Back in March 2023, Kai Cenat was the guy when it came to streaming, particularly on the Twitch platform. That was thanks to his first-ever Mafiathon subathon event. A streamer who goes by Ludwig had the subscriber record prior to Kai, but he emerged with the most with over 306,000. According to Dexerto, the New York native would go on to keep the lead up until September of this year. That’s when Ironmouse would overtake him with her annual charity subathon. She would actually obliterate his subscriber count by 20,000 plus. Fast forward to this month where Kai would begin his second Mafiathon to sit atop the rankings again.
To aid in this mission, he brought on many high-profile guests, particularly in the hip-hop world. Quavo, DDG, Lil Uzi Vert, Denzel Curry, Kodak Black, and GloRilla were just a few. However, the journey was not all sunshine and rainbows for Kai. Just a couple of days into the streaming marathon, multiple swatting attempts were made at his home. It led to authorities showing up on his property mid-livestream and he even dealt with a short ban in the process. But the 22-year-old was able to persevere, and now, he’s reached the mountaintop.
The multi-media talent was halfway toward the goal of Ironmouse’s 326,252 just three days in. Now, with more than half the month of November to go, he eclipsed that mark, and his reaction is both wholesome and well-deserved. In the clip from DJ Akademiks, all of his closest friends were there to support and cheer him on as the subscriber count grew rapidly. In the midst of the celebration, he surpassed the number by over 800.
“Two times!” Kai repeatedly shouted after seeing his goal come to fruition. Some are belittling the accomplishment, but all he deserves to hear right now is congratulations! It’s a tremendous feat for the ever-growing internet presence and with 18 days left this month, it will be exciting to follow this and see how many subscribers he gains. Cenat took the time to thank his supporters on X, saying, “LOST #1 A MONTH & SOME CHANGE AGO COMPLETELY PLANNED ANOTHER ONE IN LESS THAN 2 MONTHS AND CAME BACK AND WE GOT THE WORLD RECORD AGAIN,” he began. “I LOVE ALL MY SUPPORTERS FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART JOB STULL NOT FINISHED ONLY DAY 11!”
Kai Cenat recently held his subathon livestream, also known as the Mafiathon 2 event, on Twitch, and there were a lot of special guests for the occasion. In fact, Denzel Curry was even there to witness when Kai hit his subscriber goal of 300K, which obviously caused a lot of celebration. They and their friends cheered and danced and jumped around like they just won the lottery, which they basically did when it comes to Twitch terms. Congrats to the New York streamer for this huge achievement! Hopefully that means there’s more amazing content on the way and even more big moments.
It was also great to see Denzel Curry link up with Kai Cenat for the subathon, even if every single celebrity appearance on the livestream wasn’t as completely positive. Fans assumed that Quavo and DDG had beef given their interactions during the subathon, something that the latter actually addressed after fan theories went wild. “He was obviously joking… People got different types of humor, but he was obviously playing,” the Michigan rapper said of the former Migo. False alarm!
Elsewhere, though, Kai Cenat’s stream – specifically its special guests – also resulted in plenty of Internet drama from many corners, all the way from substance use to relationship gossip. On that last note, and back to DDG, Halle Bailey recently apologized for her criticism of his decision to take their son Halo to the livestream without her knowing about it. “yesterday maybe i did overreact and shouldn’t have brought it here,” she tweeted. “i know that halo is always safe with his dad. i just don’t like finding out with the rest of the world what my baby is doing. thank u kai for the gifts for halo [heart emoji] [star emoji].”
Meanwhile, Kai Cenat’s ongoing subathon event also held some touching moments, including a heart-wrenching tribute to Takeoff while Quavo was there. All in all, it contained everything under the sun, and now hit its desired benchmark on its quest to break the Twitch subscriber world record. We’ll see what comes next for the superstar media personality and his many famous friends.
Fousey is a streamer and a YouTuber who has been embroiled in numerous controversies over the years. Overall, it always feels like Fousey is trying to make a comeback following a manic episode. This happened in 2018 and it happened again in 2023. However, the star is back streaming in 2024, and many are wondering how long this is going to last for. Unfortunately, it already seems like Fousey is back to his old ways, which is leaving many in a state of fear.
