IShowSpeed

Back in 2016, when Darren launched his YouTube channel, he did not upload any videos and was not considering a career out of it. In 2018, he uploaded the clip on NBA 2K18 which did not do well at that time, and he was disheartened by this. However, Darren was sure about his studies. He focused on football and also considered trade school. Before taking live-streaming as a career option, Darren was working with a nursing home where he used to deliver food to elderly people.

It was his friend who motivated him to upload content on YouTube, about what he loves. Darren got the chance during the pandemic to start his journey on YouTube. In April 2020, he uploaded videos related to NBA 2K20 and 2k21 that helped him in gaining a good amount of viewership. To stay in the YouTube business, he did live streams and played Fortnite, Five Nights at Freddy’s, and more. By mid-2020, Darren got over 100k subscribers and as time went by, he turned into an internet sensation.

Darren also launched his album by the name ‘What Else IShowSpeed’ to gain more attention from the viewers. His song, Shake, got controversial because of inappropriate song lyrics. Another controversy that Darren faced was at the time when he collaborated with Adin on a live stream. During the live stream, he targeted Ash Kaash and made sexist remarks. Consequently, he got banned from Twitch because of the violation of rules and policies.

His focus is on building his YouTube channel and curating music so that he gains more love and support from the viewers. In just two years, Darren got millions of subscribers because of his entertaining content and live streams. He is also advertising different styles of clothes and selling them at affordable rates so that people can buy them easily.

In 2019, Watkins entered the streaming scene and gained significant recognition when clips of his intense reactions during live streams went viral on TikTok, making him a YouTube sensation. Watkins, who is renowned for his outbursts that have resulted in bans on platforms such as Twitch and Valorant, has emerged as one of YouTube's fastest-growing streamers, notably influencing the popularity of the mobile application Talking Ben.

During July 2022, Watkins caused a stir by igniting a Pikachu firework in his bedroom. In August, he asked viewers for answers to a "United States and Global Economics" quiz, but they pranked him with incorrect answers, resulting in a 0/10 score. He participated in the Sidemen Charity Football Match in September, displaying frustration towards the referee and tossing a pitch invader's Messi jersey into the air.

Sky Sports stopped featuring him in November 2022 due to his past offensive comments. Despite this, Watkins was awarded the Streamy Award in December and embarked on a journey to football stadiums in November and December 2022, with the goal of watching Cristiano Ronaldo live. In May 2023, he signed an exclusive streaming deal with Rumble, and in July, he surprised audiences at the 2023 Rolling Loud festival in Portugal with his performance. Additionally, Watkins met Daler Mehndi during his visit to India in October 2023.

IShowSpeed's channel was banned in August 2024 for an undisclosed amount of time which will affect the amount his channel can earn.

The main source of income for Darren is through his YouTube ad revenue, which is very impressive, and from Twitch views and donations. The estimated net worth of IShowSpeed as of 2023 is $10 - $12 million. The other sources of income for Darren are paid promotions, TikTok, and merchandising. Through his album and through brand collaborations, he has gained wealth as well.

Darren Watkins Jr. was born on January 21, 2005, in Cincinnati, Ohio. All information about Darren’s family has been kept under wraps, as he has not revealed anything about them. It was hard for Darren to make his parents understand what he as a YouTuber would do, and when he got 100k subscribers on YouTube, his mother gave him a cold reaction that made him upset. According to sources, Darren is single, but there were rumors of him dating Ermony Renee. However, recently, he posted a video on his channel where he explained how his girlfriend ditched him and had an affair with someone else.

Following his trip to Sweden, Speed traveled to Norway, where he lived on YouTube and broadcast his experiences there. He appeared to have hurt his ankle while doing the "Siuuuu" dance for his Norwegian fans, about one hour into the live. When a physician saw him thirty minutes later, she told Speed to get an X-ray at a hospital.

A throng of admirers was waiting for him outside the hotel as he made his way to his vehicle. He was lifted into the car by a man in a suit who was part of his entourage since he had an injured ankle. The streamer's brief walk from the hotel entrance to the automobile, however, was made into a nightmare as fans swarmed him and created tumultuous scenes.

Additionally, IShowSpeed used X (previously Twitter) to share his thoughts with his Norwegian followers. "NEVER COMING TO F***ING NORWAY AGAIN," he wrote. Even so, Speed managed to escape the fan crowd with little harm, despite the commotion caused by the incident.

IShowSpeed has been temporarily removed from the platform for allegedly violating Community Guidelines with a sports car stunt video, as of 2024. Despite his reputation for chaotic material, IShowSpeed has a large social media following, with millions of admirers. This prohibition is essential for IShowSpeed because YouTube is its principal streaming outlet.

In this video, IShowSpeed takes revenge on Talking Ben, and it is one of the most viewed videos on his channel Live Speedy. The video has over 220k likes and more than five million views.

His official music video, which was controversial as well, got a significant amount of viewership. The video is available on his YouTube channel IShowSpeed and it has 3 million likes on it.

This video is available on his third YouTube channel, Speedy Boykins, and it is one of his most viewed videos as he gets a $100,000 donation. He gets excited in this video and a PC falls on him because of this.

In this video, Darren’s new dog barks at him, and he asks the audience whether he should keep its name Ben. This video is available on his channel Live Speedy.

• When he was active on Twitch before getting banned, he had over 170k followers.

• The friend who persuaded Darren to start creating content on YouTube, has left the platform. However, Darren still aims at gaining more love and support on the platform.