Before They Were Famous

Unless you have been living under a rock then you are 100% familiar with Sidetalk NYC and their viral videos that are taking New York City and the entire world by storm. It’s like everywhere you go any time you open your phone we are met with the infectious Bing Bong sound clip, it’s become a popular sound on Tik Tok and very quickly became the rallying cry for New York Knicks fans after the trend got picked up by the NBA teams Twitter account, even used by NBA announcers when during live broadcasts. The phrase very quickly made its way into the social media Zeitgeist and the Instagram-based on-the-street style talk show: Sidewalk has been booming in popularity ever since. But there was a journey that led to the popularity of Sidetalk, it didn’t just start with Bing Bong. So, who is behind Sidetalk? Who are the masterminds behind these hilarious viral interview clips, what does Bing Bong actually mean? The answer to that question and more on this brand-new episode of Before They Were Famous.

Chicago born rappers KTV Von and KTS Dre were two brothers with heaps of promise and talent to spare. Both young men worked hard to establish themselves in Chicago’s already crowded hip-hop market by creating some viral singles that eventually got lost in the shuffle of their ever-increasing criminal profile. In fact, the last time that either of these two released a track was back in 2018, shortly after the assassination of KTS Von. In the handful of years to follow, this family would continue to incur one loss after the next, including their patriarch, Vincent Davis Sr. and -- most recently -- the brutal loss of KTS Dre himself who was ambushed only moments after being released from prison. What led to this brutal conclusion to both of their lives? Find out on our newest episode of Before They Were Gone.

You’ve probably heard the saying “scars shape us” before – after all, what better reminder do we have of all those difficult times we’ve somehow managed to survive? But few rappers alive today carry as many literal scars on their body as hip-hopper, Big Scarr. At this point, near the man’s entire body is a living reminder of the trials and tribulations he’s faced to get to where he is today, one of South Memphis’ most promising young artists. In the short amount of time since his debut, he’s already racked up over 193 Million lifetime views on YouTube and locked himself down a contract with Gucci Mane’s “The New 1017” imprint under Atlantic Records. So, how did this young man survive being thrown through the windshield of a stolen vehicle only to then take that tragedy and turn it into a brutal origin story? Well, stay tuned to our newest episode of Before They Were Famous to find out!

Back in August of 2020, a black man named Jacob Blake was shot seven times in the back by a police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin, leaving the young man paralyzed and kicking off multiple nights of rioting as a response. It was on the third night of these riots that 17-year-old Kyle fired on three men with a military-style semi-automatic weapon, ending life of two and seriously harming the third. Upon hearing about what had happened, the entire country was upset, after all, few cases touch upon so many aspects of America’s most heavily contended fault-lines: Second Amendment rights, the question of self-defense, and fight at racial justice protests being but a few. To some, Kyle is simply a champion of weapon rights who placed himself in the line of danger to protect a community that wasn’t even his. To many others, he’s the personification of a vigilante gone wrong, someone who came to Kenosha to enact his fantasies of being a law enforcement officer and wound up people in the process. Now, after having been arrested and tried for his crimes, Kyle has been released an innocent man. So, uh... what just happened? The answer to that question and a lot more are in our newest episode of Where Are They Now!

This isn’t Dale Brown’s first brush with fame, back in 2012 his work and local notoriety actually landed him a part in a Nicki Minaj and BOB music video for Out Of My Mind. The internet is having a field day reposting Dale Brown and the Detroit Urban Survival Training program content which they have been hard at work producing for the past couple of decades – the only problem is, we don’t think it was ever Dale Brown’s intention to make people laugh. For him, this is very serious business – which makes the viral clips even more hilarious. So there is definitely a benefit to the wisdom and guidance being offered up by Dale and his team of self-defence experts BUT why are rappers like 50 Cent and Royce da 5’9 pleading with their followers not to listen to Dale Brown from Detroit Threat Management Centre and even going as far as claiming at that his methods will get you finished? We will answer to that question while also giving you the backstory on who exactly Dale Brown is and how he became the internet’s latest viral meme here for you on Before They Were Famous.