Fousey was on stream with DDG and some of the rapper’s friends. Overall, it was supposed to just be a chill get-together, but when Fousey is involved, that is rarely the case. As you can see in the video down below, Fousey started using the N-word repeatedly, much to the shock of everyone in the room. However, everyone just kept letting him use it unchecked. This turned into a viral clip that is now making the rounds all over social media.
Fans reacted to this with a bit of shock and disgust, while others simply resorted to making jokes. Ultimately, this is not a great look for Fousey. Having said that, he streams on Kick which is a platform that does not care about this kind of thing. They let their creators do whatever they want, and while it has led to huge problems, they have refused to change their business model. Overall, this is why Twitch will always be the more popular and serious platform.
Let us know what you think about all of this, in the comments section down below. Do you believe that someone should have stepped in to tell Fousey that what he was doing is wrong? Do you think that any of the people he associates with have his best interests at heart? Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the entertainment world. We will continue to keep you informed on your favorite personalities.
DJ Akademiks has been streaming on Twitch for quite some time. Overall, fans tune into his streams in droves as they understand that anything can happen. Ak can be a Howard Stern-like figure in that his fans and his haters tune into his streams. Last night, Akademiks found himself on stream with Gucci Third Leg. This is an OnlyFans creator who ended up catching heat on social media for allegedly giving herpes to another creator by the name of Danae Davis.
Akademiks was on stream with Davis where he was attempting to get to the bottom of what happened with Gucci. From there, he brought Gucci on and interrogated him as well. It was an interesting stream and one that led to many memorable moments. It should also be noted that he did the stream with Adin Ross, who is a controversial streamer in his own right. However, it seems like Twitch was not a fan of the antics as they banned Ak from the platform.
The reasoning for the ban is actually quite simple. In fact, it has nothing to do with Ak bringing on adult film stars. Instead, it has everything to do with the fact that Adin Ross is banned on Twitch. When you yourself are a Twitch streamer, you are prohibited from doing any kind of streaming with banned creators. Luckily for Akademiks, he also streams on YouTube, Rumble, and he could probably stream on Kick if he wanted to. Needless to say, he doesn’t have much to worry about.
Let us know what you think about all of this, in the comments section down below. Do you believe it was fair for DJ Akademiks to get banned from Twitch? Do you believe that the platform should unban Ross since it has been a couple of years since his infraction? Let us know in the poll down below and stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite artists and their upcoming projects.
Not many know the story of the platform Twitch, and how it went full circle in a way. It started as Justin.tv, where anyone could stream what they were doing. However, the creators noticed how the gaming section was getting way more attention and started the streaming site called Twitch. This quickly became a social hub exclusively for gamers, and from it, a whole slew of internet celebrities rose. Now, Twitch is owned by Amazon and has a massive user base. What’s more, just like the original intention behind Justin.tv the streaming content has become more diverse.
People just chat with subscribers, comment on the latest events and developments, and some create exciting content by gambling. In fact, Twitch had a big impact on the gambling industry as it inspired live dealer games. According to experts from casinoofthekings.ca traffic on their project started to grow at the same time as Twitch launched a separate category for gambling and online casinos.
The Appeal of Twitch for Celebrities
Everyone is pretty much aware that most celebrities have teams of people in charge of their social media accounts. In other words, when you interact with your role models online chances are you are just talking to the members of their staff. That’s not the case with Twitch streaming.
Here you see the person, and you directly interact with them. That’s why both fans and celebrities love this platform. It helps them form a more genuine connection. Not only that but Twitch makes it easy to send money or make donations. So, if a celeb wants to run a charity event and help gather funds for a specific cause, Twitch is a perfect place to do so.
Not only that but Twitch can help celebrities reach more people. Maybe someone didn’t find them interesting based on their music or sports career. But now they get to know the other side of them and maybe re-evaluate the initial image they had of that person.
Celebrities Influencing Twitch Culture and Content
As stated, this platform started out as a social hub for gamers. Over the years they manage to attract socialites from other walks of life, and celebrities were an important factor in this change. Now there are several new categories that aren’t gaming-related:
IRL (In Real Life) – Category that features podcasts, live chatting, ASMR, sports, discussion on politics, and other more general topics.
Music and DJ – A category for music artists where they create new music and collaborate with fans. It’s a great way to get instant feedback and include followers in creative process.
