Where Are The YouTube Rappers Today?

[@cupiddrool]

“ricegum…” *takes drag of cigarette* “I haven’t heard that name in years…”

[@dannylight7022]

wasnt he like popular in 2016? Its not that long ago, but i understand, for internet 2 years is like 10

[@shanel4294]

@@dannylight70228 years is a long time ngl.

[@dannylight7022]

@@shanel4294 Yeah... crazy that 2016 was 8 years ago, feels only like 4 or whatever

[@shanel4294]

@@dannylight7022 I hear ya, can’t believe the last time I was truly happy and care free was 8 years ago 😂. Currently in my first proper job and I don’t think I’ll ever be that happy again.

[@dannylight7022]

@@shanel4294 I was the same couple of years ago, but happiness is overrated and nostalgia is a mind killer. Create art, make love, anything else is secondary or just bs. Hope you will find yourself and not happiness. May sound strange but it is what it is.

[@EZ-zl4ho]

Imagine this video after thick of it was realeased

[@nerdjournal]

wtf is thick of it? actually, I don't care.

[@Blisstheproducer]

@@nerdjournalwhy comment then😭 but it’s a completely ass song

[@DatDaDatty]

the youtube disstrack era was an entertaining time

[@ALDO_GOODENS]

Facts! The tracks objectively were “try hard”-y but it was still so much fun

[@joemomma6317]

Frfr

[@ThatGuyGloomy]

Anyone who was rockin with jake paul back then was considered an opp by all the homies😂

[@darkgaming8883]

​@@ThatGuyGloomyfacts it was almost like being in a gang😂😂

[@protostnl6369]

Their music was an absolute disservice to my ears but the clown show overall is hilarious to watch

[@tuv]

Beard coming in strong 💪🏻

[@dNorsh]

Crazy seeing tuv here💀

[@tango2495]

@@dNorsh newgen

[@MORGames117]

Tuv = the goat

[@wooyaa8152]

quadecas the one that made it out alive lol

[@vividchrxmez]

he’s so good bruh

[@Knightgob]

This man got a 9 from fantano before Zel😭

[@Arcadian999]

Quanka did

[@MementoVita]

Sisyphus is one of my favorite songs

[@corpse.bridee]

Fr!!

[@LeBeautiful]

I remember KSI's first rap response, Earthquake, God Church...and then that Team 10 Ether with England being noted as a city.

[@nxrthfvce4622]

Y’all forget about Harry’s iconic diss tracks😔

[@nathannjohn8654]

Whenever I hear the first beats , my heads instantly pulls "CREATURE WAS SHIT"

[@nxrthfvce4622]

Real ones know Joji and Scarlxrd the OGs

[@EBMproductions1]

And Bones go see how far back his music went but he is arguably not a youtube rapper.

[@nxrthfvce4622]

@@EBMproductions1 agreed, bones is tuffffff

[@Hellxvixlett]

Joji & Quadeca , would be amazing

[@Anzner1993]

Nah. More like Wax and dumbfounded. The palmer squares. Prince Ea used to rap this was all early 2010s

[@skorpion3993]

Scarlxrd is a trap metal goat

[@MrYeorge]

rice music career ended when KSI pulled out ASCAP to check who’s writing these bars😂😂

[@eR-qh4iu]

rice gum having a ghostwriter was never a secret

[@steelokey]

@@eR-qh4iuI never knew. One or two of my homies liked him lol

[@CruzCGK]

Casual ksi fan boy lol or did u forgot when rice pulled up Spotify and checked how an entire village worth of ppl were listed as writers on multiple ksi songs 😂

[@canpasen]

@@CruzCGK You're embarrasing yourself bruh. The writers credits on spotify include producers, even popular rappers like Kendrick have other people listed as "writers" on spotify. It means nothing.

[@nxrthfvce4622]

@@CruzCGK ever heard of producers? Engineers? Features? Clearly not

[@00Tottr]

Quadeca making quality avant garde experimental albums is the craziest switch. Been watching him for years, super cool to see his progress. Truly a prodigy

[@basseldahdouh8736]

Ahhh a Matty and Quadeca ‘collab’ 😩 i can rest easy now

[@keap4307]

Quadeca is goated fr

[@CowsiinCoasters]

this man knows the people want quadeca and he delivered. massive W

[@alexallen126]

I feel like Woah Vicky and Bad Bhabie were apart of this KZbin rap realm.