While looking back at old school photographs of the man who grew up to become Richard Huckle it can be hard to imagine this pleasant-looking young boy turning into one of the UK’s worst criminals -- a man who would seriously harm up to 200 children before he was eventually arrested and sentenced to carry out the rest of his days in a jail cell where he would brutally lose his life in October of 2019. Last year, the man responsible for Huckle's passing, fellow inmate Paul Fitzgerald, was found guilty and handed a life sentence for the crime. So, how did we get to the point where one crazed and maniacal criminal is neutralizing another in cold-blood and calling it “Poetic Justice”? The answer to that question is shocking, disturbing, and absolutely horrific.

Straight up, most old-school financial advisors can be borings. Thankfully, I’ve recently discovered not only the music but the ADVICE of Atlanta-based rapper Money Man – I mean his name says it all - someone who isn’t only fast becoming one of the biggest rappers in the game, but is also providing sound financial advice to his many followers across social media all while flexing a ton of cash. This man has been investing since day one and knows all about making his money work for him. He’s also at the forefront of the cryptocurrency exchange and he’s been dabbling in the market since he was a teenager. Now he’s become the first rapper to ever agree to be paid a contract advance of $1 Million purely in Bitcoin. That cash-in on cryptocurrency will nearly double his reported net-worth which is estimated to be in the $2-3 Million range according to sites like The-Sun.com. Of course, over the past few years Money Man has utilized his crypto investments and all the money he’s made from music to pick up some drool-worthy purchases. I’m talking the likes of an electric-blue Lambo and an entire fleet of Rolls Royces! Money Man never steps foot out of the house wearing the same outfit twice. At least not as far as I can tell. But the smartest thing he ever spent money on was investing in his own career. Whether it’s his music Bitcoin investments.

In the span of about five years, Rico Nasty has gone from a local DMV celebrity to a global hip-hop superstar. Emerging on SoundCloud as a genre-bending musician comfortable enough to blend together rock, emo, and hip-hop, this teenaged mother had not only the tenacity to create her own style but the strength to succeed. Whether she’s feeling a little Rico Nasty, Tacobella, or Trap Lavigne, Rico always has a personality that’s ready to suit the moment – a survival technique she picked up along the way after a childhood spent losing some of the people closest to her -- like her dad to prison and the young man who would father her child to an asthma attack. Want to hear the incredible true story of Rico Nasty? Then keep watching our newest episode of Before They Were Famous!

I’m sure a whole bunch of you know all too well who NBA YoungBoy is – but did you know that his cousin is also a part of his “Never Broke Again” crew? Going by the name NBA Ben 10, this young man has been swept up in his Cousin’s life-style and I mean that for both good and bad. He’s been there for his cousin since day one, growing up on the streets of Baton Rouge in Louisiana and whenever YoungBoy would get into trouble with the law, so would Ben. Now, only about 8 months after YoungBoy was arrested on an FBI warrant and placed in prison, NBA Ben 10 is making his musical debut on “Never Broke Again: The Compilation Vol 1”, which features him alongside other associates like NoCap, Quando Rondo, Big B, and many more. But questions remain -- not the least of which is -- who is Ben 10, really? And is he bound to spend as much time behind bars as his world-famous cousin? Those answers and more in our latest episode of Before They Were Famous.

When the underground movement of hip-hop started to gain real traction off the reputation of a bunch of SoundCloud rappers in the mid-2010s, Lil Candy Paint was right at the forefront of the scene. With roots in the great state of Georgia, Lil Candy’s career to this point in time has largely consisted of singular moments that could be split up into chapters; his early SoundCloud success, his team-ups with Duwap Kaine that helped him cross over into the mainstream & finally his breakthrough songs of recent memory like his collaboration with the one and only Bhad Bhabie which we even made a video about over on Tik Tok. So, how did a young kid with a sweet tooth and a love for fast cars wind up taking over the Atlanta hip-hop scene? Also, how did he come up with a name like Lil Candy Paint? Keep watching Before They Were Famous to find out!