Creative – Category for arts and crafts that is great for live tutorials.
Clearly, there is an intention here to attract more influencers from other spheres, in order to grow the number of active users. With more active users it’s easier to attract more sponsors who wish to advertise on the site.
Top Celebrities Making Waves on Twitch
Given their busy schedules, celebrities don’t stream as frequently or regularly like other top creators. But whenever they are online users definitely notice. Below are some notable examples.
Post Malone
As a young artist, Post Malone is adored by younger generations. In other words, many gamers love his songs. It comes as no surprise that when Post Malone starts to stream his channel lights up. He also plays very popular battle royale titles like Apex Legends. Not only that but he is genuinely good at it; he even reached the rank of diamond.
Snoop Dogg
Music made Snoop Dogg famous, but his success as an artist is only matched by his achievements as an entrepreneur. And to this day his portfolio of business ventures continues to expand. Back in 2023, he even launched a game studio with his son called Death Row Games, and Snoop has been involved with the industry for quite some time now.
Felicia Day
A lot of World of Warcraft players know Felica from the web series she created The Guild, but she was also in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and The Supernatural TV show. People who love narrative-driven games like God of War, and Last of US also love to watch Felicia on Twitch. She is very committed to gaming and does a full playthrough of these games.
Mike Shinoda
Before Linkin Park found its new lead singer, the co-founder Mike Shinoda saw Twitch as a home for his creative outlet. While on Twitch Mike connected with his community, played Valorant, and created new music. What’s more, he collaborated with Twitch to white label the music he created on stream so that his fans can freely use it.
Madison Beer
The number one reason Madison Beer started a Twitch channel was to promote her music or music projects. But even some of those music projects were gaming-related. For example, she played or sang as League of Legends’s Evelyn during K/DA concerts.
That said she does play games on her streams and easily attracts over 30,000 viewers. Madison plays indie releases like Only Up as well as some popular titles like Valorant and Fall Guys.
Impact on Twitch’s User Demographics
Obviously, celebrities help this platform grow further. They have a lot of star power and a fan base of devotees who are eager to socialize with them. It helped Twitch become more than just a place for gamers.
However, the core users of Twitch are still gamers, so the platform also helped these celebrities reach more people. As you can see, all of them played different games while on the stream, and many players who don’t necessarily know these celebrities will hop on to check out their stream. After all, the platform directs viewers to those channels that have the highest view count.
Of course, this is in a way bad for other content creators who are trying to make it and have a low number of followers. Now with celebrities streaming getting noticed will be even harder.
How Celebrity Involvement is Attracting Brands and Advertisers
There are many other celebrities who occasional stream T-Pain, Keke Palmer, Soulja Boy, Doja Cat, and Neymar Jr. to name a few. Unlike other social networks, Twitch is a place where streamers reply to messages in chat. These are all big names in their respective industries and that’s incredibly relevant for brands who want to advertise on Twitch.
Unlike with ads on YouTube, users have an incentive to stay on Twitch when the ads start to roll. The stream is happening right there and then, you can’t come back tomorrow or after a few hours and enjoy the same content. Ever since Twitch grew the ads campaign became more aggressive, which once again kills the discoverability of smaller creators. People just don’t want to sit that long and wait for ads to stop playing.
This isn’t the case with celebrity streams. These are high profile individuals and viewers look forward to interacting with them. So, even when ads are unskippable on these streams viewers will stick around. As a result, more brands who want to advertise on Twitch, especially during these streams.
Conclusion
To sum up, Twitch has drastically changed over the past decade and celebrities and influential internet personalities played a big role. It can be difficult to re-brand especially when your identity is so heavily centred around one hobby. Luckily, Twitch has managed to follow through and create a place that Justin.tv was meant to be. They did this thanks to a strong infrastructure for socializing, advertising and online donations.
In a way, whenever someone who is famous wants to connect with their fans and raise funds in the process, Twitch is the go-to option. The brand is visible and already has a big user base, and it has categories that invite creators from different niches.
There are few YouTubers whose charisma has mesmerized a generation like Duke Dennis. The YouTuber’s quick wit, magnetic personality, and undeniable “rizz” have made him a generational icon. Duke’s ascended to the forefront of YouTube and Twitch, garnering millions of followers of young viewers who’ve witnessed his impeccable rise. He’s grown his channel significantly from NBA 2K gameplay to a bonafide influencer whose on-camera presence has created some amazing content.
