MASA (album)

Last updated

MASA
Masa YoungBoy.png
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 25, 2025 (2025-07-25)
RecordedMarch - July 2025
Genre Hip-hop
Length93:46
Label
Producer
  • 17OnDaTrack
  • 5ree
  • Afterhxrs
  • Alex Cheyz
  • AyeReek
  • Aye Shark!
  • Ayo E Go Krazy
  • Bans
  • BboyBeatz
  • BGF_Wave
  • Bino Beats
  • B. March
  • BMPS Beatz
  • Cheese
  • Colorado
  • CuBeatz
  • CubSkout
  • Decastro
  • Don Mills
  • D-Roc
  • Dylan Hyde
  • EasterPink
  • Fasbeats
  • Garibeats
  • Gateway
  • G. Ry
  • Gucceo
  • Haisofn
  • Henry8
  • Horridrunitup
  • Ike Made
  • India Got Them Beats
  • ISM
  • Jahniya C
  • JB Sauced Up
  • Jordjii
  • Juppybeats
  • K10Beatz
  • Kaigoinkrazy
  • Kayn
  • KayoTheWizard
  • KC Da Beatmonster
  • Kenoe
  • Klimperboy
  • Ktoe
  • LondnBlue
  • MalikOTB
  • Mally Mall
  • MarsGawd
  • Mason Sacks
  • Menace
  • Moneyxo
  • Nessuno
  • O Soma
  • Red Jon
  • Sam Barsh
  • Sean Da Firzt
  • SeasonGoCrazy
  • Simo Fre
  • Skeeo!
  • SlickMadeThat
  • Sword
  • Tayo
  • Tip Beats
  • TnTXD
  • TrillGotJuice
  • VenoTheBuilder
  • Yooka beats
YoungBoy Never Broke Again chronology
More Leaks
(2025)
MASA
(2025)
Deshawn
(2025)
Singles from MASA
  1. "Top Tingz"
    Released: May 23, 2025

MASA (backronym as Make America Slime Again) is the eighth studio album by American rapper YoungBoy Never Broke Again, released through Never Broke Again and Motown on July 25, 2025. [1] It features guest appearances from Playboi Carti and Mellow Rackz, while its production was handled by Gaulden's go-to engineer and producer Cheese, alongside MarsGawd, LondnBlue, Mally Mall, Simo Fre, TnTXD, and several other producers. The album serves as a follow-up to Gaulden's seventh studio album, I Just Got a Lot on My Shoulders (2024) and his third compilation album, More Leaks (2025).

Contents

Release and promotion

After years of being under house arrest, Gaulden was officially released on probation in April 2025. [2] Upon his release, on May 3, Gaulden's associate, Kyle "Montana" Claiborne revealed that he was working on an album and a tour. [3] On May 15, Gaulden and his Never Broke Again label announced the tour of the same name and its dates in a promotional trailer, revealing that tickets would be up for sale on May 20. [4] Following high demand, additional dates were added to the tour multiple times. [5] [6]

On May 29, 2025, Gaulden was granted a presidential pardon by Donald Trump, permitting him to not have to submit to his previous probation restrictions. [7] Days later, on June 2, Gaulden and his team took to Instagram to announce an additional 13 dates due to high demand. [6] On June 16, Gaulden took to his Instagram to announce that the album would be released on July 4, 2025. [8] In late June, Gaulden was seen with his crew in New York City filming a music video, which would be revealed as "Diesel", the album's twenty-sixth cut. [9] On June 24, Gaulden's wife, Jazyln Mychelle shared a vlog of the two and their kids on vacation in Jamaica; this led to many Jamaican producers claiming involvement in Gaulden's, at-the-time, upcoming album. [10] On July 2, Gaulden shared the album's official artwork with its release planned for July 4. Upon its announcement, Playboi Carti shared a picture of the two from an unreleased music video on his alternative Instagram. [11] [12] This was soon followed by Young Thug taking to his Instagram story to ask Gaulden to call him, hinting at a potential collaboration between the two rappers. [13] Upon the album's original release of July 4, several tracks from the album were leaked, resulting in the record being released as a 10-track sampler with the album being pushed back to July 25. [1] Days prior to the release of the album, billboards begun to appear across New York City to promote the record. [14]

Singles

On May 3, upon Gaulden's release from prison, he released the album's first two promotional singles, "Where I Been" and "Shot Callin". [3] On May 21, Gaulden appeared as a guest apperence on both Kanye West and Playboi Carti's version of "Alive". [15] On May 22, Gaulden released the album's second promotional single, "Finest", accompanied by its music video. [16] This was soon followed by the release of the album's lead single, "Top Tingz" on May 23. [17] On July 1, Gaulden released the music videos for "Diesel" and "Over", the former appearing on the album's tracklist. [18] On July 12, Gaulden released the official, Rich Porter-directed music video for "Kickboxer". [19] On July 19, Gaulden released a music video for "So Not Sorry / Out the Window" exclusively on his YouTube channel before taking to his Instagram to confirm that the rest of the songs on the album would all be unheard. [20] Hours after the song's release, Gaulden appeared alongside rapper Mellow Rackz on the track, "Guys Just Wanna Have Fun", a remix of "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper, released exclusively to Rackz's YouTube channel. [21]

