YBNs

YBNs refers to the members and affiliates of the American hip hop collective and record label YBN. The acronym is widely reported to stand for “Young Boss Niggas” or “Young Boss Nation,” though the exact interpretation varied among members over time. The group functioned as both a collaborative crew and a branding platform for its artists.

Formed in the mid-2010s by YBN Nahmir, the collective included other prominent members such as YBN Cordae and YBN Almighty Jay. They built visibility through online platforms, with early viral hits like Rubbin’ Off the Paint helping to propel them into the mainstream. The YBN brand was used to release music collectively as well as to promote the members’ individual projects.

In 2019, Cordae released The Lost Boy, his debut studio album, which received critical praise and earned a Grammy nomination, helping to raise the profile of the YBN brand. In 2020, Cordae announced he would stop using the YBN prefix in his stage name, signaling a shift away from the collective branding. Members continued pursuing solo careers, with varying levels of activity under the YBN umbrella.

As of the mid-2020s, the group’s activity has diminished relative to its peak, with members primarily releasing music as solo artists. The YBN branding remains associated with the earlier period of internet-driven hip hop and the rise of the “SoundCloud era” of rap, even as individual artists expand beyond the original collective framework.