NLE The Great (or NLE Choppa, as he’s formerly known) and NBA YoungBoy have had some bad blood for years, but with NLE dropping the “KO”—a scathing diss record aimed at YB’s head—their beef has taken on new life. Released on October 30, 2025, the music video for “KO” has already racked up over 5 million views in just a week, fueling anticipation over whether YoungBoy will respond.
Still, some listeners were confused about where this whole thing stems from. For a lot of people, NLE’s diss seemed random, as the two hadn’t traded shots in a while. But apparently, the need to revitalize the war was revealed to NLE “in a dream,” and that was enough to get him into attack mode. But where did this all start?
Back in 2018, during NLE Choppa’s breakout run, his music drew a lot of comparisons to YoungBoy’s sound—so much so that some accused him of biting YB’s flow. To clear the air, NLE went on IG live in 2019 to give YB his flowers, calling him one of his favorite rappers, so it made sense for him to take some inspiration.
That all changed quickly, though, as a few months later, NLE was sending subs YB’s way on Fredo Bang’s “Gangsta Talk,” in the midst of Fredo’s own beef with YB. From there, it’s been a rollercoaster of love and hate between the two, but most of it has been one-sided.
We break down the ins and outs of NLE and YoungBoy’s feud below.
When Did NLE Choppa & NBA YoungBoy’s Beef Start?
As mentioned earlier, 2019 was peak whiplash. NLE went from calling YoungBoy his favorite rapper to sending light jabs his way in the middle of a genuine beef—all within the same year. This inconsistent stance continued into the summer of that year.
In May 2019, YoungBoy was placed in police custody for allegedly violating his parole during a situation prior to Rolling Loud Miami. In reaction to this news, NLE dropped the track “Free YoungBoy” on June 14, yet another twist in his point of view on the Louisiana rapper. Interestingly enough, the lyrics don’t even mention YB at all, but that’s neither here nor there.
Following the release of the track, one would assume that everything was good, right? Well, even if that was the case, it was short-lived as NLE and Quando Rondo, one of YoungBoy’s artists, started beefing shortly after. On June 19, 2019, Quando allegedly threw a bottle at one of NLE’s friends during a club altercation. NLE fired back online, saying Rondo “hid behind security” after the fact.
NBA YoungBoy Disses NLE Choppa in 2022
While the NLE and Quando Rondo beef was very much still a thing, YoungBoy’s direct involvement (a.k.a. NLE’s repetitive mentions of his name) died down for a few years—until 2022. That January, YoungBoy released “Bring The Hook,” a track that dissed King Von and disrespectfully referenced his murder. The song instantly reignited old tensions.
Chicago rapper Lil Reese tweeted in response, dissing YB’s music overall. NLE jumped into the conversation, replying, “I stamp that,” which many saw as him taking sides.
During this time period, YB and Lil Durk’s beef was at its most volatile, and NLE was hopping on Lil Durk’s projects—moves many saw as “picking sides.” He’d also grown closer to Durk after the death of King Von in 2020, who was signed to Durk’s OTF label.
YoungBoy, who’d previously stayed quiet, was taking note of NLE’s moves. Less than a week after NLE’s tweet, YB sent scathing shots his way on the diss track “Know Like I Know.”
Later, NLE told DJ Akademiks he didn’t have anything against YB, but he didn’t like that he was speaking on the deceased who aren’t here to defend themselves, referring to King Von. After that, things died down yet again, with no real mentions from either side.
NLE Choppa Disses NBA YoungBoy in 2025
Suddenly, out of (seemingly) nowhere, NLE had a LOT to get out on “KO.” This, however, wasn’t the only thing NLE went viral for within a very short window of time. In July 2025, he unveiled a new look—a fully bald head—as a symbolic tribute to Tupac Shakur. This was also the reveal of his new name, NLE The Great, representing the spiritual approach he would be taking from that point forward. This was all packaged in a track called “Messiah,” which was a diss to the devil himself.
Keeping the spiritual theme going, NLE also went viral for his point of view on the Bible. In early October, he sat down with Kirk Franklin and Jonathan Majors (among others) for an episode of Den Of Kings, discussing mental health and Jesus. NLE made some rather confusing observations, prompting Majors to ask if he’d actually read the book. And then, promptly telling him to read it again.
Some fans see NLE’s timing as more than coincidence. He’s no stranger to stirring the pot when it comes to a rollout—and right now, his target couldn’t be bigger. With YoungBoy’s tour on pace to be one of the Top 10 highest-grossing rap tours ever, this chapter of their feud feels bigger than ever.
Whether it’s genuine tension or just competitive energy, we’ll have to wait and see if YB fires back—and what NLE The Great has ready if he does.