Artwork

The official artwork for MASA sees Gaulden "showing his love of the USA". The cover is described as "bright and colorful" by HotNewHipHop 's Zachary Horvath and features the rapper standing in front of the Flag of the United States with a green balaclava, representing the "Slime" in the album's name. [12] HotNewHipHop's Bryson "Boom" Paul also described the cover as "bold" and wrote that it "[symbolizes] defiance and patriotism". [1] The United States flag in the background can also be linked to Gaulden's presidential pardon, and the name of the album being in reference to Donald Trump's Make America Great Again slogan, with the album also aiming for an original July 4 release—the United States' day of independence. [12]

Controversy

On July 7, 2025, following the release of the MASA sampler, Florida rapper Kodak Black took to his Instagram to share his thoughts on the project, stating that he does not like it: "I just heard little bruh album it's straight trash, I don't even like that [...] and I like YoungBoy music but that shit ass tho". Kodak suggested that Gaulden was releasing MASA to get his attention and further indicated that there is behind-the-scenes issues between the two rappers, stemming from Gaulden's relationships with two of Kodak's ex-girlfriends. [22] [23] Following Kodak's post, Doodie Lo, an artist signed to Lil Durk—who Gaulden has an on-and-off feud with—commented in support of Kodak before an affiliate of Gaulden, ChaseDatBag B responded to the comment suggesting that Doodie Lo was unnecessarily attention seeking. [23]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Pitchfork 6.4/10 [24]

Upon the release of the album's sampler, HotNewHipHop 's Bryson "Boom" Paul wrote that the album is "a celebration of freedom" and that it "represents resilience, growth, and the rapper’s determination to reclaim his narrative". [1] He continued that Gaulden "transforms personal trials into anthems of survival" and that he "[solidifies] his place in hip-hop’s evolving landscape". [1] He concluded that on the project, Gaulden "ruthless aggression that fans have come to adore" and that he is in "full throttle from beginning to end as he reclaims his star power". [1]

Pitchfork magazine's Matthew Ritchie described MASA as "a hyper-emotive data dump that churns through hunger, bitterness, boasts, and torment at breakneck speeds". [24]

Commercial performance

MASA debuted at number six on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 49,000 album-equivalent units in its first week, including 1,000 pure album sales. [25] The album also accumulated a total of 69.15 million on-demand streams of the album's songs. [25] MASA marks Gaulden's 16th top ten album on the Billboard 200, tying him with Jay-Z and Nas for the third most top ten albums, behind Drake at 17, and Future at 18. [26] The album also marks Gaulden's 34th entry on the chart, surpassing E-40 for the most career entries on the chart among rappers. [26]