[@masonsuarez7096]

Lmao no tf they weren’t. They were never KZbin rappers they were memes that virgins wanted to sleep w and hate on simultaneously lol. Only reason they stayed even slightly relevant

[@alexallen126]

@@masonsuarez7096 woah Vicky literally had a KZbin rap beef with Rice Gum, but I feel ya G. It was a time where everybody with a tad bit of clout or relevance decided to try to be a rapper.

[@truenoae8689]

They were the absolute worst of the worst KZbin rappers like the barnacles latching to the underside of KZbin rap

[@HighiamDave]

That’s meme rap

[@GarrettsGear]

​@@masonsuarez7096 they were part of the realm. But not yt rappers themselves. That's fair.

[@-ayaan]

soon we'll have "Where Are The TikTok Rappers Today?"

[@truenoae8689]

Wonder what'll be the next social media hype at that time

[@truenoae8689]

@Thelemonlicorice yeah mostly pop but still lots of hip hop

[@DrTaeBeats-zf3ob]

15:44 Token is a quality rapper tho don't know why people still don't take him as a serious rapper, he went verse for verse with JID which honestly gained some respect from me

[@chrissmthn]

Want that Atlantic records vid 🙌 great video bro

[@culturebreath369]

Same!

[@barackhusseinobamajr]

Y'all got it lol

[@CriticalyDumb]

I still listen to Quadeca's Alone Together 3 years later, From me to you is one of the best bodies of art in the past decade imo

[@TheMuffeeMan]

Crazy timing! You post this today (obviously recorded earlier), and KSI performed his new song last night for the first time lol

[@paviahansen3820]

Diss track era was something else man

[@longislandparadise]

it’s gonna be a good month matty posted

[@Kultactivities]

Because basing your life on a KZbinr makes your life better 😂 that’s pathetic as hell

[@longislandparadise]

@@Kultactivitieseverything ok bro?

[@anothergamingchannel2656]

Kult comments lookin like someone pissed in his Wheaties this morning

[@yxrackman2397]

@@anothergamingchannel2656yeah it was me my bad bro 😔

[@MaxElizabethboi]

This was such crazy time. Going to college during the KZbin and SoundCloud era was truly unmatched! Great vids as always!!

[@rawlion7]

I was so innocent when the KZbin rap era was still on Oh man what a throwback.

[@Zxlxya]

Haven't heard the name Ricegum in years

[@WalkingPhoenix-so2dm]

Looks like someone became IRRELEVANT

[@CruzCGK]

@@WalkingPhoenix-so2dm not really, he quite KZbin at his peak lol he was still avging 1-3m views a vid when he quit. Same with streaming

[@TheRedpainternumber8]

⁠@@CruzCGKhow do you make the quite a big mistake 😅 it’s just a joke but you have no clue what you’re saying so I think it’s time you quit glazing him …😂

[@elidragom]

Token & Quadeca are the best

[@treymatthews3353]

Easily. Even if someone thinks they’re still corny, which Token still can be, unlike most other KZbin rappers their music actually evolved for the better.

[@culturebreath369]

And they actually have real talent. A lot of successful artists don't even have any talent. ❤🎉 ​@@treymatthews3353

[@elidragom]

@@treymatthews3353 100% agree, they both got that fiery passion for this shit & it shows

[@nickjohnson398]

Let’s be real Quadeca was the chosen one.

[@Siviwe_Smash]

DDG did surprisingly well at shedding the KZbin rapper look. I don’t listen to his music but he definitely hits the algorithm like a mainstream artist/figure on my social media

[@tord0ff]

That's just you, trust. Most likely because you have interacted enough with it in the past. Even WITH interacting with his stuff a few times in the past, his stuff has never once come across my page or anything else organically.

[@sky6252]

Quadeca mentioned 🗣️ 🔥 💯

[@silv3r7ongue97]

I fw quadeca completely forgot about him tho 🤣 thought he had more promise than most

[@archiewall124]

He has a hell of a lot of promise that’s already being seen

[@LosHitman]

He’s a legit artist now

[@xlxfx]

I remember commenting on an early video, around a few hundred subs at the time, that you’re prime example of who makes it in this space. Your growth has been great and fast. Keep going. It can do lots of great things, lots of possibilities

[@freddiepaulson8326]

As someone who lives in the UK saying ksi is doing numbers on the level of stormzy and skepta is blasphemous. Not only do they make much better albums and music in general than ksi, they are taken seriously and have a massive impact on our culture. Ksi is seen as a KZbinr who makes music and is basically forgotten today music wise.

