Before They Were Famous

You may have recently come across a massively muscled and bearded figure on TikTok eating things like bull testicles and taking ice baths while delivering some inspirational pep talks. This is the man known as the Liver King and he’s almost always -- at all times -- shirtless. After all, a shirt would only get in the way of his message that the modern world has made men soft and the only way to reclaim our masculinity is to revert back to living like our far more jacked forbearers. How do we do this? Well, according to the Liver King, all you have to do is follow his nine “ancestral tenets” and endure one of the most brutal workout regimens imaginable. Oh, and more important than anything else – you need to eat a metric crap-ton of raw liver. I mean, how do you think he got his name? But who really is this CEO of ancestral lifestyle and where did he come from? Think you know how concern over the health of his children would lead to him becoming the man he is today? If you know what inspired his story then leave your answer in the comments down below. Everyone else, stay tuned to find out on our newest episode of Before They Were Famous!

Lil Keed, the melodic rapper from Atlanta a member of Young Thug’s YSL label, has died under mysterious circumstances at the age of just 24. While the cause of death has yet to be revealed to the media we do have some intel that’s been released from his brother Lil Gotit and girlfriend Quana Bandz. As well as confirmed statements given to Complex and XXL by representatives from the artist. Needless to say, it’s been a hectic couple of weeks for anyone associated with the YSL-brand, but no one, absolutely no one expected something like this. Lil Keed was a proud member of the YSL family and more than willing to share his thoughts on the Federal bust that went down last week with so many of his affiliates, but before that case was a week old, Lil Keed would already be gone. Who was he and how did he become Young Thug’s most promising protégé? Stay tuned to our latest episode of Gone But Not Forgotten to find out all about his past while celebrating the life of Lil Keed.

When it comes to celebrities, influence, viral moments, making hits, and carving out your own monumental spot in the zeitgeist of pop culture, is there anybody more iconic than Ray J?! Yes thee Ray J, you know, One Wish, Sexy Can I, business tycoon, Brandy’s brother, Ray J, or maybe you know him from that home movie with uh, actually ya know what we will get there later on this video. Of course, you know Ray J, however, many people mostly know him as being one of the major catalysts in launching the career of Kim Kardashian, which has a lot of truth to it, especially if you have been paying attention to recent headlines. But there is truly so much more to the legendary career of Ray J that I think flys right over most people's heads so I thought what better time than now to chronicle the recent history of the west coast legend that is Ray J on this brand new episode of Where Are They Now!

Over the past couple of years, few musicians have made the type of impact that Jack Harlow has. This Kentucky native, known for his inoffensive style and easygoing bars, landed a spot on the Billboard Hot 100 while being little more than internet famous at the time. Over the past couple of years, there have been plenty of young people who’ve accomplished their 15-minutes of fame thanks to social media only to then fall off the charts, but that’s most definitely not the case with Jack. His raw talent and ever-increasing acclaim would lead to a record deal with Atlantic Records and the subsequent release of projects like “That’s What They All Say” as well as his most recent album, “Come Home the Kids Miss You.” And sure, acceptance might seem like it comes easy to Jack, but in point of fact, he had to overcome a lot of bullying thanks to an eye condition he suffered from as a kid. Know how this led to Jack expressing himself musically for one of the first times in his life? Then fill the rest of us in down below. Everyone else, stay tuned to find out that and a whole bunch more in the newest episode of Before They Were Famous.

Wack 100 has gone on to earn himself a net worth estimated to be in the range of around $3 Million. That’s more than enough money to keep Wack 100 fully stocked when it comes to the coolest kicks because as it turns out, this guy’s a pretty avid collector -- even going so far as to dole out a lot of money for a pair of shoes with a complicated and sordid history. Of course, all that money also affords him the opportunity to purse lifelong goals like learning how to fly. And better yet – financial independence also makes it easier to make any type of industry move you want -- including buying a friend out of their recording contract. But long before Wack 100 was buying up artists, he was simply managing them. As the longtime partner of The Game, not to mention other acts like Blueface and, more recently, Tekashi 6ix9ine, you can rest assured that Wack 100 is always collecting his 25%. But here’s the thing – Wack 100 appears to have had an epiphany – he’s planning on leaving the music industry behind in a couple of years to concentrate on his side-ventures that include a new podcast, a new entertainment company, and even his own line of diapers!

