Before They Were Famous

This is likely the craziest news story we will hear all year and one of the most tragic for the world of social media stars with the loss of two lives and likely a third if JinnKid a.k.a. Ali Abulaban is found guilty and the judge grants the serious life penalty and also a five-year-old daughter left with no parents. JinnKid who was arrested just last week has pled not guilty for his criminal act against his wife and another man and there are videos going viral of him sobbing in court. This is absolutely tragic news and unlike anything we've seen before. No doubt you've seen at least one of his videos online, ironically he used to make fun of 6ix9ine when he was locked up in jail.

Whether you’re willing to acknowledge it or not, New York Drill is here to stay. Say what you will about this genre, but it’s led to a number of fresh artists making a name for themselves with their own spin on the sound. Now, thanks to a young man known as Kay Flock, “Bronx” Drill might be up next and he’s brought his good buddies along with him -- B Lovee and Dougie B. Together this trio is rejuvenating a musical genre that many felt long ago passed its expiration date -- and they’re accomplishing this monumental task by injecting their music with the type of madcap energy that comes from having spent so much of their youth hustling on the streets of New York City. Want to learn more about the come-up of Kay Flock? Then keep watching our newest episode of Before They Were Famous!

Way back in the year 2017, Joker 305 was at the top of his game and we dropped a Before They Were Famous that went super-viral sitting at 1.7 Million views. He has since publically stated that this video was the greatest day of his life – which is an honor but also kind of makes me feel a little sad for the guy. Joker 305's time in the spotlight followed a similar trajectory to that of his once upon a time enemy turned collaborator Boonk Gang. It's been nearly five years since I've taken a look at what Joker Gang has been up to but he recently hit me up on the DM's when we dropped our video on some other Florida natives, The Island Boys. He caught me up to speed on everything – some of its good news like his recent foray into the world of influencer boxing. He's also got some other projects in the works and some new tattoos we will take a look at, but all and all there is a ton of bad news as well. For starters, he lost his Instagram account, then he lost his second account. He's been back to prison this time in Saint Petersburg Florida in the same hood that Rod Wave is from which again made the news.

Today Michael McCrudden interviewed the viral sensation The Island Boys, Kodiyakredd & Flyysoulja, on how they recorded their infamous TikTok, jail sentence, past mistakes, and struggles.

By now you have seen these two fellas everywhere having dominated everyone's social media feeds of a simple clip of them singing in a pool which would clock in over 5 Million views on TikTok. The kids might actually have a hit on their hands with a few online calling it the song of the year, I mean people are actually doing impressions. Since going viral, the boys has been featured on both the H3H3 and BFF's podcast. It's actually pretty crazy, I haven't seen this type of hype around any face tattooed rapper since the good old days of Kid Buu or Joker 305, remember him. We made a post over on our Instagram @ Before They Were Famous that the boys shared and I actually got to talking with KodiyakRedd in the DMs. The boys were kind enough to send me some updated mug shots to use for our thumbnail which was pretty sweet of them. So where did these Island Boys come from and what do they have planned for the future? That's what we are gonna find out in this video, my name is Michael McCrudden & If you want me to interview these boys we can set that up and I'll see if I can get you more info via facetime.

Digga D is, without a doubt, one of the UK’s most popular and talented drill artists. He’s also one of its pioneers, having helped establish the genre in the mid-2010s as part of the 1011 crew. In particular, his track “Next Up” lit up the music charts and had everyone turning their attention his way – including the local police force. In 2018, the year after his breakthrough, Digga D was sentenced to a year in prison for conspiracy to commit criminal disorder. When he finally emerged from behind those prison walls, he wouldn’t be the same man who walked in. Digga didn’t only just nearly lose an eye during his time in prison, he near lost his soul. Want to learn more about the come-up of one of UK Drill’s most overlooked artists? Then keep watching Before They Were Famous!

Even before starring in Squid Game, Lee Jung-Jae (이정재) was already a household name in South Korea, and although he portrays a debt-ridden deadbeat father in the show his financial situation couldn't be any further from the character he plays n Squid Game. The actor owns a chain of upscale Italian Restaurants and a real estate development company. He's also dating an heiress whose father is the chairman of one of Korea's biggest brands. But how did he get there and what was life like before the massive success that is Squid Game? In this video, you are gonna find out. My name of course is Michael McCrudden and I'll see you after the intro.

Considering the incredible legacy she left behind, it’s quite fitting to discover that R&B superstar Aaliyah’s name means “The highest and most exalted one,” in Arabic. From the earliest stages of her life, her parents had high hopes and expectations for their young daughter. Aaliyah would not only go on to match those expectations but blow them completely out of the water. By the age of 22-years old, she had already earned her spot as one of the fastest rising stars in entertainment thanks to her legendary recording career and her developing presence in films. In fact, Aaliyah was on pace to become the biggest star in the world when a tragic plane crash robbed us of all of her incredible potentials. But in the 20-years since her untimely passing, Aaliyah has become immortalized by the many people her music touched along the way.

Having spent time researching this video and watching a number of SteveWillDoIt videos over the years as a fan - I’m willing to bet that both sites are underselling Steve more than a smidge. I mean, how else can you explain dropping $1 Million in only one day as if it weren’t anything at all? But here’s the thing – nine times out of ten, Steve isn’t spending his money on himself. He’d rather spend it on dream cars for his folks -- like the time he bought a Range Rover for his mom and a Corvette for his dad. Heck, he’s even given away Teslas to fans who aren’t old enough to drive them yet. When he finally does get around to spending some money on himself, he’s more than willing to spend a small fortune on his vices, like say a year’s supply of cigarettes. But it also helps to have friends as rich as he is -- like when good buddy, rapper 6ix9ine gifted him a limited-edition and ultra-rare McLaren MSO X. Yep, as long as Steve Will Do It can keep his head above water when it comes to his most dangerous expense -- gambling. ... then I imagine he’s going to continue to be living the rich life for a very long time indeed. Back in the day, Steve Will Do It used to check out our Instagram page @McCruddenM before it got deleted by some mafioso-type people. True story. Regardless, Steve is a fan of the show, or at least, he knows we’re all giant fans of his.

Sleepy Hallow’s voice is about as intimidating as they come – making his name’s allusion to the horrors of Sleepy Hollow more than well earned. This Brooklyn rapper was raised in Flatbush and has only recently emerged from the city streets that once got him into a whole lot of trouble -- including a three-week stay at a juvenile detention center. His breakthrough moment arrived with the success of his 2020 single “Deep End Freestyle”, but his unique gift for combining drill beats with softer melodies is what would set Sleepy Hallow apart from all the rest and lead to his ascendance as one of the most promising acts in all of rap. Want to learn more about his come-up? Then keep watching Before They Were Famous!