[@Woozy.0]

Sadly he raps better than either of those mush mouthed geese!

[@yxrackman2397]

exactly lol, comparing to them meaning he has longevity and deep lyricism in his music in-which he clearly doesn’t. That period of stations like kiss and capital extra playing him on the radio was short lived only bc of promotions and after that you wouldn’t hear anything again. Stormzy, skepta, gigs and others still had their older songs being circulated on the radio. Nevertheless it’s still impressive on how’s he’s able to chart constantly.(ik his fanbase plays a role but still). Though it annoys me that some people think he’s the face of Uk rap.

[@abcdefghij6821]

That's not true. He is taken seriously, especially by the mainstream. The radio puts him all the time, his songs like 'Lighter' 'Don't Play' and 'Holiday' got massive. Bro, if you're from the UK, you would know that he performed at Parklife, Reading and Leeds, and at the BRIT awards. That's the definition of being taken seriously. If you don't take him seriously, that's another story lmao

[@Woozy.0]

@@abcdefghij6821 I like Dizzee Rascal's Holiday

[@CruzCGK]

@@abcdefghij6821idk anyone from the uk who takes him seriously as an artist. Also yk u can pay for radio plays right 😂

[@cedricgant8535]

Atlantic vid is a must Matty!

[@samidayal5408]

KSI’s music career is truly incredible, you can really see his entire progression throughout the years and with him still doing it he’s managed to do something truly incredible and I love his newer music, he’s shown a lot of growth

[@Azzabazza2003]

Him and dax and the best ones

[@digdrug]

Ksi’s music is dogshit

[@monkeymaker2006]

@@Azzabazza2003Dax is shit, always has been. Especially now that he’s making music for boomers to enjoy. He’s always been chasing views and riding trends, instead of making quality original music.

[@ancientstraits9288]

FROM THE SCREEN TO THE RING TO THE PEN TO THE KING 🗣🔥🔥🔥

[@zakgault4209]

No, he targets 8-14yr olds. The same target group his friends targeted for the lunch product.

[@MementoVita]

Quadeca was the one that evolved past all that imo 👏

[@ayaalhakim]

the ksi section is outdated already 😂😂

[@asmodeusguys4472]

Ayyy, mathias is back. Been a while since I've seen a vid from u. Also, damn you've grown a beard since the last time i saw your vid. 16:35 not too weird tbh. Mark Wahlberg was basically a weird white rapper back in the day.

[@mattyballz]

Yo yo yooooo

[@maviemavie5637]

this whole era of youtube feels like a fever dream compared to what it’s like now.

[@krissybee2484]

I’m kinda old. Like I remember when KZbin launched. This whole era of KZbin described in this video was a huge mindfuck for me.

[@yulenmadestunna]

signing to Atlantic records is like a death sentence fr💀 please make a video on that🙏🙏

[@stevebikojnrdaking3115]

Louaista already did that

[@MECHARNAGERECORDS]

My boy Matty growing up infront our eyes🙏🏾😭

[@mattyballz]

Fr bro my back hurts, my body is rickety, im damn near ready to retire

[@Murrhound]

KZbin rappers were all hot garbage. Golden era of shit.

[@Kultactivities]

Facts, they all sucked

[@John-mm2yl]

Misha was the hero we needed but didn’t deserve.

[@GarrettsGear]

Brother Quadeca is objectively a good artist. I will die on that hill. I don't even like half of his songs but he is an incredible artist. Idk if I'm fighting for anyone else on this list though.

[@joshrentos216]

Especially Quadeca

[@joshrentos216]

⁠@@GarrettsGearyou are unbelievably naive if you think Quadeca is objectively a good artist. U could say he’s good in your opinion but objectively good is laughable.

[@DW.007]

anyone here after KSI released "Thick of it"

[@DatMexicanJesus]

Loving the Sunday vids!!!!