After first popping-up on Young Thug’s single, “Floyd Mayweather” in 2016, Gunna would then sign to Thug’s record label that’s known interchangeably as both Young Stoner Life and Young Slime Records but more often than not simply referred to as YSL. At first, on the Bright Side of Fame, these two produced an undeniable flow, earning themselves millions of streams on platforms like SoundCloud and YouTube, while also collecting millions of fans in the process. Unfortunately, all that now appears to be at risk of disappearing with the shocking news that Young Thug alongside 27 other YSL associates has been arrested and indicted for allegedly violating Georgia’s RICO act. And yes, one of those twenty-eight individuals would turn out to be Sergio Kitchens, aka -- the man who’s always pushin’ P -- Gunna. After a breakout couple of years in which his music and name have come to mean more than ever, Gunna is now going to have to contend with the Dark Side of Fame as he finds himself roped into a conspiracy that might very well have little to do with him but could ruin his career in the process. Sometimes it really matters just who you spend your free time with as Gunna might be about to find out.

On the Dark Side of Fame, these new accusations go far beyond the bizarre. Thug has been charged with conspiracy to violate the RICO act, and what’s worse there are further accusations that include participation in street gang activity, armed robbery, and murder. And while this is by far the most trouble that Young Thug has ever found himself in, it’s by no means the first time he’s been in hot water. Whether it’s previous criminal charges, horrendous takes on rap royalty, transphobic comments, or even the death of his first baby mama, Young Thug’s life has never been a simple one. So, let’s investigate just how far down this rabbit hole goes in our newest episode of Dark Side of Fame!

Over the past little while, rapper Smokepurpp has had himself a few tough days in the office. During a show in Michigan last month, a TikTok user captured a video of the rhymer’s set at a local club, which shows the once-popular rapper spitting on the mic to what basically amounts to a very empty venue. It’s a strange turn of events for this Miami artist who signed to Alamo Records in May of 2017 after dropping viral songs the summer beforehand like “Ski Mask”. But this man is no stranger to twists and turns when it comes to his career. After all, he kicked things off by producing beats that absolutely no one wanted to use before deciding to rap over top of them himself and becoming a rising star in the industry. So, the question is, what happened? If you think you already know, fill the rest of us in down below. Otherwise, we’ll explore the recent history of Smokepurpp on our newest episode of Where Are They Now!

If you spend a large portion of your day over on social media then there’s a pretty good chance you’ve run across a new meme that’s been popping up a whole bunch lately – it’s referred to online as “African Lore” and the clips often involve obscure comedy sketches involving a rotating cast of characters -- but especially a little person who goes by the name of Jack Bauer – I swear. In actual fact, however, these videos are the brainchild of a series of different individuals. For the most part, they begin with a man named Sean Bridon, a Gabonese content creator who's been a prominent artist in his home country since the early 2010s. It’s on his Facebook channel from which all these sketches originate. But if that’s the case, then how do they wind up on Tik Tok, and what’s up with the “African Lore” title? Well, if you already know, fill the rest of us in down below. Everyone else stays tuned to find out all about the African Lore meme on our newest episode of Before They Were Famous!

TikTok is a weird place. Alongside the thousands of viral dances, sounds, and all those influencers, it’s a verifiable breeding ground for meme culture. One of the newest and most popular memes taking over the platform is something (or is it someone?) called Quandale Dingle. Now believe it or not, but Quandale, he’s actually a real person. Not that this meme really has all that much to do with him – it more or less just focuses on his bizarre, unusual and fun-as-all-hell-to-say name. The meme began circulating online after a viral screenshot of a PC login-screen was uploaded to TikTok with “Quandale Dingle” as the user-name. After that, this baby would take on a life of its own and come to include RapTV parodies, plenty of NBA YoungBoy jokes, and eventually, a mythology built up around the character that has absolutely nothing to do with the kid whose real name this is in the first place. So, how did this meme begin spreading like wild fire on its path to taking over the internet? Well, you’re about to find out in our newest episode of Before They Were Famous!