Before They Were Famous

When the TV series “Jackass” debuted on MTV, no one had ever seen anything else quite like it. Here was a group of friends and quasi-stuntmen who seemed willing to do anything for a laugh. It was crude, it was juvenile, and it was also insanely popular. This collection of characters like Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Wee-Man, Bam Margera, Ryan Dunn, and Chris Raab, made it clear that there was no danger off-limits. But just as immediate as the cultural impact was the controversy the show would create, because on the DARK SIDE OF FAME is a different story altogether. Once the cameras stopped rolling, several of the show’s stars were left forever changed, whether it was permanent injuries, drug addictions, suicidal thoughts and more. “Jackass” left a trail of bodies and destruction in its wake.

Ryan Dunn was an American stunt performer, television personality, actor, comedian, and one of the stars of the reality stunt show. Dunn rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of the CKY Crew with his long-time friend, Bam Margera, for their extreme stunts and pranks recorded on camera. Dunn also hosted the TV series Homewrecker and Proving Ground and appeared in the feature films Blonde Ambition and Street Dreams, as well as in Margera's films Haggard and Minghags. Ryan Dunn tragically passed away after a car crash in 2011 at the age of 34. In today's video, we are paying a tribute to his life and career.

In recent years, country rap often referred to as hick-hop, has grown from something of a musical sideshow to a regional force without any real assistance from the music industry itself. Without a doubt, one of the biggest stars at the center of this scene is Ryan Upchurch who built his following from the ground-up on social media by posting funny videos onto his YouTube account, parodying the stereotypes of young white men from the Deep South. In today's episode, we will tell you about his come-up.

Before NoCap would clock in over 500K Subscribers on YouTube, 1.5 Million on Instagram, and clock in Million of views on tracks like Pain Show, I Can't, Mistake, The Hood Doctor & more. Before NoCap dropping The Hood Dictionary in November of 2019 and making the Billboard top 200. Before NoCap turning himself in to authorities over an alleged shooting in an occupied dwelling. NoCap has exploded onto the music scene over the past year or so. In fact, we are a little late in getting this video done. NoCap is so popular and prolific right now that it’s hard to believe he’s only been rapping for a couple of years. We’re talking collaborations with the likes of Lil Baby, DaBaby, Rylo Rodriguez, Mozzy, Quando Rondo, and CashMoneyAP. Two of whom I've yet to feature yet here on this channel. This guy already has a back-list of songs that you’d expect out of someone twice his age and with five times the experience. So expect big things from your boy, No Cap! We got lots to get through in this video like his short stint working at Wal-Mart and his original rap name Young Globe.

Before FBG Duck would have a short but prolific career as an extremely talented rapper with multiple mixtapes and countless singles like his super-popular track “Slide”. Before FBG Duck would sign a record deal with Sony Music worth nearly $2 Million. Before FBG Duck would lose his life in the Gold Coast area of Chicago, Illinois. Looking back on it now, FBG Duck’s career might have been brief, but it was wildly successful. As both a solo artist and a member of his Fly Boy Gang, Duck’s career is chock-full of hit songs and banging beats. When he dropped his EP “Big Clout” in 2018 and the mixtape, “This How I’m Coming 3” in 2019, he had no idea at the time, but those would be the last two albums he’d ever released because this complex-figure in the world of Chicago drill would lose his life to gang-related events at the age of only 26-years-old.

Coming straight out Chi-raq, Lil Durk is one of the most successful rappers in the game thanks to hitting songs like “My Beyoncé” and “Three-Headed Goat”. Durk has carved out such a career for himself that not only is he one of the most in-demand musical artists in North America, he’s also successful enough to be the lead member and founder of his very own collective known as “Only the Family”. In this business, when you’re a solo star AND part of a popular collective, that means you’re making mad bank and Lil Durk is no different with an estimated net worth of $3 Million at this point in time. Now, despite how much he’s collecting every other Friday – or, you know, however often it is that he collects his paychecks from his record label, Lil Durk is more of a practical spender than he is an exorbitant one. Does he have some eye-popping outfits that he likes to flex on the gram? I mean, of course, he does, and doesn’t get me wrong, he pairs those fits nicely with some of the iciest chains that you’ve ever laid eyes on. But besides his love for high-end-fashion, the rest of Lil Durk’s investments are mad practical – like buying himself and his girlfriend, India Royale, a spectacular home to live in, one that comes with all the necessities including access to a private country club.

