About

YB Better or YoungBoy Better is a phrase used to show support for rapper NBA YoungBoy (YB) that is used ironically by trolls to make fun of the rapper and his dedicated fanbase. The ironic use of the phrase has been criticized by YB fans, becoming popularized in 2021. In 2020, a precursor to the trend started on TikTok where users ironically act like "typical YB fans," portrayed as overly aggressive and thuggish, mimicking what many see as YB's persona due to his lyrical content, videos of the rapper and his multiple arrests. The phrase is often accompanied by an attempt at a ratio.

Origin

Between 2018 and 2019, rapper NBA YoungBoy gained a considerable fanbase. The rapper was also arrested twice in that time period for charges including assault and kidnapping.^[5][6] YB fans frequently post about YB being better than other artists to show their support of the rapper. For example, on October 30th, 2019, Twitter^[7] user @playboikadz posted "yb the new sosa man," positively comparing him to Chief Keef, gaining over 66,400 likes and 17,600 retweets in two years. On November 4th, Twitter^[8] user @AASHANTTIII retweeted it saying "yb better than your fav rapper and that’s a fact, don’t @ me," gaining over 3,900 likes in a comparable span of time.

How NBA YoungBoy Fans X

NBA YoungBoy is often the subject of jokes about his aggressive posturing and the way he tends to walk with his back arched and his hands on his belt or crotch. This is demonstrated in a video titled "NBA Youngboy Walk ( Must Watch 😂😂😂 )" uploaded by YouTuber^[3] Ashanti TV in October 2017, showing NBA YoungBoy rapping in an alley and walking around (shown below).

In April 2021, the "How NBA YoungBoy Fans X" trend started on TikTok, set to an unnamed Original Sound for YoungBoy's 2019 song "FREEDDAWG." The trend sees TikTokers act like an exaggerated version of a rabid NBA YoungBoy fan with an on-screen caption displaying a version of the phrase "How NBA YoungBoy fans X." It began on April 4th, 2020, when TikToker^[4] @a3kbabyy posted a video captioned "YOUNGBOY FANS BE LIKE:" where he walks through the house walking like YB and doing everything aggressively, garnering over 504,000 views in just over a year (shown below).

The trend spread over the following months on TikTok, spreading to a number of original sounds featuring YB songs. On April 6th, 2020, YouTuber weathermanleo posted a compilation of these videos, gaining over 686,000 views in a year (shown below).

YB Better

In early 2021 YB's dedicated social media fanbase combined with his memeable personality inspired Twitter users to start trolling under various posts about hip-hop, saying YB is better than other rappers. This was partly inspired by discussions between whether rapper Durk of YB is better, which sent Durk's name to Twitter's trending page. This is explained in a January 12th, 2020 post by Twitter^[9] page @SaycheeseDGTL, notable for its comment section where numerous YB fans claim YB is better (shown below).

YB fans and trolls continued to post "YB better" on hip-hop tweets over the course of the following months. The trend soon became the subject of jokes as people made fun of the type of rabid fan who might feel the need to claim YB is better on Twitter (examples from April 29th shown below).

Spread

On May 18th, 2021, YouTuber BlackySpeakz posted a video about the "YB Better" meme, giving his opinion on it, saying it's mostly YB haters using it now to make fun of him and his fanbase but it doesn't matter because any publicity is good publicity in the rap game, saying the most popular rappers all get lots of hate (shown below). The video gained over 170,000 views in five months.

On July 26th, Jack Harlow appeared in a Genius YouTube video describing the lyrics to "Industry Baby," where he uses the phrase "YB Better" jokingly. The clip was tweeted by @mrbaudeIaire on that day, gaining over 111,000 likes and 10,000 retweets in three months (shown below).

On September 17th, Lil Nas X used the phrase "L, ratio, YoungBoy is better" ironically in a YouTube video "THE MONTERO SHOW" in promotion of his album, gaining 2.9 million views in a month (shown below).

On October 8th, 2021, the RapTV Twitter^[1] page posted XXXTentacion's mugshot on its five-year anniversary. Twitter^[2] user @kelleboyy posted YB's most recent mugshot in response captioned "yb mugshot better," gaining over 460 likes in three days (shown below).

On October 9th, rapper Megan Thee Stallion tweeted^[10] "Yb is better … ratio," playing into the meme, gaining over 43,000 likes and 6,000 retweets in two days.

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References