[@Fuzzdeeni]

Wait till he hears about KSI now

[@Sparkiebc]

Love you matty ❤❤❤

[@official.option]

Matty + Ballz = Mattyballz

[@brennskiboi]

I've rapped since 2008 (I was 10). The fucking landscape of rap has been wild to navigate. I posted everything I wrote to YT for 6 years, absolute shit quality. Being a white kid with a chip on my shoulder in the early 2010's was fucked. By the time I graduated high-school the KZbin rapper era this video talks about started to take off. I was out. I jumped to the sad boy soundcloud scene for a few years and then significantly dropped my output in 2020. In that time TikTok went from corny, to THE way to blow up. I'm 27 and lost as someone who just likes to make music. KZbin was very much the precursor to the broader "independent, content creator, musician". I, and many others, will never even get the opportunity to sign and for reasons don't want to be part of the industry. The alternative is a whole other kind of industry now. This video is dope in that it really gives insight as to what that industry is, be it pretty disjointed at this point im time.

[@Whodnl]

Quadeca is in a lane of his own

[@HipHopfan_]

Before watching, very surprised you didn't include Scarlxrd in this. One of the first KZbinrs who made a switch to music. He actually build himself a sold career and fanbase.

[@mattyballz]

Yeah I’ve covered him before cus he’s dope, but I more so wanted to talk about this “scene” in particular

[@Derapy]

Great video man! First vid of yours I’ve seen and you’ve gained a new sub!

[@strucidstuff6985]

i just oh I love mattyballz when I clicked on this out loud

[@gelo-]

Kids Nowadays will never understand how goated 2016-2020 KZbin was 😭🔥especially them Disstracks 💯

[@jjaannae]

Ayeee that beard growin in nice

[@d.t.6072]

Ive watched a few of your videos and like the amount of research that you include in them. Going to subscribe now. 🤓👍

[@francescotamayo8191]

An atlantic deep dive sounds interesting

[@chanendlerbong]

Summer of 2017 was an absolute peak of KZbin

[@2134stevie]

You should definitely do a part 2

[@nozomi5474]

i dont even think we'd have youtube boxing w/o this era

[@1mdr0w5y]

I see quadeca and I click

[@FixSpawnPeeks]

Quadeca was the only GOOD successful yt rapper

[@KatSpicert]

If you count Joji too, you can definitely argue for both.

[@chocoblocko9]

​@@KatSpicertyeah i liked quadeca way more but it's undeniable that joji is pretty damn good too, and a lot of peolle think he's AMAZING so

[@basedcommentor]

*Scarlxrd enters the chat*

[@Sheldonatello]

Matty balls dropping jaws 🦈

[@livewiiiiire]

Mattysballs dropping drawers

[@haylsz]

I still remember the intro to quadecas ksi diss 😭😭 that’s how good it was

[@Oeriosdemiraj]

KZbin rappers were an anomaly. Never should have happened😅

[@weaponisedautism07theSecond]

It was so corny i don’t know how people stomached listening to it

[@Oeriosdemiraj]

Sole reason we got rappers like Crypt and DAX🫠

[@mattyballz]

Some of it was fun

[@Sawyeee]

At least we got Quadeca from it

[@ViPeR1]

Nah I agree that 90% of it sucked but it was entertaining, but listening to it now it’s corny lol

[@Leo-kf9ec]

Quadeca came out gold it’s good to see

[@S7K21]

Mattysballz

[@FreddieLane9001]

Lane Bros killed the reaction game❤

[@joshuadunsmuir4801]

I remember seeing token live in like 2016 in Manchester as a opener for hopsin he was pretty good man

[@qthekey]

They come and go with the wind it seems like nowadays.🔑💯

[@lurkr5458]

Matthew Ballers has upgraded to the Herman Miller chair ladies and gentlemen

[@mattyballz]

lmao i wish i found this in a video about budget versions of those chairs

[@jaydeegreat88]

25:14 yo the question wtfff😭😭😭

[@ramm7712]

lmfao

[@y2kmelllow]

I still listen to Quad and even support him. I do miss rice and a few others. That era was so fun.

[@specialbreedsb78]

That Atlantic records coverage would be dope!