Before SpotemGottem would crack the Billboard 100 with his viral track BeatBox 2 which inspired the Junebug Challenge. Before SpotemGottem would get locked up for grand theft auto and carrying a concealed weapon at the age of just 15 which means at the time he wasn't even old enough to drive. Before SpotemGottem would clock in over 600K followers on Instagram, a quarter million on IG and he would collab with the likes of Jackboy, HotBoii, DaBaby, Pooh Shiesty & do the Junebug challenge alongside Johnny Dang. Florida rapper SpotEmGottEm's first blew up off his breakout single "Street Gossip" released three years ago. He's had a steady incline in the time since but then SpotEmGottEm released the video for "Beat Box 2" on December 18, featuring a guest appearance from one of the hottest rising rappers in the game, Pooh Shiesty. Five days after its release, Junebug posted a TikTok video of him dancing to the song and creating his own routine. It was these one-of-a-kind moves that blew up BeatBox 2's reach allowing SpotEmGottEm to crack the Billboard 100. That dance is certainly one of a kind and hard to explain. First, you stand in place and pop your torso, and groin back and forth. While doing that, you take your arms and move them robotically on the sides. Or just….watch my video. SpotEmGottEm's is now on its way to the kind of viral fame that one can only dream of and with early comparisons to fellow Florida rapper Kodak Black the kids on the right path to becoming a big star.

After Lil Kim would become one of the most revolutionary voices in the world of hip-hop, debuting in the 1990s with songs like “No Time” and “Big Momma Thang” while continuing to make music to this very day. After Lil Kim would be arrested and convicted of perjury and conspiracy for lying to a federal grand jury and was sentenced to spend a year in prison. The product of a broken home, as a teenager Kim had to endure a contentious relationship with her father, which had her running away from home in search of something better. She was eventually discovered by Christopher Wallace, better known as the Notorious BIG who soon became her lover and turned her into a hip-hop star, before his tragic pass away in 1997. Kim was devastated by Biggie’s passing, but she didn’t give up and managed to transform herself from a star, into an ICON, creating one of the most successful careers in hip-hop of all time. Since a brief run-in with the law in the middle of the aughts, Lil Kim has continued to make music while also transforming herself into a reality TV star, and starting her own family with her six-year-old daughter, Royal Reign, who one day, might be just as big of a star as her mom.

Before Meghan Markle would be cast to play Rachel Zane on the hit show Suits for seven seasons and once upon a time work as a model on Deal Or No Deal. Before Meghan Markle would start dating Prince Harry and the two would wed in 2018 and she would become an American member of The Royal Family. Before Meghan would give birth to their son Archie in 2019, the young family would flee from Great Britain and Meghan would spill the Tea sitting down with Oprah. Before Meghan made it into show business she had a tough time landing work, she had an unusual string of odd jobs from freelance calligrapher to teaching bookbinding classes and even had a gig at the US embassy in Argentina. She debuted on TV in an episode of General Hospital and of course, we found the clip. She then hooked up with a Hollywood producer whom she later married and divorced. Not such a big deal to me but one of a long list of problems she's had to deal with becoming a member of The Royal Family. We got lots to get through in this one...

In today’s episode, we’re taking a look at one of the most beloved beauty influencers of all time, James Charles, a man that currently has more than 25 million subscribers on YouTube, but has also faced his fair share of startling scandals over the course of his relatively short career. On the BRIGHT SIDE OF FAME – is a self-made individual who through his own passion and hard work turned himself into the first CoverBoy to grace CoverGirl Magazine. Ever since becoming an internet sensation, James has infused the beauty world with new energy and brought millions upon millions of eyeballs to the field with his 27 Million followers on Instagram alone. He’s created his own make-up line, enjoyed sponsorships with big brands, and even found himself invited to the Met Gala, the biggest party in fashion. But on the DARK SIDE OF FAME is a different story altogether and when it comes to James, it’s kind of hard to know where to begin. His career-defining feud with his former close friend Tati Westbrook in 2019 was so bad it was dubbed “Dramageddon 2.0”, but that’s far from the lowest point of his career. Beyond manipulating people and marginalizing others, James also has a litany of minors that have come forward over the years, accusing him of having groomed them over social media. Those accusations are beyond troubling to say the least, and today I’m going to take you through some of the most well-kept secrets in James’ career, bringing them to light so you can decide for yourselves if they hold any merit.