Lil Durk and YoungBoy Never Broke Again Mentioned in Upcoming Stephen King Book 'Never Flinch'

In the crime novel, the author's character name-drops the rappers while discussing her music taste.

April 25, 2025
Stephen King, Lil Durk, YoungBoy Never Broke Again
Getty/Variety/Prince Williams/Gary Miller

It seems that Stephen King is aware of the existence of Lil Durk and YoungBoy Never Broke Again.

On Thursday (April 24), the famed author shared a 15-minute video of him discussing and reading an excerpt from his upcoming crime novel, Never Flinch, starring his recurring character, Holly Gibney.

The passage from the book is from Holly’s inner monologue, where she reflects on her own taste in music.

“Remember, I'm getting on in years. My knowledge and enjoyment of popular music pretty much ended with Hall & Oates,” King said. “I always like that blonde one, Also she has zero interest in rap or hip-hop. She thinks she might like it if her ears were younger and sharper.”

“She misses many of the rhymes, and if she were more attuned to the street life serenades of artists Barbara and Jerome listen to, people with street names like Paws Top, Little Durk, and Holly's favorite—although she has no idea what he's rapping about—Young Boy Never Broke Again.”

In Never Flinch, Holly is a detective investigating a vigilante attempting to get revenge. She also signs up as a bodyguard for a celebrity feminist activist who’s being threatened by a stalker.

Never Flinch is slated to release on May 27. Holly appears in multiple King novels Mr. Mercedes (2014), Finders Keepers (2015), End of Watch (2016), The Outsider (2018), If It Bleeds (2020), and Holly (2023).