[@ObiC]

Quad did 🗣️🔥

[@mcdonkey500]

the "rap" era just feels like it never happened cus it was just one big cringefest

[@forthefrogs]

Quad really cooked with that last bit. Scrapyard is definitely undeniable. It changed my brain chemistry for sure

[@abcdefghij6821]

KSI has 5 platinum singles in the UK, and he is pretty much a mainstream celebrity that even got nominated for the BRIT awards 3 times, performed at BRIT awards, at multiple festivals etc. I don't think people in the States can comprehend the fame that KSI had during his music era 2020-2023. Just yesterday, he teased a new song ft Trippie Redd in front of 13k people at his Misfits Boxing event in Dublin, so let's see where his music career goes from now on

[@shanel4294]

That’s why when Americans where like “why is prime so valued in the UK” i just rolled my eyes. They don’t understand how big he is over here. In school people referenced his videos and then when my younger brothers got older they all got involved in him and his family and their content. He’s huge over here.

[@adariushorton7870]

Well how you like the song big dawg 😂 shi trash ain’t it

[@ExarchGaming]

this could be a series matty, like you mentioned crypt in the beginning; there are some others though that are downright amazing like Scru Face Jean, whom is a good friend of quadecas and he even did a joint album with Crypt. One that I really want you to talk about that does not get the respect he deserves is Knox Hill. Knox is a downright FIRE MC. Also VI Seconds (also known as Shizzy) is one of the best battle rappers on the platform; he's like the youtube rap version of the boogyman.

[@IToldYou2Sit]

There’s sooooo many ways that mattyballz has found a way to repost this ricegum video and re monetize it. Multiple times year

[@mattyballz]

Multiple times a year? This is 2 time I talk ab him

[@eR-qh4iu]

"i havent heard of rice gum" "hooray" mfs forget he really a streamer... he just quit streaming this year after rumble paid him millions for 1 year of streaming... now hes starting a family... my goat is happy and chillin

[@secondarycolors2947]

gg

[@frailfire]

Imagine this video being made after Pink dreads

[@official.option]

Matty is Mattyballz

[@sSynclare]

that beard fluffin out nice brother

[@silv3r7ongue97]

I seen token live in London Ontario with hopsin and he killed it. Went there for hopsin and left a token fan dudes a legit lyricist

[@SOURJDADDY]

The KSI lil Wayne song is a certified banger

[@mynameisanonymous8518]

Another really interesting case is Keven Williams. He’s a professional bowler who is also a rapper

[@lynchmobb119]

Quadeca is the only one who’s actually an artist

[@_Devil]

The only problem with Rap as a genre is that it allows just ANYBODY to make music out of it... theres a reason why "KZbinr Rapper" and "Soundcloud Rapper" have such negative connotations to them. When all of their songs sound like "Sticking out your gyatt for the Rizzler, you're so Skibidy, you're so Fanum Tax🫦", it just brings the rest of the scene down with them.

[@J.L3259]

quadeca made it out a legend

[@OxidizeTunes]

quad my goat fr

[@goatbrook9065]

It was a phase, a cool trend at the time and sometimes i miss it but its youtube nostalgia. I remember youtube diss tracks dropping and that shit hit back then

[@CHARIS7531]

Need to see the Atlantic records video!❤

[@JoshuaKimbrough]

Matty went through puberty

[@Iamchrisshorts]

That joji guy did good I didn’t even know he came from KZbin

[@CANUBETHEOLDKANYE]

Now we have thick of it😭

[@nitelitesriff5340]

Token kills it , can't deny that man's talent.🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@Amazarushi]

2017 peak & will go down in history as the golden KZbin era

[@isaacmeredith9421]

Token is someone who def has potential but I think he doesn’t have a good enough team or people behind him to push him.

[@LilTuneki-111]

This man is the G.O.A.T , TYE G.O.A.T!!!!

[@Kikokiki_tt]

The youtube diss area was great. I wasn't really a fan of the US battle and more one of the UK one. A few of the Sidemen members put out a few good ones. I wasn't expecting anything overly good so I didn't go into it with too much expectations. Simon and Harry were the best for me. KSI was never someone I was looking forward to when it comes to his diss tracks.

[@RobGradyVO]

Quadeca goated ngl

[@jeternal2139]

nice beard

[@kennyboyyyymusicofficial]

I ❤️ Quadeca & Token SO MUCH!!!1!!