This week, Dennis garnered newfound attention after Rolling Stone named him at #5 on their list of the 25 Most Influential Creators list – a feat that came after years of grinding. Then a few days later, Drakeposted the South Carolina native in a series of photos on Instagram where he jokingly referred to Duke as his selfie influence. Evidently, Duke’s impact extends well beyond the streaming world.
Duke Dennis, born Dontavious Tony Dennis on February 26, 1994, in Greenville, South Carolina, came from modest beginnings in the DeeBlock neighborhood of the City Heights’ apartment complex. Growing up, Duke faced the challenges of life in a small town, where opportunities were limited, and the dream of making it big seemed far-fetched. A self-described nerd who was into anime, Despite these challenges, Duke found solace and escape in video games, particularly in NBA 2K and began sharing gaming videos on YouTube.
However, before YouTube, Duke had a stint in the U.S. Army, where he served for a brief period. His time in the military instilled in him a sense of discipline and work ethic that would later become crucial in his YouTube career. After leaving the army, Duke returned to his passion for gaming, this time with a plan to turn it into something more than just a hobby.
Rise To Fame On YouTube
Duke Dennis’s rise to fame began with his NBA 2Kgameplay videos. He launched his gamer channel in 2013, though once he began sharing NBA 2K content, he garnered more subscribers. Like many gamers, his early videos showcased his skills in the game. However, he distinguished himself from other gamers on YouTube through his engaging commentary and relatable personality. Eventually, his blend of knowledge and his ability to entertain became the launching pad for his career.
As his channel grew, Duke expanded his content to include more than just gameplay. He began sharing personal stories, reacting to viral content, vlogs, and collaborating with other YouTubers. His versatility and willingness to adapt helped him build a loyal fanbase. By 2020, Duke had solidified his place in the YouTube community, with his videos regularly attracting millions of views.
Though not as prolific of a streamer as Kai Cenat or Agent 00, Duke Dennis has garnered quite the following on Twitch. There, he brings his gaming content to the fore along with his Story Time series while also engaging with his vast fanbase. He’s also welcomed several celebrities on his platform, too, such as Rich Homie Quan and his ex-girlfriend, Kaliii.
Joining AMP: The Collective That Changed the Game
In 2020, Duke Dennis’s career took a significant leap forward when he became a member of the AMP (Any Means Possible) Collective. AMP is a group of content creators known for their dynamic and entertaining videos that blend gaming, challenges, vlogs, and comedy. Given his charisma and gaming expertise, Duke’s inclusion in AMP was a natural fit.
At the time, AMP consisted of Duke Dennis, Fanum, Agent 00, and Davis. However, the collective has since expanded with the inclusion of ChrisNxtDoor, who was previously a video editor for AMP, and Kai Cenat, who is undoubtedly the reigning king of Twitch right now. Together, they blended gaming, skits, and real-life challenges that turned them into one of the most entertaining YouTube conglomerates online. The group currently lives in a mansion together in Georgia where they stream and create content. Oftentimes, the lore behind their streams overlaps with one another, making it feel closer to a reality show than it does a live stream.
The Power of “Rizz”
So, what is it about Duke Dennis that has mesmerized a generation? The answer lies in his “rizz.” In today’s social media-driven world, “rizz” refers to a person’s charisma, charm, and ability to attract others effortlessly. Duke Dennis embodies this concept perfectly. His laid-back demeanor, confident yet approachable nature and sense of humor make him a magnetic presence on screen.
Duke’s natural charm with women has become a significant factor in his popularity and sometimes, has been a sore spot among his fellow AMP members. He often excels in AMP challenge videos, whether those that allow his athletic talents to shine or see the collective competing for a date with one woman. However, even videos such as his recent trips to Paris and Toronto showcase his pull outside of America.
As his brand grew, Duke Dennis’s contributions to YouTube and streaming haven’t gone unnoticed. His content earned recognition on Rolling Stone’s Top 25 Influential Creators of 2024 list. Recognized for his 2K content and IRL streams, the publication wrote, “Dennis, 30, has his biggest following on TikTok, where his charm with the ladies has made him an almost mythic figure for teenage boys. He still has millions of subscribers on YouTube, though, where he posts videos of IRL street games in New York and hanging out behind the scenes at the Super Bowl.”
