‘Slime Cry’ Review: YoungBoy’s Current Run

YoungBoy Never Broke Again, also known as NBA YoungBoy, is fresh off arguably the biggest year of his career. After being granted a presidential pardon in May for his previous crimes, YoungBoy embarked on the extremely successful MASA Tour. 

This tour, his first in five years, supported a top-10 charting album of the same name. Into the new year, YoungBoy continues to deliver new material, a testament to his unwavering work ethic and the therapeutic process he finds in creating music.

Despite the trials and tribulations, one thing is certain: his passionate, cult-like fans will undoubtedly support whatever he puts out, such as his latest album, Slime Cry.

Introduction

YoungBoy has come through with his first project of 2026. If this album proves anything, it’s that, for now, he has no plans of slowing down. YoungBoy recently sat down with Complex Magazine and acknowledged the damage that comes with this approach. However, with fans like his, the temptation of releasing more music certainly seems reasonable. This year, YoungBoy will also perform at Rolling Loud for the first time since 2019. This time, he’s headlining, suggesting another huge year for the rapper. With his latest effort, Slime Cry, YoungBoy ensures fans will continue to hear hype bangers and introspective reflections. Here are some of the highlights:

Favorite Tracks from NBA YoungBoy’s Slime Cry:

• “Mask and Gloves” serves as the opening track to this lengthy album. Its lyrics discuss the paranoia of YB’s everyday lifestyle, as he feels he must wear a mask and gloves to protect himself. The violence that surrounded his upbringing persists despite his fame. It’s profound to hear him open up about the constant “survival” mode he’s in, and the paranoid atmosphere that he frequently encounters. It’s definitely a mature shift from glorifying a life on the streets.

• “FWYT” is an example of a standard, catchy, energetic YoungBoy track. His playful flow builds into a repetitive hook that lingers in your head. From the first listen, this was one of my favorite tracks simply because of YB’s chaotic energy throughout. I firmly believe few artists can match the intensity of his emphatic, aggressive tone. While not offering much lyrically, it’s certainly a fun song to dance and vibe to.

• “Me and You” is about YB’s desire to be with his girl, symbolized through digging a hole together. This represents the foundation of a bond that cannot be broken, lasting until death. He speaks highly of their connection, ensuring she will “forever be my heart.” The song also features a sample of Billie Eilish’s “hostage”. If emotions weren’t heavy enough, the ending also contains YoungBoy crying on the mic.

• “Bruce Wayne” seems to be a fan favorite from Slime Cry, as it has racked up 3.1 million views on YouTube. This would make it the highest-viewed song on the album without a music video. In the song, YoungBoy compares himself to the comic book character, noting his status, wealth, and imagery. It’s easy to see why people keep coming back to this one, as it equally blends these themes with the guarded persona often explored in many Batman variations as well. This combination creates an entertaining listen that definitely deserves a repeat.

One of the limitations I find with YoungBoy is that the quantity of his catalog outweighs the quality. I think he would benefit from releasing fewer songs and focusing more on ensuring each track stands out. That problem really shows itself here, as the 30-track album has a lot of songs that either sound similar or don’t offer much change in topic. Some tracks here have promise, but contain one important element that is weaker than the rest and brings down the overall quality of the song. That said, here are some of my least favorite tracks from Slime Cry.

Personal Favorite from Slime Cry

Right from its starry intro, “Anti-Social” proves itself to be a standout on Slime Cry. The hypnotic beginning builds to a similarly affecting hook from YoungBoy. His biting yet smooth, melodic flows contrast the beat in a way that creates an extremely addictive rhythm. YoungBoy effectively uses these elements to project his emotional battle with being disconnected from everyone and everything around him. In my opinion, it’s one of his strongest vocal performances on the whole album, in terms of its infectiousness.

Least Favorite Tracks on YoungBoy’s Slime Cry:

• “Ballin‘“ is the first example of quite a few tracks on the album that could have been left off it. YoungBoy’s braggadocious attitude doesn’t do anything to separate this track from your run-of-the-mill trap song.

• “My Grave” is a disappointing addition because it differentiates itself from a typical YB track. It’s extremely laid back and has YoungBoy almost whispering at times when rapping. While it certainly contains hints of vulnerability, a subject often featured in his music, there’s not much emotion or depth behind it. It’s kind of just there. I wish we had gotten more out of YoungBoy from this track.

• Next is “Leaving Me,” which, in my personal opinion, is the weakest song on Slime Cry. I find the beat and YoungBoy’s raspy autotune to feel mushed together, which honestly gave me a headache fairly quickly. At times, it feels like YoungBoy himself struggles to catch a vibe on the track, switching between flows in a way that seems to be overused. This is a perfect example of why YoungBoy doesn’t need such bloated albums, as this track feels like filler. Its themes are repetitive, and the production, lyrics, and vibe don’t appear to offer any shifts in creativity.

Disappointing Feature

Another track that feels like filler, “Devil Go Away,” is the final song on Slime Cry, and a big letdown in my opinion. Personally, I am not a fan of Jelly Roll, the feature on this song, and I find his chorus to be a bit generic. YoungBoy’s verses on the song are really heartfelt, as he reflects on the many challenges he has faced in his life. He chooses the optimistic route, expressing that it “take(s) a loss to make me feel better”. However, YB and Jelly Roll don’t mesh well overall, and I believe that with more effort, this could have been a much better song.

Conclusion

We haven’t heard from YoungBoy musically since, but Slime Cry serves as a reminder of YB’s tireless output. It debuted at #6 on the US Billboard 200, becoming his 17th top ten record, tying Drake for the second most top ten albums on the chart. At the same time, he becomes the fastest to achieve this feat. Numerous songs, such as “For You”. “Baby Boo,” “I Want,” and “Resume” were also accompanied by music videos on YouTube, where YoungBoy continues to dominate in numbers.

What are your thoughts on YoungBoy’s latest offering? Drop some of your favorite tracks from the album in the comments below! To find more music-related content from Trill, click here.