 joint project ‘From the Bayou,’ which had been anticipated for three years before its release. Birdman had even gone on record to praise YoungBoy’s potential to save hip hop, mentioning in a FaceTime chat, ‘We need you, bruh…We gotta save Hip Hop, bruh.’
Birdman has not shied away from expressing his admiration for YoungBoy in the past. In 2021, he said on the Big Facts Podcast, ‘I think NBA YoungBoy might be the biggest rapper. Ain’t no n-gga gone be bigger than NBA YoungBoy, numbers don’t lie, he’s the biggest YouTube artist and he behind the wall.’ He also noted the similarities between YoungBoy and Lil Wayne, especially in their work ethic and music output, calling YoungBoy a ‘billion-dollar n-gga.’
The reasons behind NBA YoungBoy’s accusations remain unclear, but his new song ‘Tears of War’ unequivocally signals a rift between him and Birdman. With YoungBoy’s current legal troubles and Birdman’s previous public endorsements, this unfolding drama has left fans and the hip-hop community speculating about what led to this betrayal.