Track listing

MASA track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."My Shit"
  • Henry 8
  • Redjon
  • Yookabeats
2:28
2."Games of War"
4:23
3."XXX"
  • Gaulden
  • Goldberg
  • Cheese
  • Mason Sacks
  • Tayo
3:05
4."Get Up with Us"
  • Gaulden
  • Goldberg
  • Simone Di Franco
  • Cheese
  • Simo Fre
  • Nessuno
  • MarsGawd
2:34
5."Fire Your Manager" (with Playboi Carti)
KC Da Beatmonster3:53
6."Big"
  • Gaulden
  • Goldberg
  • Cheese
  • Cubskout
  • Easter Pink
  • VenoTheBuilder
2:32
7."I'm Ready"
  • Gaulden
  • Goldberg
  • Cheese
  • G. Ry
  • Ike
  • Bmarch
2:47
8."Morocco"
  • Gaulden
  • Goldberg
  • Jordan
  • Josh Joseph
  • Cheese
  • Kenoe
  • MarsGawd
2:47
9."Cold World" (with Mellow Rackz)
  • Gaulden
  • Bingham
  • Thomas Horton
  • Henry 8
  • Kaigoinkrazy
  • Fasbeats
  • TnTXD
3:36
10."No Fuck"
  • Gaulden
  • Goldberg
  • Cheese
  • Bans
  • Malik
3:20
11."Burn"
  • Gaulden
  • Goldberg
  • Jeremy Bradley Jr.
  • Cheese
  • JB Sauced Up
3:05
12."Alter"
  • Gaulden
  • Jordan
  • BGFwave
  • YzSword
  • Prod5ree
  • BGFwave
  • YzSword
  • Prod5ree
2:50
13."Slimretta"
  • Gaulden
  • Goldberg
  • Jamal Rashid
  • Ishmael Montague
  • Cheese
  • Mally Mall
  • ISM
  • Tip Beats
  • Ayo E Go Crazy
2:17
14."Myself Pt. 2"
  • Gaulden
  • Bingham
  • Henry 8
  • Seasongocrazy
2:39
15."Cash Shit"Gaulden
2:20
16."Combat Boots"
  • Gaulden
  • Goldberg
  • Daniel Leburn
  • Cheese
  • Drock
  • Menance
  • Nessuno
  • After Hours
2:33
17."Wine & Dine"
  • Gaulden
  • Goldberg
  • Cheese
  • India Got Them Beats
  • Jahneyac
  • Alexcheyz
  • Guppy
2:01
18."Fuck the Drugs"
  • Gaulden
  • Bingham
  • Caesar Lindquist
  • Henry 8
  • Haisofn
  • MoneyXO
  • Prodbykiz
3:56
19."Lo"
  • Gaulden
  • Goldberg
  • Rashid
  • Montague
  • Cheese
  • Mally Mall
  • ISM
  • Tip Beats
  • Ayo E Go Crazy
2:59
20."If You Need Me"
  • Gaulden
  • Goldberg
  • Antonio Ramos
  • Cheese
  • Kaigokrazy
  • TrillGotJuice
3:13
21."MASA"
  • Gaulden
  • Bingham
  • Lindquist
  • Henry 8
  • Haisofn
2:55
22."Kickboxer"
  • Gaulden
  • Rashid
  • Montague
  • Adam Gamble
  • Anthony Mosley
  • Mally Mall
  • ISM
  • Kayo the Wizard
  • Sean Da Firzt
  • Tip Beats
3:50
23."When Time Pass"
  • Gaulden
  • Bingham
  • Gabriel Decastro
  • Leonardo Sternieri
  • Di Franco
  • Henry 8
  • Decastro
  • Gucceo
  • Simo Fre
2:49
24."Priorities"
  • Gaulden
  • Goldberg
  • Sven Steenbergen
  • Vladislav Mirzoyan
  • Cheese
  • 17OnDaTrack
  • BMPS
3:07
25."Peepin"
  • Gaulden
  • Goldberg
  • Brian Stewart Jr.
  • Daniel Steen
  • Cheese
  • BboyBeatz
  • Garibeats
3:47
26."Diesel"
  • Gaulden
  • Goldberg
  • Kyle Green
  • Sam Barsh
  • Cheese
  • Tayo
  • Barsh
3:46
27."Shot Callin"
  • Gaulden
  • Goldberg
  • Green
  • Ramos
  • Cheese
  • Tayo
  • TrillGotJuice
3:45
28."Finest"
  • Gaulden
  • Goldberg
  • Bradley
  • Cheese
  • JB Sauced Up
3:21
29."Where I Been"
  • Gaulden
  • Goldberg
  • Sterling Reynolds
  • Sacks
  • Horton
  • Cheese
  • LondnBlue
  • Sacks
  • TnTXD
3:34
30."Top Tingz"
  • Gaulden
  • Bingham
  • Shubhjit Balam
  • Kyler Mathis
  • Tyrek Matthews
  • Henry 8
  • Aye Reek
  • K10Beatz
  • HorridRunItUp
3:34
Total length:93:46

Sample and interpolation credits

Personnel

Credits adapted from Apple Music. [27]

Musicians

Technical

Charts

Chart performance for MASA
Chart (2025)Peak
position
Nigerian Albums (TurnTable) [28] 86
US Billboard 200 [29] 6
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [30] 3