While Duke’s only beginning to get his rightful credit these days, we suspect that this will be the beginning of a major career moment. As AMP leaves New York City and returns to Atlanta, it seems like Duke and the rest of his groupmates have major plans for the year to come.
This all started over a rapper’s death. Ybc Dul aka Mr. Disrespectful was killed on August 26, and a YouTuber named Brandon Buckingham posted an interview with the rapper a day before. DJ Akademiks reacted to said interview, and did not like what he saw. He went on Twitch and accused Buckingham of exploiting Ybc Dul’s death for views. He dubbed Buckingham a “white boy voyeuristic” type, and went on to name other white YouTubers who actually “care about the culture.” Buckingham saw these comments, and proceeded to blow up on DJ Akademiks.
Brandon Buckingham posted a statement to his Twitter account. It’s not delicately worded. He proceeds to insult DJ Akademiks in the first sentence, calling him a “fat drunk p**sy.” He also defended his passion for hip hop as a culture. “Akademiks is really a fat drunk p**sy for running right to his little stream after Dul died to say I’m not for the culture,” Buckingham wrote. Buckingham them aimed criticisms back at Akademiks. “His woman beating bald head a*s sits on a computer all day and is afraid to go any hood anywhere.”
Brandon Buckingham then flipped DJ Akademiks’ point of reference. Instead of comparing himself to other white YouTubers, he compared himself favorably to Ak. With disrespect, of course. “Stay inside and keep talking sh*t from the comfort of your home,” Buckingham added. “We are both civilians and I have ten times the heart as your b*tch a*s.” The irony, of course, is that DJ Akademiks has been accused of the very same thing he accused Buckingham of. The internet personality has been criticized for using violence and the deaths of rappers to bolster his own fame.
In 2022, music video director Spike Tarantino called out DJ Akademiks for his coverage of Kay Flock’s murder. He claimed Ak did little to cover the rapper during his lifetime, but proceeded to act like he was an expect after Flock was killed. Akademiks has also been saddled with legal troubles in recent months. The DJ was sued for rape and defamation in April. Fauziya Abashe claims that was taken advantage of multiple times at Akademiks’ home. The internet personality denies the allegations.
T-Pain revealed the amount of money he rakes in from an hour of live streaming him playing video games. In a recent interview, the rapper mentioned that he makes $50,000 to $60,000 per hour from his time on Twitch. He opened up about the platform, detailing how the convenience and ease of live streaming caused him to think about how much more difficult it is to profit in the music industry, as most artists make the bulk of their money from going on the road and touring.
“When you making $50,000, $60,000 an hour playing video games in your drawers, it’s kind of hard to get me to go out the country for, you know what I’m saying?” T-Pain said. He went on to explain that he’s actually on the lower end of the payment scale, when compared to some of his rapper/streamer peers. He specifically referred to Detroit rapper Tee Grizzley’s Twitch success in his explanation. “I’m on the low tier,” he said. “This dude’s making millions a month,” he explained. “I’m making less than Tee Grizzley. I know I’m making less. When we talk about hourly? I know I’m doing less than Tee Grizzley.”
T-Pain Makes Tens Of Thousands Of Dollars Per Hour To Livestream
T-Pain elaborated on how his deals work, discussing the sponsorships and endorsements that come his way because of streaming. “When I get deals like 7-Eleven, they gave me $250k to play any game I wanted for two hours,” he explained, before comparing the ease of a sponsored stream to the difficulty of performing music. “Just in certain intervals, just say, ‘Hey guys, 7-Eleven has pizza now. Don’t you want a pizza from 7-Eleven? Cool, let’s get back to the game for two hours.’ Easy money,” he said. “If you think I’m about to go pack clothes, go get on a stage for an hour and a half, sweat it out in a state that I don’t know what the f*ck is going on before I stay in that room and just say, ‘7-Eleven has pizza,’ and then go back to gaming?”