Release history

Release dates and formats for MASA
RegionDateLabel(s)Format(s)Edition(s)Ref.
VariousJuly 4, 2025MASA Sampler [1]
July 25, 2025Standard [27]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Paul, Bryson "Boom" (July 4, 2025). "NBA Youngboy Is Politically Correct In New Album "Make America Slime Again"". HotNewHipHop . Archived from the original on July 5, 2025. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  2. Mullahy, Brian (April 10, 2025). "Rapper YoungBoy returns to Utah, brings heavily armed security with him". KUTV. Archived from the original on April 10, 2025. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  3. 1 2 Fisher, Caroline (May 4, 2025). "NBA YoungBoy Fans Receive Promising Update After Rapper's Prison Release". HotNewHipHop . Archived from the original on May 4, 2025. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  4. Spera, Keith (May 15, 2025). "NBA Youngboy to conclude first arena headlining tour at New Orleans' Smoothie King Center". The Times-Picayune . ISSN   1055-3053. Archived from the original on May 15, 2025. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  5. "NBA YoungBoy adds second NOLA date to upcoming tour". WBRZ-TV. May 21, 2025. Archived from the original on May 25, 2025. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  6. 1 2 Bras Nevares, Gabriel (June 2, 2025). "NBA YoungBoy Expands His "Make America Slime Again" Tour With New Dates". HotNewHipHop . Archived from the original on June 3, 2025. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  7. Coscarelli, Joe (May 29, 2025). "NBA YoungBoy Says He Will 'Keep Building' After President's Pardon" . The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 29, 2025. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  8. Horvath, Zachary (June 16, 2025). "NBA YoungBoy Announces He's Dropping An Album On July 4th". HotNewHipHop . Archived from the original on June 19, 2025. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  9. Horvath, Zachary (June 24, 2025). "NBA YoungBoy Reportedly Seen Filming A Music Video In NYC Amid Album Rollout". HotNewHipHop . Archived from the original on July 5, 2025. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  10. Fisher, Caroline (June 25, 2025). "NBA YoungBoy & Wife Jazlyn Mychelle Vlog Jamaican Getaway Amid New Album Buzz". HotNewHipHop . Archived from the original on July 5, 2025. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  11. Bras Nevares, Gabriel (July 6, 2025). "Playboi Carti Hypes Up Anticipated NBA YoungBoy Collab On "Make America Slime Again"". HotNewHipHop . Archived from the original on July 9, 2025. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
  12. 1 2 3 Horvath, Zachary (July 2, 2025). "NBA YoungBoy Puts His Pride For The USA On Full Display For Official Cover Of "Make America Slime Again"". HotNewHipHop . Archived from the original on July 5, 2025. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  13. Bras Nevares, Gabriel (July 3, 2025). "Young Thug Asks NBA YoungBoy To Hit Him Up, Sparking Collab Rumors". HotNewHipHop . Archived from the original on July 4, 2025. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
  14. Horvath, Zachary (July 22, 2025). "New Billboards For NBA YoungBoy's Upcoming Album Pop Up In NYC". HotNewHipHop . Archived from the original on July 24, 2025. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
  15. Saponara, Michael (May 21, 2025). "Ye & YoungBoy Never Broke Again Flex on Their Detractors With Blaring Collaboration 'Alive': Listen". Billboard . Archived from the original on May 22, 2025. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  16. Cole, Alexander (May 22, 2025). "NBA YoungBoy Delivers Some Heat With Melodic Single "Finest"". HotNewHipHop . Archived from the original on May 25, 2025. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  17. Cole, Alexander (May 23, 2025). "NBA YoungBoy Drops Blistering New Single "Top Tingz"". HotNewHipHop . Archived from the original on May 25, 2025. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  18. Centeno, Tony M. (July 7, 2025). "YoungBoy Never Broke Again Drops 6 New Songs Ahead Of 'MASA' Album". iHeartRadio . Archived from the original on July 13, 2025. Retrieved July 13, 2025.
  19. Akaash (July 12, 2025). "NBA YoungBoy Releases Video For 'Kickboxer'". HipHop-N-More. Archived from the original on July 13, 2025. Retrieved July 13, 2025.
  20. Horvath, Zachary (July 19, 2025). "NBA YoungBoy Drops Off Two More Singles In "So Not Sorry / Out The Window" Ahead Of His Next LP". HotNewHipHop . Archived from the original on July 23, 2025. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  21. Horvath, Zachary (July 19, 2025). "NBA YoungBoy Taunts Kodak Black By Linking With Mellow Rackz Again On A New Song". HotNewHipHop . Archived from the original on July 23, 2025. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  22. Saponara, Michael (July 8, 2025). "Kodak Black Calls YoungBoy Never Broke Again's Upcoming Album MASA 'Straight Trash'". Billboard . Archived from the original on July 9, 2025. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
  23. 1 2 Sadler, Armon (July 7, 2025). "Kodak Black Disses NBA YoungBoy's New Album MASA: "It's Straight Trash"". Vibe . Archived from the original on July 9, 2025. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
  24. 1 2 Ritchie, Matthew (July 31, 2025). "YoungBoy Never Broke Again: MASA Album Review". Pitchfork . Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  25. 1 2 Caulfield, Keith (August 3, 2025). "Morgan Wallen's 'I'm the Problem' Returns to No. 1 on Billboard 200". Billboard . Archived from the original on August 12, 2025. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  26. 1 2 Zellner, Xander (August 7, 2025). "YoungBoy Never Broke Again Has Now Charted More Albums on the Billboard 200 Than Any Rapper Ever". Billboard . Archived from the original on August 12, 2025. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  27. 1 2 "MASA by YoungBoy Never Broke Again on Apple Music". Apple Music . Retrieved July 9, 2025.
  28. "Official Top 100 Albums: July 25th, 2025 - July 31st, 2025". TurnTable . Archived from the original on August 11, 2025. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
  29. "YoungBoy Never Broke Again Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  30. "YoungBoy Never Broke Again Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 5, 2025.