T-Pain’s explanation shows just how lucrative gaming and live streaming can be for celebrities. The previously mentioned Tee Grizzley also has a popular streaming channel and revenue that comes from things attached to that channel. Grizzley recently explained how he’s making millions a month from his Grand Theft Auto V role-playing server. A large part of that comes from membership fees from the 90,000 users who have joined the server he manages. As Twitch becomes an increasingly profitable outlet, more celebrities will join to have a steady side hustle. T-Pain can say he was one of the first successful crossovers into the space.
On Thursday night, Ice Spice did a livestream with popular video content creator Kai Cenat to promote her debut album, Y2K. She and Cenat have streamed together in the past. His platform is one of the places newer rappers go to promote themselves or their music. Several clips from the stream are making the rounds on the internet, including one of Cenat attempting to smack Ice’s butt before getting caught.
Cenat tried to explain it away. Unfortunately for him, he stumbled through his words en route to an explanation that did not make much sense. Fans wasted no time making jokes at Cenat’s expense. One X user noted that Ice Spice had “eyes in the back of her head.” Others asked what he was doing. Ice did not take his explanation seriously, responding with the sarcastic tone befitting of someone from New York City.
Ice Spice Checks Kai Cenat On Stream
For Ice Spice, Cenat’s stream was the last stop on her album’s pre-release promotional tour. Y2K arrived on Friday at midnight. Earlier in the week, she was the subject of Rolling Stone‘s latest cover story. She went in depth about her relationships with Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift, dealing with negativity, and her “feud” with Latto. Cenat’s livestreams are a looser atmosphere, as fans have previously seen when he went live with Kevin Hart and Druski. Ice and Cenat are both from The Bronx as well, which they’ve talked about in the past.
Y2K comes with some fan intrigue. Ice Spice has been among the most popular rappers around for the last two years. The New York Times dubbed her “Hip-Hop’s New Princess” in a January 2023 profile. She’s rubbed shoulders with Taylor Swift, even getting on a remix of Swift’s track “Karma.” Despite those achievements, people if she could hold their attention for an entire album. Her Like..? EP was met with a mixed reaction. Much like that EP, Y2K is dividing fans early. Ice released nearly half the album as singles. None of them captured the public in the way that her songs with PinkPantheress or Nicki Minaj did last year. Hopefully, her stream with Cenat gives it a boost.
Sketch has been the talk of the Twitch community this week. The Madden streamer admitted that he previously ran an OnlyFans account in which he performed sexual acts with other men. The scandal spread like wildfire, with opinions being split on whether it would ruin his career. Some theorized that Sketch’s sports fanbase would reject him, while other notable streamers voiced their support. Then there’s DJ Akademiks, who posed a third option. Ak actually thinks Sketch’s career will benefit from controversy.
DJ Akademiks discussed the Sketch situation on July 10. He claimed upfront that he did not watch Sketch’s content, but told the streamer to save his tears. “Let me tell you this,” Ak stated. “You just got an upgrade on your career.” The hip-hop personality proceeded to make the case for Sketch coming out as a positive given the current cultural landscape. “If you say anything that’s derogatory to gay people, you get banned anyway,” he noted. “I don’t think he’s gonna be judged. I think his career is gonna go up.” DJ Akademiks doubled down on this stance, going as far as to say that it’s “profitable” to be a streamer who is gay in 2024.
DJ Akademiks Considers The Sketch Controversy To Be A “Win”
Ak is so convinced that Sketch will benefit that he jokingly claimed he would come out if he was a white streamer. “I would be lying to y’all, saying I’m gay,” he added. “Somebody better talk to Sketch… you gay, that’s a win.” The most prominent example DJ Akademiks provided of this positive boost was the fact that he had never heard of Sketch prior to the OnlyFans leaks. He claimed that he was told about the controversy through people who work for him. “I don’t even know who the n**ga was,” he asserted.
During the stream in which he addressed his past, Sketch admitted he considered quitting. “I’ll be honest,” he told viewers. “Plan A was, and I’ll say it candidly, probably call it quits if this ever came out.” He also considered taking his own life at one point. He credited the support of his family and fellow streamers for deciding to go on with his Twitch career. “But some people saved me. Shoutout [FaZe] Banks, shoutout my parents, shoutout y’all.” Only time will tell if DJ Akademiks’ prediction will prove true. As it stands, it’s encouraging to know that Sketch will continue to stream.